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Easton, MA

Official, professional site for author, speaker and blogger Karl Giberson. 

CV

Karl W. Giberson, Autumn, 2012

Dr. Giberson's professional life has combined college teaching, writing, managing and editing publications, and running academic projects, in roughly equal proportions.  This cv contains a representative sampling from each of these areas.

Recent/Current Professional Activities and Positions

Education

  • Rice University: Ph.D. Physics, 1984. M.A. Physics, 1982.
  • Oxford University: Summer science & religion program, 1999-2001
  • Eastern Nazarene College: . B.S. Physics/Math; B.A.Philosophy, 1979.

Books Published (5 of 9)

  • The Anointed: Evangelical Truth in a Secular Age (with Randall Stephens, Belknap/Harvard University Press, 2011).
  • The Language of Science & Faith (with Francis Collins, InterVarsity Press, 2011). Also published in Korean.
  • Saving Darwin (HarperOne, 2008) Washington Post’s “One of the Best Books of 2008.”
  • The Oracles of Science: Celebrity Scientists Versus God and Religion (with Mariano Artigas, Oxford University Press, 2007). Also published in Italian, Polish, and Spanish.
  • Species of Origins: America’s Search for a Creation Story (with Don Yerxa, Rowman & Littlefield, 2002).  Also published in Polish.

For a full book list, please see Dr. Giberson's book page.

Physics Research Background

  • Eastern Nazarene College: 1984-1988.  Research with undergraduates on nitrogen lasers and dye lasers. Since 1993 my primary research focus has been the history, science, and sociology of the creation-evolution controversy in America.
  • Rice University: 1979-1984: Doctoral  research  involved  development of tunable lasers in experiments involving the optical pumping of noble gases. Experience included dye, gas, and solid state lasers, and a variety of atomic beam configurations.  Developed novel intracavity modulation technique to stabilize the transverse optical pumping of atomic beams.
  • Dartmouth College—Summer, 1978: Low Temperature physics

Courses taught (Eastern Nazarene College and Gordon College)

  • Critical Thinking & Logic, Writing Workshops, Introduction to Philosophy, Contemporary Questions Honors Seminar, History of Science and Religion, Astronomy, Issues in Science & Religion, Epoch Making Events in Science Applied Mechanics, Intermediate Mechanics, Modern Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism.

Recognitions

  • Writing: Saving Darwin recognized by Washington Post Book World as a “Best Book of 2008.”  Other books translated into Spanish, Italian, Polish, Korean. Essay on the origins controversy selected for inclusion in  the freshman reader: What Matters in America. Invited speaker, “Writers by the Sea” conference in San Diego.
  • Rice University: Awarded competitive Rice Fellowship,  elected to Sigma Xi research society, doctoral thesis received Wilson award for best dissertation.
  • Eastern Nazarene College: Outstanding Teacher Award, 1995. Professional Achievement Awards, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2009. External award for  “Outstanding Course in Science & Religion,” 1996.

Grants (partial list of awards from the Templeton Foundation)

  • $1.4 million to fund editorial operations of Science & Spirit magazine (2005-2007).
  • $45,000 to support writing of The Oracles of Science (2005).
  • $378,000 run international conference on “Open Theology & Science” (2007-2008).
  • $78,000 to support writing and promotion of Saving Darwin.
  • $75,000 to explore ways for academics to write for popular media outlets.

Physics Research Publications (5 of 10 are listed)

  • "Optical Pumping With a Frequency Modulated Multimode Dye Laser", by K. Giberson et al, Optics Letters, (1985).
  • "Orientation of Ar(3p2) Atoms by Laser Optical Pumping", by K. Giberson et al, Review of Scientific Instruments (8), (1984).
  • "Optical Pumping of a Ne(3p2) Atom Beam with a Multimode Laser", by K. Giberson et al, Optics Communications  52 (103), (1984).
  • "Intense Source of Spin-Polarized Electrons Using Laser-Induced Optical Pumping", by L. Gray, K. Giberson et al, Review of Scientific Instruments 54 (3), (1983).
  • "Measurement of the Spin Polarization of an Optically Pumped Ensemble of He (23S) Atoms", by C. Cheng, K. Giberson et al, Review of Scientific Instruments 53 (9), (1982).

Sample Reference essays for Salem Press Surveys of Science

  •  “Scientists Find Strong Evidence for the Big Bang,” 1993 (in Magill's Survey of Science: Great Events from Physics).
  • “Bosons,” Salem Press,  1991 (in Magill's Survey of Science: Great Ideas from Physics).
  •  “United States Outer Space Treaty,” Salem Press,  1989 (in Magill's Survey of Science: Space Exploration Series). Co- co-authored with undergraduate Todd Crofford.

Review Essays (4 of 18)

  • “George Bailey's Wonderful Universes.” Books & Culture, May-June 2011.
  • “No Science, Please:We're Evangelical.” Books & Culture. (Sept/Oct, 2008)
  • “The Warden of Time and Space: Isaac Newton, Genius, Heretic, SOB.” Three part series on Newton and his biographers. Books & Culture,  Sept/Oct 2001--Jan/Feb 2002.
  • “Mr. Uncertainty: The Life and Times of Werner Heisenberg.” Two part series, Books & Culture March/April and May/June, 2000.

Sample Book Reviews

  • Evolution of God by Robert Wright. Quarterly Review of Biology, (June, 2010).
  • What Science Knows and How it Knows It by James Franklin. Weekly Standard, (March 8, 2010).
  • Before Scopes: Evangelicalism, Education, and Evolution in Tennessee, 1870-182, by Charles Israel, Journal of Southern Religion (2006).
  • Endless Forms Most Beautiful by Sean Carroll.  Discover Magazine. (June 2005).
  • Modern Physics and Ancient Faith, by Stephen Barr. Physics in Perspective (2004).

Published Interviews (4 of 12)

  • “Faith in the Halls of Science: A Conversation with Ian Hutchinson” (with undergraduate Dana Peck), Perspectives on Science and Faith, Sept. 2008.
  • “Finding Darwin’s God: A Conversation with Ken Miller.” Books & Culture (Jan-Feb, 2004).
  • “God and Time Machines: A Conversation with Paul Davies.” Books & Culture Mar-Apr 2002.
  • “The Universe has a Mind of its Own: A Conversation with Freeman Dyson.”  Books & Culture, Nov/Dec 2000.

Educational Publications

  • “Evolution in the Public Schools: A Case Study Analysis” (with undergraduate Tim Johnson).  Perspectives on Science and Faith, December 2002.
  • “Searching for ET with Middle School Students,” The Science Teacher, November, 1997.  (with  undergraduate Laura Brown.)
  • “Imposing Science on the Liberal Arts Student” (co-authored with Kathy Frederich),  Perspectives on Science & Faith (June 1996).
  • Pieces in Great Ideas for Teaching Astronomy, 1989, 1993. Great Ideas for Teaching Physics, 1991.

Miscellaneous Sample Short Pieces

  • “Modern Faith: Harmony of the Spheres,” Thedaily.com, Nov. 13, 2011.
  • “The Evangelical Rejection of Reason”, Oct. 18, 2011, NY Times. (with Randall Stephens.)
  • “Growing Up in Bachmann’s World. FrumForum, Oct 3, 2011. Reprinted in The Guardian.
  • “Jesus would believe in evolution and so should you,” CNN.com, April 10, 2011.
  • “Atheists, it’s time to play well with others,” USA Today, May 24, 2010.
  • “What’s Wrong with Science as Religion?” Salon.com, July 31, 2008.

Miscellaneous Professional Activities

  • Lecturer at Venice School May 2010 (with Michael Ruse, Frans De Waal, Simon Conway Morris, and Fr. Josef Zycinski.)
  • Keynote: “The Oracles of Science” at Metanexus 2009 international Science and Religion meeting.
  • Invited speaker at Vatican conference on Science & Philosophy, April 2006.
  • Director of the Erice, Sicily, workshop on science and religion, 2003.
  • Guest on WBZ television program “Higher Ground.” 2001
  • Invited lectures have been given at Azusa Pacific University, Biola University, Calvin College, Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, College of Idaho, Eastern College, Gordon College, Greenville College, Hastings College, Huntington College, Indiana Wesleyan University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Messiah College, Methodist University, Northwest Nazarene University, Oxford University, Point Loma Nazarene University, Stonehill College, Thomas More Institute (London), Westmont College, Wheaton College, Xavier University, University of Navarre, University of Washington.

NOTE:  Dr. Giberson has published dozens of book reviews, interviews, editorials, and other pieces in Science & Theology News and Science & Spirit. However, as he was the editor of those publications, these pieces have not been included. Also not listed are very many of Dr. Giberson's on-line debates, blogs and op-eds on other websites, including Huffington Post, The BioLogos Forum, and scienceandreligiontoday. 

Personal

55 years old; married, 2 children; enjoy teaching undergraduates, reading, writing, baseball, politics, the outdoors.