ACMS Fall Updates

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ACMS 2024 Conference at Dordt

Proposals for talks at the Dordt 2024 conference are now being accepted. Here is the link to the conference website where you can submit proposals, register for the conference, and apply for travel and child care grants. Below is a copy of the conference poster that contains information on our invited speakers as well as three pre-conference workshop options. Please feel free to print and distribute this poster within your networks to spread the word in regards to the Dordt conference. Many thanks to Val Zonnefeld and Tom Clark at Dordt for their organizational work. 

Proposals Still Being Accepted for a 2026 Host Site

Looking past the Dordt conference to 2026, we are still accepting applications for hosts of the 2026 conference. The application form can be found here. With the rotating geographic schedule of ACMS conferences, preference will be given to schools that can generally be considered “east,” but all institutions are encouraged to apply.

Brabenec Lectureship Updates

The 2023-24 Brabebenec Lecturer, Derek Schuurman, has already completed one of his stops, visiting Cedarville University last week. There he gave talks on “ChatGPT, AI, and the Biblical Story” to both faculty and students. Derek will be speaking next at Houston Christian University on November 2nd. We hope to have Derek give a virtual talk in the spring that can be attended by all ACMS members – more information on that to follow.

   

ACMS Reception at the JMM 

If you are attending JMM in January, ACMS will host a reception as usual. There will be a time of fellowship and snacks before groups will disperse for dinner at various local restaurants. Due to the exorbitant costs of A/V equipment, we will not be hosting a speaker at this year’s reception. If you have any questions regarding the JMM reception, or if you will be attending JMM and like to help in greeting/hosting new attendees, please contact ACMS Vice President Kristin Camenga.

Please feel free to reach out to me or any other ACMS board member with any questions that you have regarding the happenings of the ACMS. 

We look forward to seeing everyone at Dordt next summer!

ACMS Summer Updates

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To the ACMS membership,

Now that we are post-Memorial Day, we are less than a year away from seeing each other again at the 2024 Conference at Dordt University. As I look forward to that time, I pray that you all would find rest and rejuvenation this summer. This newsletter contains information regarding ACMS events and deadlines for the next calendar year. Please read through each topic. As always, please feel free to reach out to myself or other members of the board with any questions. 

Brabenec Lectureship

Many thanks are due to Russ Howell for serving as the inaugural Brabenec lecturer. This past year Russ gave talks at Huntington, Taylor, Indiana Wesleyan, and Lee University. You can find a link to the video of Russ’s talk at Huntington on the ACMS website main page.

The board is pleased to announce that the Brabenec Lecturer for the 2023-24 academic year is Derek Schuurman. You can follow this link to Derek’s personal website to read about his background and academic work. Derek has made immense contributions to the integration of faith and learning in computer science and we are thrilled to have him as the next Brabenec Lecturer. 

Applications to Host the Brabenec Lecture Series

If your institution is interested in hosting Derek this next academic year, you can apply here. The deadline to apply to host is July 17th. The board hopes to announce the host institutions by August 1st. 

APU Conference Proceedings

The ACMS Journal and Proceedings from the APU conference is now available here. Thanks are once again due to Russ Howell for serving as editor. As a reminder, you can find previous ACMS journals and conference proceedings at pillars.taylor.edu/acms/.

Dordt Conference 2024

Details for the Dort 2024 Conference are taking shape. Keep your calendars marked for the week of May 27th, 2024. Confirmed plenary speakers include:

We are working to add one more speaker to the lineup, so stay tuned. 

We would now like to solicit proposals for pre-conference workshops. If you have an idea for a workshop, please use this form to submit an abstract. The board will review the proposals on a rolling basis with the goal of having the pre-conference workshops finalized by September. 

Call for talk proposals will go out in August.

Proposals to Host the 2026 Conference

The application is open for schools to host the 2026 ACMS conference. This summer would be an excellent time for you and other members of your institution to complete the application form. Schools that are east (broadly speaking) will be given priority. 

Finally, I’ll close with a reminder about our newly created ACMS Discussions Google Group. This could be a great way to share information and continue discussions throughout the summer. 

Happy summer everyone. 

Math3ma

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I thought I would pass along information regarding this event as it might be of interest to readers here. Even if you can’t attend the symposium, it might be worth keeping tracking of the work of Math3ma (pronounced “math-e-ma”).

The following information is from the event organizers:

The Math3ma Symposium is June 9–10 hosted at The Master’s University (TMU)

What’s this event?

The Math3ma Symposium invites Christian graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and professionals in STEM throughout academia, industry, and government for a time of fellowship and encouragement as they pursue fidelity to Christ and Scripture in their vocations. Unlike traditional gatherings for Christians in STEM, this symposium is not primarily a venue for apologetics or the topic of origins, per se. Instead, we’re simply inviting faithful Christians working in a variety of scientific disciplines to join us for a time of dialogue, discussion, and the opportunity to meet like-minded believers in the field.

Who’s involved?

Tai-Danae Bradley will be hosting the event. Tai-Danae a mathematician who spent two years at Google X, and now works for a start-up company recently spun out of Alphabet, Inc. She is also a visiting faculty member at TMU where she directs The Math3ma Institute, which is a new hub for research and outreach in the sciences at TMU. You can learn more about her here.

We also have a wonderful line-up of speakers:

  • Jeffrey Williams, NASA astronaut and retired US Army Colonel
  • Tara Sander Lee, molecular and cell biologist at the Charlotte Lozier Institute
  • Abner Chou, president of The Master’s University and Seminary (TMUS)
  • John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church, teacher at Grace To You ministries, and chancellor of TMUS

Where can I find more info and buy tickets? Details, agenda, and ticket prices are available at www.masters.edu/math3ma. Live stream tickets are also available for the general public and those in our target audience who cannot attend in person.

What’s The Master’s University, anyway?

Not familiar with TMU or The Math3ma Insititute? Here are some links to explore:

  • Check out TMU’s new Center for Thinking Biblically, a collection of high-quality videos on various topics — culture, politics, education, media, and more — explored from a biblical perspective. You might especially enjoy the series “Thinking Biblically About Science” and “Thinking Biblically About Mathematics” released earlier this year.
  • Earlier this month, we published the second issue of The Journal of The Math3ma Institute, which features expository articles on original research in the sciences targeted at lay audiences. Our motivation? To explain our work with simplicity and clarity so that wide audiences can more easily see God’s handiwork and glory in creation. Our latest articles include work in immunology, paleontology, and mathematics: https://math3ma.institute/journal/ We’re now accepting submissions for the next issue. Interested? Simply send me an email!
  • Interested in joining TMU’s science and engineering department? We have a few faculty positions available here.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Hope to see you in June!