Careers in Science for Christians

      This page is one aspect of CHRISTIANS IN SCIENCE which also includes "Conflict between Christianity and Science?" and Stewardship of Life as a Christian Worldview.

      Youth Page — This page, made by Jack Haas (another web-editor for ASA), includes a section about Careers in Science.  It is "designed to encourage Christian youth to develop their interests in the natural world — perhaps to consider a career in science, mathematics, medicine or engineering.  Teachers or parents might take a peek as well."

      Science College Teaching & Research — And this page, also from Jack Haas, is "for those considering a career in higher education and research."

      Academic Positions (job listings) and Career Information

      Being a Christian in Science
      This excellent book (written by Walter Hearn) begins with an introduction by Jack Haas, who asks:  "Are you attracted to science?  Have you ever considered a scientific career as an appropriate response to God's call on your life?  Or, as a scientist with Christian convictions, have you questioned how other Christians put their careers together with their life of faith?  Then this is the book for you!"  —  information about the book

      Emerging Scholars Network
      Sponsored by Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, "the Emerging Scholars Network is called to identify, encourage, and equip the next generation of Christian scholars who seek to be a redeeming influence within higher education."  They want to "spur you onward in the good work of being a Christian scholar."

      Forum for Students and Early Career Network
      Information about this will be available by September 2010, along with more information about Career Planning.

      Annual Meetings of the American Scientific Affiliation
      Activities for our meeting in 2008 included a luncheon, evening outing, and two-part symposium, all organized by Gwen Schmidt (former representative, in the ASA Council, for Students and Early Career Network) and Susan Daniels (former representative, who is now a member of the ASA Council).
      Our annual meeting in 2008 also included a symposium on Gender Issues in the Sciences, with talks by Jennifer Wiseman (Women Looking Up: Uplifting Women Who Study the Heavens and the Earth), Carolyn Anderson (Perspectives on Gender Issues within the Chemical Sciences), James Rusthoven (Gender Shifts and Influences on the Culture of Physician Practice), and Gwen Schmidt (American Culture, Evangelical Subculture, and Women in the Sciences).
 

 
      "So, You Want to Be A Science Professor!" — The Education Business: Things My Mother Never Told Me by Richard Bube, a former editor of ASA's journal

      Articles for Students and Early Career Scientists
      This feature began in 1997 when the Young Scientists' Corner (which was renamed the Student and Early Career Scientists’ Corner in 2003) was started by Jack Haas — editor of ASA's journal, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith (PSCF) — for the purpose of "providing features of interest to students and those in the early stages of their scientific career.  To begin, we offer a biographical essay from a married scientist-engineer duo which describes what drew them to science (and each other) and how this has played out in their relationships with the Christian community."

      The first featured article was Taking the Road Less Traveled: Reflections on Entering Careers in Science by Keith & Ruth Miller. (Dec 1997, 10 k)   A decade later, Keith and Ruth offer advice for Staying on the Road Less Traveled: Fulfilling a Vocation in Science. (June 2008, 9 k)

      In these papers you'll find useful principles for students and (•) for their helpers:
      A Guide to Graduate School for Christians in Science: Growing and Staying Sane by William Struthers (June 1999, 12 k)
      A Compass for Christian Graduate Students by Mark Strand  (June 2008, 12 k)
      Challenges and Opportunities for Christians in Science at the Beginning of Their Careers by Johnny Lin, Pam Veltkamp, Randall DeJong, Steven Hall, Ruth Douglas Miller, and Don Munro (Sep 2003, 16 k plus six bios)
      • How You Can Help Young Christians in Science by Jennifer Wiseman (March 1999, 14 k)

      Here, in order of publication, young scientists share personal stories and the lessons they've learned from their experience:
      From the "Ideal" to the "Real" World by an anonymous author (March 1998, 8 k)
      Caution: Roadblocks Ahead by Grace Ju (June 1998, 13 k)
      In Transition by Steven Hall (Sep 1998, 5 k)
      Called to Stewardship by Scott Althouse (Dec 1998, 10 k)
      Knowledge and Loving God: Reflections on Faith and My Graduate Experience by Johnny Lin (Dec 1999, 12 k)
      A View from the Crossroads of Science and Faith by Michelle Roth (March 2000, 10 k)
      The Lesson of Riddles by Douglas Hayworth (Dec 2000, 17 k)

      An entire issue of PSCF (Dec 2001) was devoted to Asking the Right Questions: Christian Faith and the Choice of Research Topic in the Natural and Applied Sciences.  There is a summary — What are the major themes of this conference? — by Terry Morrison, who organized the "right questions" conference while he was Director of Faculty Ministries for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and links to pages for the sessions.

      In addition to the articles FOR young scientists that you see above, our journal has hosted papers BY young scientists:
      Transcultural Issues in Science illustrated with examples from China, by Mark Strand (March 2003, 16 k)
      Scientific Ethics: A Realm for Partnership by Catherine Crouch (Sep 2000, 8 k)
      Natural Selection as an Algorithm: Why Darwinian Processes Lack the Information Necessary to Evolve Complex Life by John Bracht (Dec 2002, 26 k)
      Science or Sience: The Question of Intelligent Design Theory by Jeff Mino (Sep 2006, 36 k)
 

Copyright © 2002 by Craig Rusbult
all rights reserved