Deane-Drummond has been professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame since August 2011. Her unique appointment is concurrent between the Department of Theology in the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Science. She was elected fellow of the Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame in September 2011.

Deane-Drummond graduated with a degree in natural sciences from Cambridge University and obtained a doctorate in plant physiology at Reading University prior to two postdoctoral fellowships at the University of British Columbia and Cambridge University. She subsequently took up a lectureship in plant physiology at Durham University before turning her attention more fully to theological study, obtaining an honors degree in theology and then a doctorate in systematic theology from Manchester University.

During her scientific career Deane-Drummond lectured both nationally and internationally, and published over 30 scientific articles. Since then, she has published numerous articles, books, edited collections and contributions to books, focusing particularly on the engagement of systematic theology and the biological sciences, alongside practical, ethical discussion in bioethics and environmental ethics. She has lectured widely both nationally and internationally on all areas relating theology and theological ethics with different aspects of the biosciences, especially ecology and genetics.

From 2000 to 2011 Deane-Drummond was professor of theology and the biological sciences at the University of Chester, and was director of the Center for Religion and the Biosciences that was launched in 2002. In May 2011, she was elected chair of the European Forum for the Study of Religion and Environment. She was editor of the international journal “Ecotheology” for six years.

Since 1992 Deane-Drummond has published as a single author or as an editor 22 books, as well as 33 contributions to books and 43 articles in areas relating to theology or ethics. Her more recent books include: “Ecotheology” (DLT/Novalis/St Mary’s Press, 2008); “Christ and Evolution: Wonder and Wisdom” (Minneapolis: Fortress/London: SCM Press, 2009); “Creaturely Theology: On God, Humans and Other Animals,” edited with David Clough (London: SCM Press, 2009); “Seeds of Hope: Facing the Challenge of Climate Justice” (London: CAFOD, 2010) and “Religion and Ecology in the Public Sphere,” edited with Heinrich Bedford-Strohm (London, Continuum, 2011).

Goshen College’s Religion and Science Conference is designed to provide maximum interaction with one of the principal thinkers in the dialogue between religion and science. A single invited speaker presents three lectures, two of which are open to the public. Small, moderated discussion sessions provide conference participants an opportunity to address topics from the lectures, and others, in conversation with the speaker.

Conference attendants and participants include pastors and interested laypersons, as well as academic scientists, mathematicians, theologians and students. For more information about the conference, visitwww.goshen.edu/religionscience.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

Modeled after the Olympic games, participating schools field teams of 15 students, who prepare to compete in a variety of science events at the regional and state competitions. Nearly all of the events are hands-on, making them more meaningful and fun for the students. Volunteers, many of which are Goshen College science students and faculty/staff, will oversee and judge the events.

With approximately 180 students participating, two middle school teams and one high school team will advance to the state tournament. A wild card tournament for teams who almost qualified for the state tournament will be held on Saturday, March 10 at Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette to fill any remaining spots at the state tournament. This year’s state competition will be held at Indiana University Bloomington on Saturday, March 24. The national tournament will be held May 18-19 at the University of Central Florida, in Orlando, Fla.

The day will begin with registration, at 7:30 a.m., and a welcome ceremony, at 8:30 a.m., both in the Church-Chapel. The participants will then proceed to compete in various events throughout campus. An awards ceremony at 3:15 p.m. in the Church-Chapel will conclude the day. The Science Olympiad opening and awards ceremonies are open to the community, but some competitions are closed to observers. The competitions will take place in Goshen College’s Music Center, Administration Building, Union Building, Wyse Hall and Science Building.

The teams in Division B (grades six to nine) will come from the following schools: Bethany Christian Schools, Imagine MASTer Academy, Manchester Junior/Senior High School, Northridge Middle School, South Bend Career Academy, St. Pius X, Catholic School and The Stanley Clark School. Teams in Division C (grades nine to 12) will come from the following schools: Bethany Christian Schools, John Adams High School, LaPorte High School, Manchester Junior/Senior High School and Mishawaka High School.

The Science Olympiad began in 1983 and involves more than 12,000 schools nationally. For more information and a schedule of the day’s events, contact Professor of Mathematics David Housman at (574) 535-7405 or visitwww.goshen.edu/bio/SciOlymp.

The Goshen College Indiana Science Olympiad is supported by Bayer Healthcare LLC.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s ”America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

What started out as hypothetical brainstorming among physics students in the fall of 2008 is in the process of becoming reality. The final work on the solar panels is being completed, and the group expects the system to be up and running in a few weeks.

How it works

The project uses eight tube-style solar hot water collectors, said Isaac Yoder-Schrock, a senior physics major from Donnellson, Iowa, who is heavily involved in the project. The collectors absorb energy from the sun and heat the water that runs through them. This heated water is then stored in a large, well-insulated underground water tank. The insulated storage tank was installed in late September, southwest of the RFC. The water from the tank is transferred to the water entering the boiler in the RFC and preheats the cold water. Yoder-Schrock explained that this process causes the boiler to consume less natural gas.

One unique aspect of the design is that the storage tank stores up heat in order to get through many days of cloudy weather, said John Buschert, professor of physics. The storage tank, which the group bought on eBay, is designed to hold stratified layers of water for efficient heat storage. Once enough initial heat is established, solar energy will be used to heat the RFC water year round.

The group chose the RFC to use solar panels because it is one of the few buildings on campus that is used year round. For example, although the dorms use substantial water for showers during the school year, they don’t use any water during the summer months when they’re vacant.

Students have played a heavy role in most aspects of the project.

“While the project has been a collaboration between students, faculty and staff, students have been integral in the research, engineering, proposal-writing and construction of the project,” said Yoder-Schrock. The students completed the research, wrote the proposal, contacted many of the donors and worked alongside contractors to complete aspects of the construction.

This project was never formally linked with any classes, so students and faculty always worked on it on the side in addition to their class workloads. Buschert said at first it was hard to find the time and to stay on task with students going in and out. They needed students to commit to the project. That’s when Yoder-Schrock and Andrew Glick, a sophomore physics major from Pekin, Ill., stepped in.

“It’s unusual for students to be so heavily involved in such a big project,” said Buschert. “We only have a few pre-engineering students, so we put them to good work.”

This was also an opportunity for students to use problem-solving skills as obstacles arose amidst their research.

“It was really hard to get good numbers from the solar industry as a small, independent, non-business affiliated project,” said Glick. “Whether it was prices or the panel’s thermal energy ratings, we had to make a lot of phone calls and send a lot of emails and analyze the data we got back in order to try and make the best investment.”

Money was an obstacle, he said, but with the help of donors who were interested in supporting sustainability and a grant from the Ecological Stewardship Committee, they were able to make it work. Buschert said that although solar energy may not be the cheapest form of energy right now, this project isn’t just about money. Even if natural gas or other forms of energy are cheap, he said, “we’re still paying a different kind of price for it as we’re putting more and more carbon into the air.”

A step closer to carbon neutral

The main reason for completing this project is simple: it reduces the campus’ carbon footprint by using sustainable, clean energy. Money factor aside, the solar panels will help the college get one step closer to the goal of becoming a carbon neutral campus that Goshen College President Jim Brenneman set in 2007.

The new solar project is only the latest venture to reduce energy usage for Goshen College. Energy-reducing initiatives have included technical adjustments to systems, education of students and employees about what they can do to conserve, and more energy efficient construction and new purchases of equipment. For example, the college uses a computerized energy management system, which can control heating and cooling in rooms across campus based on detailed schedules of occupancy. There are timers, sensors and motion detectors to turn the lights off when rooms and hallways aren’t in use or the outside light is sufficient. Energy-efficient light bulbs are used across campus. And hot water temperatures are adjusted based on outdoor temperatures. Computerized controls of fans and pumps save significant amounts of energy.

From July 2010 to June 2011, the college used 5,160,00 kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity. This is the lowest electrical consumption since 1991-1992. During the same time, the college used 28,640.4 decatherms of gas. This is about 20 percent less natural gas consumed per year than the college was using in 1990. The college is using significantly less energy despite the fact that it has added 60 percent more square footage of building space since 1990, all of which needs to be heated and cooled.

“There are many facets to creating a more sustainable environment,” said Glenn Gilbert, sustainability coordinator and utilities manager. “Fortunately, conservation of finite resources and reduction in our carbon footprint often lines up with saving money and improving our quality of life. It takes imagination and creativity to bring this about and involves everyone doing their part. I am thankful that Goshen College has made this commitment and has chosen to be a leader in teaching and modeling ecological stewardship. The Sun Shower Collective is a perfect example.”

– By Alysha Landis

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Northwestern University

Luke Skywalker may have gotten his bionic arm “in a galaxy far, far away,” but Lee E. Miller ’80 is leading cutting-edge research to restore lost limb movement no farther away than Chicago. Miller uses advanced surgically implanted electronics and signal processing systems with a goal of helping people regain mobility and independence after spinal cord injuries or amputations.

Miller, who earned a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and a Ph.D. in physiology from Northwestern University, is a professor of physiology in Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He holds a primary appointment in the Department of Physiology and a secondary appointment in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Northwestern’s Board of Trustees recently named Miller the Edgar C. Stuntz Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience (an endowed professorship) in recognition of his research, publications, teaching and stature in the field.

In his Miller Laboratory of Limb Motor Control, Miller and his post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and research technicians conduct research in the emerging and highly interdisciplinary field of neural engineering. Miller directs laboratory efforts and international collaborations that seek to understand the nature of the signals within the brain that control arm movements to someday restore movement and limb sensation to paralyzed patients and amputees.

Miller’s lab is engaged in a new field of research within neural engineering – the development of a “Brain Machine Interface (BMI)” – that seeks to meld mind and machine. He’s developing a BMI that could restore control to the paralyzed muscles of a spinal cord injured patient by using brain recordings and computers to bypass the injury and directly activate the muscles through electrical stimulation. In a closely related project, Miller and his team activate tiny regions of the brain electrically in an effort to restore the sense of touch and limb position lost as a result of the injury.

Miller often returns to Goshen College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in physics, to lecture in science division-sponsored forums about his research. He’s also found a way to bring the college to his lab: he has hired five GC science graduates as technicians – Klaus Huebert ’99, Luke Jordan ’02, Matthew Bauman ’06, Rebecca Friesen ’09 and David Bontrager ’08. “They’ve been uniformly terrific. My faculty colleagues are jealous of my steady supply of great technicians,” Miller said.

– By Richard R. Aguirre

Goshen College SAPs to tap Feb. 2

GOSHEN, Ind. – With several feet of snow covering the town of Goshen – and most of the country – spring seems quite distant. But again, it is time for the Goshen College Scientists/Scholars Advocating Precision (SAPs) to debunk the folklore that groundhogs and their shadows have anything to say about spring’s onset, particularly with the continuous freezing temperatures and steady snowfall.

Instead, the SAPs will look to maple tree sap and science, for the fifth straight year since the development of their scientific method, to predict the precise, and true, day spring will make its entrance in Goshen – the Maple City.

The scientific process begins with fanfare at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 2,when a group of faculty and students, led by Head SAP and molecular biology major Sasha Dyck (Sr., Montreal, Quebec, Canada), will tap the city-designated Official Maple Tree of Goshen, a 75-foot sugar maple near the college’s historic Adelphian Fountain, outside of the Administration Building. Dyck noted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has judged the groundhog to have “no predictive skill.”

The amount of sugar maple sap collected from the time of the tap will make up part of a complex formula that measures the “weight” of spring – the amount of sap collected – against the “weight” of winter – calculated weather data including temperature, precipitation, severity, etc., represented by a block of ice – to determine the exact day spring will arrive. Goshen is the county seat of Elkhart County – one of the state’s leading producers of the sap used to make syrup.

The main festivities will be held Monday, Feb. 16, when the SAPs’ analysis will predict spring’s arrival during a 10:30 a.m. ceremony around the sap-running tree.

Since SAP Day’s inception, spring in Goshen, Ind., has been declared with amazing precision. In 2000, the newly invented “Sapometer” measuring device pointed to Feb. 29 as the first day of spring – a day on which the National Weather Service recorded record high temperatures of 67 degrees in nearby South Bend (Ind.) and the mercury in Goshen topped 70 degrees.

In 2001, the SAPs predicted a March 7 spring. Despite temperatures in the 40s, the prognosticators claimed success, noting the high number of Goshen College students and faculty wearing short pants or skirts, and a college choir paid vocal tribute to its success. On a sunny Feb. 15, 2002, the Sapometer provided a direct affront to the ground hog by announcing that spring had already arrived. And last year, on Feb. 17, 2003, the Sapometer predicted a mid-March arrival of spring, bringing out the entire Science Department faculty in shorts to eat their ice cream in the sun and watch the flowers start to shoot out of the ground.

“As an institution that prides itself in critical thinking, we must fight the rodent forces from the east that subvert such thought,” said John Ross Buschert, co-Sapometer inventor (a.k.a. professor of physics), “In common with this cute, furry little creature, we too celebrate the inevitable return of spring. It is a time to have a little sticky fun, a bit of laughter and not taking ourselves too seriously. That we have in common with Phil. We just have the deck stacked in our favor when it comes to a more sound prediction.”

It isn’t just any science program that will allow itself to look like “saps” – but Goshen’s reputation in the sciences can stand maple tree-tall. Last year, 100 percent of Goshen College students who applied to medical school were accepted, and Goshen College has been named among 190 schools listed in Peterson’s Top Colleges for Sciences.

View photos from last year’s SAP Tap.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.