2016 Herrmann Lecture Series to feature Astronomer Jennifer Wiseman

WENHAM, MA—Every November the Center for Faith and Inquiry at Gordon College, in partnership with the John Templeton Foundation, hosts the annual Herrmann Lecture Series to honor the pioneering work of Dr. Robert Herrmann. Hosted over a span of several days on the campus of Gordon College, the format enables a world-class thinker to develop an in-depth, original perspective on a topic on the threshold of science and religion.

The 2016 lecturer is Jennifer Wiseman, astronomer and director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion program. Dr. Wisemen will present three lectures starting November 9 through November 11:

• Wednesday, November 9—"Brilliant Nebulae, Black Holes, and Dark Matter: A Universe Inspiring Wonder and Praise"
• Thursday, November 10—"Unfolding Majesty: A Cosmic Journey from Light to Stars to Planets and Life"
• Friday, November 11—"Is the Universe Filled with Life? Discovering Cosmic Bounty"

Each lecture will begin with a reception at 4 p.m., followed by the lecture at 4:30 p.m. in the Ken Olsen Science Center. Respondents include: Leslie Wickman, executive director of the American Scientific Affiliation on November 9; Ian Hutchinson, professor of nuclear science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on November 10; and Owen Gingerich, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and History of Science, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics on November 11.

Dr. Jennifer Wiseman is an astronomer, author, and speaker. Wiseman studies the process of star and planet formation in the galaxy using radio, optical, and infrared telescopes, and has worked with several major national observatories. She is also interested in national science policy and public science engagement, and directs the program of Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She received her B.S. in physics from MIT, discovering comet Wiseman-Skiff in 1987, and continued her studies at Harvard University, earning a Ph.D. in astronomy in 1995. Wiseman continued her research as a Jansky Fellow at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and as a Hubble Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University, and is currently a senior astrophysicist with NASA. She served as a Congressional Science Fellow of the American Physical Society, working with the staff of the Science Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. Wiseman is a Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation—a network of Christians in Science.

For information about the Herrmann Lecture Series, visit www.gordon.edu/herrmann or contact the Center for Faith & Inquiry at CFI@gordon.edu.

Join the conversation on Twitter: @herrmannlecture.

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