Day of Common Learning 2010

Changing China: Associate Professor Doug Downing explores the story of how China has recently changed and the role of microcredit in providing opportunities for the poor. Associate Professor of Economics. Part 1 [Video] Part 2 [Video]

The Global Food System and India: Food Security vs. Food Sovereignty: Professor Kevin Neuhouser discusses the possibilities of ending world hunger through maximizing food production and strategies that focus on local, organic, and native foods. [Video]

Today’s Persecuted Church: Associate Professor Don Peter discusses the cultural, political, and religious motivations of global Christian persecution. [Video]

Who Is My Neighbor?: Associate Professor Michelle Beauclair and Instructor Andrea Taylor-Brochet discuss the stance of Christian Roma community members, how Christian groups have responded to the Roma expulsion, and what we can learn from this about our interactions with people who are culturally different from us. [Video]

Signs and Wonders: Communications Specialist Julia Siemens and SPU students Emily Morehouse and Rachel Smith tell stories of miraculous things they witnessed in Bangalore. [Audio]

The Global Impact of Infectious Disease: What Can You Do?: Biology Professors Cindy Bishop and Derek Wood discuss the global impact of parasites and infectious diseases with a focus on the “Microbial Impact Project” assembled each year by students in the SPU BIO 3351 Microbiology course. [Video]

A Child Redeemed: ZOE Children’s Home, Chiang Mai, Thailand: SPU staff member Joyce Bhang portrays God’s redemptive work in Thailand through the life of a child rescued from the threat of human trafficking. [Video]

The World Comes to Seattle: Assistant Professors of Education Jorge Preciado and Tracy Williams discuss ideas on improving social and academic performance in multicultural education. [Video]

Art, Christianity, Global: Charis Boundary Crossings: Art Professor Roger Feldman examines the artistic cultural exchange, hosted by the Nagel Institute and CCCU, that converged in Yogyakarta and Bali on Java, Indonesia in June of 2008. [Video] [Audio]

Energy Poverty: Associate Professors of Physics Lane Seeley and John Lindberg discuss the ways in which availability of energy resources influences a community’s ability to meet basic human needs and provide opportunities for intellectual and spiritual growth. [Video] [Audio]

Our Top Ten List of Amazing Good News from India: Professor of Geography Kathleen Braden and Al Erisman, Executive in Residence discuss ten economic and social phenomena from India that create encouragement and hope regarding India’s future. [Video] [Audio]

SPRINT India: Transformative Mission Through Empowering Education: Owen Sallee, Michael Richards, and members of the Summer 2009 and 2010 India SPRINT teams share stories from their work with Operation Mobilization and the Dalit Freedom Network, empowering members of India’s lowest caste through schools and education. John Perkins Center. [Video] [Audio]

Kingdom Without Borders: Global Christianity in the 21st Century: Professor of Global Ministries Miriam Adeney explores Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist countries, as well as Latin American and African, and provides a glimpse of the backstory of her new book Kingdom Without Borders. [Audio]

Embassy Doorways for Orphan Nation: Assistant Professor of Education Richard Scheuerman and 2004 Alum Richard Moore share information on challenges and opportunities to place over a thousand orphans in Christian homes in their native country across Eastern Europe. [Audio]

2009 Darwin Symposium

A series of discussions examining Charles Darwin’s influence in a variety of fields and exploring the application today of contemporary theories of evolution.

Darwin in Social and Historical Context Emeritus Associate Professor of Psychology Del McHenry talks about Darwin’s life history, personality, and work; Associate Professor of History Rod Stiling discusses On the Origin of Species in the history of science; and Associate Professor of Philosophy Patrick McDonald presents “On the Friendship of Darwin, Design, and Creation.” November 10, 2009. (1:19:09) [Video]

Taking Up Darwin in His Own Time: Church and Culture Associate Professor of English Christine Chaney talks about “Lady Novelists, Evolution, and the ‘Natural History’ of Real Life,” and Associate Professor of Christian Ministry Jeff Keuss discusses “Thomas a’ Kempis and Darwin: Death, Life, and Evolution in Victorian Theology.” November 12, 2009. (1:04:49) [Video]

Darwin and 21st Century Biological Sciences Assistant Professor of Biology Eric Long discusses “Evolution, Ecology, and Endangered Species”; Associate Professor of Biochemistry Ben McFarland discusses “What Good Is Evolution? How Darwin’s Theory Helps Us, From Termites to Proteins”; and Professor of Biology Tim Nelson presents “Endosymbiosis, a Combination of Darwinian and Non-Darwinian Evolution?” November 17, 2009. (1:07:21) [Video]

Darwin and 21st Century Social and Behavioral Sciences Associate Professor of Biology Cara Wall-Scheffler talks about “Closing Gaps in the Fossil Record? The Recent Lessons of Ardipithecus and The Emergence of Human Bipedality”; Assistant Professor of Psychology Bane Craft discusses “Evolutionary Psychology: The Role of Comparative Psychology in Understanding Human Behavior”; and Dean of the School of Psychology, Family, and Community Míchéal Roe addresses “Emergence,” human behavior, and worldviews. November 19, 2009. (1:20:25) [Video]

Vertebrate Biology | What Does It Mean to Be Human

Vertebrate Biology (BIO3432) Associate Professor of Biology Eric Long examines vertebrate life in an evolutionary context through the study of adaptations, comparative anatomy, paleontology, and natural history. Spring 2009.

What Does It Mean to Be Human: Psychology Assistant Professor of Psychology Bain Craft talks about the evolutionary model he uses to understand animal behavior and what determines animal and human choices. (3:22) [Audio]

What Does It Mean to Be Human: Philosophy Associate Professor of Philosophy Patrick McDonald expresses that reason is an important part of human distinctiveness. (5:46) [Audio]

What Does It Mean to Be Human: Scripture Professor of Christian Scriptures Rob Wall claims that the Bible is prepared to give a valuable part of the whole truth in a discussion on humanity as co-creators with God, but it cannot give an accurate scientific perspective. (9:30) [Audio]

What Does It Mean to Be Human: Evolutionary Biology Associate Professor of Biology Cara Wall-Scheffler describes the need to identify which stage of development a specific fossil within the evolutionary process is in order to locate specific, survival enhancing traits. (4:13) [Audio]

What Does It Mean to Be Human: Animal Behavioral Biology Associate Professor of Biology Janet Bester-Meredith draws connections between certain human behaviors and non-human animal behaviors. (11:15) [Audio]

What Does It Mean to Be Human: Q and A SPU professors answer student questions about the role of humanity in a scientifically informed Christian worldview. (42:34) [Audio]

Erickson Conference Presentations

The Erickson Conference showcases the outstanding research contributions that SPU students make in the fields of Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics. Students present the findings of their individual research projects.

Truth, Consistency, and the Crisis of Foundations [Audio] [Video]

Ratio and Proportion [Audio] [Video]

Is Sudoku NP-Complete? [Audio] [Video]

Using Distance Sampling to Estimate Population Size of Black-tailed Deer on Blakely Island, WA [Audio] [Video]

oChem Hammer [Audio] [Video]

Biochemistry (BIO/CHM 4362)

Biochemistry Course Lectures: Part Two In this second quarter of a three-part biochemistry series, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Ben McFarland introduces the integration of the chemical knowledge gained about biological systems from fall quarter biochemistry. The major topic, metabolism, is discussed starting with biosignaling and continuing through catabolism, anabolism, and regulation of biochemical pathways. Series of course lectures. [Audio]

Biochemistry (BIO/CHM 4361)

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Ben McFarland studies the chemical properties of biological compounds (carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and proteins, and nucleic acids), metabolism (biochemical energetics, enzymes, electron transport, and oxidative phosphorylation), and the integration of metabolism (biochemical genetics, metabolic regulation). Series of course lectures. [Audio | Video]

Urban Conversations | Modern View of the Atom | Miller Science Learning Center

Recent Features:
Urban Conversations: Union Gospel Mission White Center UGM White Center Director Katie Russell and SPU Urban Involvement Student Team Leader Corbin Sheffels share about how SPU student volunteers and youth in White Center learn from exposure to diverse cultures and life experiences. October 15, 2007. (5:05) [Video]

The Modern View of the Atom In this course lecture, Associate Professor of Chemistry Greg Phelan explores protons, neutrons, and electrons and then reviews the basic structure of the atom. October 1, 2007. (16:11) [Audio]

SPU Classics:
Miller Science Learning Center Construction Plans Former SPU President David McKenna shares design possibilities and construction obstacles for the SPU science center. February 6, 1974. (39:05) [Audio]