The Society of Catholic Scientists in Birmingham (SCSBHam) is excited to offer fully funded scholarships to attend this year’s Society of Catholic Scientists National Conference, which will be held on the beautiful campus of Catholic University in Washington, D.C., from June 6-8. This year’s theme is “Critical Issues at the Interface of Science and Faith.” 

The conference’s notable keynote speakers include Father Anselm Ramelow, O.P., from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley. He will speak on free will, Aquinas, and the brain. Professor Kenneth Kemp from the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, will present “The Philosophy and Theology of Human Origins.” Professor Rogier Windhorst, from Arizona State University, will speak on the James Webb Space Telescope and what it has discovered and what it means. Professor Martin A. Nowak, from Harvard University, will present “How Mathematics Leads to God.”

The available scholarship includes 1-year paid membership to the organization, travel, registration, and accommodations. The society is particularly interested in applicants who are faculty or students from Alabama colleges and universities who might be interested in starting a university chapter of SCS.

The number of scholarships is dependent on the number of applicants and whether the applicant is a faculty member or a student.

Please e-mail President of SCSBHam Paul Wiget, pwiget@gmail.com, to begin the application process. The conference is only a couple weeks away so reach out soon. For a program and full schedule, please visit https://sites.google.com/view/scs2025.

The Birmingham society is an answer to the call of Pope St. John Paul II that “members of the Church who are active scientists” be of service to those who are attempting to “integrate the worlds of science and religion in their own intellectual and spiritual lives.” The society does this through annual conferences, regional conferences, college chapters, lectures, and other activities, as well as by educational material and articles on its website, catholicscientists.org.

The Society of Catholic Scientists exists to foster fellowship among Catholic scientists and to witness to the harmony between the vocation of scientist and the life of faith. The society creates an environment where Catholic scientists can share their knowledge, perspectives, and intellectual and spiritual gifts with each other for their mutual enrichment and with fellow Catholics and the wider community.