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Featured speakers Deborah Haarsma and Richard Lindroth

A Polarized Climate: Hope in Better Conversations

13October
Date and Time:October 13, 2022 — 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EST
Organizer:BioLogos
13October

Join BioLogos President Deb Haarsma and Ecologist Rick Lindroth for this event entitled, “A Polarized Climate: Hope in Better Conversations.” This event will take place on Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 7 pm.

Loving our neighbors well through disagreements can be tough, especially when it comes to topics like climate change. But to be part of the solution, we have to start with a conversation that shows how science and faith can work hand in hand.

Join BioLogos President Deb Haarsma and Ecologist Rick Lindroth as they discuss the realities of today’s cultural environment and how it affects how we see and understand one another. See gracious dialogue modeled in conversations around trust and values, and come away with practical tips when talking to friends & family.

This event is hosted by BioLogos.


Featured speakers

Deb Haarsma

Deborah Haarsma

Dr. Deborah Haarsma served as President of BioLogos from 2013 to 2024.   Under Haarsma’s leadership, BioLogos grew in both numbers and influence, from private events and a small website to extensive programs and widespread impact (see Our History). During her tenure, BioLogos built an extensive network of experts, writers, and speakers, and developed national conferences, a high-school curriculum, and a podcast.  BioLogos became the leading resource on the viewpoint of evolutionary creation and went on to help Christians wrestle with many complex science topics, always working at the intersection of Christ-centered faith and rigorous science and in a spirit of gracious dialogue.  Haarsma is a frequent speaker on modern science and Christian faith at churches, universities, and conferences. In addition to extensive writing and speaking for BioLogos, she has appeared on several podcasts, including Undeceptions (on Outer Space and on The Multiverse) and the Jesus Storybook Bible podcast. Her writing has been featured at Big Think and Sojourners, as well as in several books, including Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Design, the collection Calvinism for a Secular Age, and the collection Christ and the Created Order.   She wrote the book Origins with her husband and fellow physicist, Loren Haarsma, presenting the agreements and disagreements among Christians regarding the history of life and the universe.   Previously, Haarsma served as professor and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Calvin University. In her research, she used telescopes around the world and in orbit to pursue extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology, with publications on young galaxies, large galaxies, galaxy clusters, the curvature of space, and the expansion of the universe.  Haarsma completed her doctoral work in astrophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (profile by MIT’s Octet Collaborative) and her undergraduate work in physics and music at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota (profile for 2022 Alumna of the Year award). She and Loren enjoy science fiction and classical music, and live in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Richard Lindroth

Rick Lindroth (Ph.D., University of Illinois-Urbana) is a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Ecology (Emeritus) and former Associate Dean for Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Distinguished Fellow of The Lumen Center (Madison, WI). His research focused on evolutionary ecology, global change ecology, and trophic dynamics in forest ecosystems. He has been a Fulbright Fellow and is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Ecological Society of America, the Entomological Society of America, and the American Scientific Affiliation. Funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other agencies, Rick and his research group have published nearly 250 journal articles and book chapters. Rick currently works at The Lumen Center, a community of scholars working at the intersection of Christianity and culture. He speaks to public and faith-based groups about creation care, environmental stewardship, climate change, biodiversity, and science denialism/communication. Rick serves on the Board of Directors for A Rocha USA and is a member of the BioLogos Voices speaker’s bureau. He and his wife have two daughters and four grandchildren. For recreation, they enjoy road cycling, flyfishing, hiking and reading – though not necessarily in that order.