From: douglas.hayworth@perbio.com
Date: Fri Aug 09 2002 - 10:21:18 EDT
Name: Douglas Hayworth
Age: 35 (1966)
Married to Kim; three children: Alison (9), Nathaniel(7), Samantha(4)
Vocation: Technical Assistance Representative, Pierce Biotechnology,
Rockford, IL
ASA Member since 1996, upon the recommendation of Howard Van Till, whom I
had written after reading his Science Held Hostage book.
Educational Background:
2000 - Ph.D. Evolutionary Biology, Washington University in St. Louis.
Dissertation: Hierarchical domains in concerted evolution of ribosomal DNA
intergenic spacers in Arabidopsis (Brassicaceae). (Arabidopsis is a genus
of plants in the mustard or radish family, of which Arabidopsis thaliana is
used as a model organisms in genetics, analogous to fruit flies).
1991 - M.S. Biology, University of Texas in Arlington. Thesis: Flavonoid
systematics of the linear-leaved species of Nama (another plant genus).
1989 - B.S. Botany, University of Wisconsin.
Vocational Background:
2000-present - Pierce Chemical (now Pierce Biotechnology), Technical
Assistance Representative.
1999-2000 - UIC College of Medicine in Rockford, Research Technician then
Postdoc.
1998-1999 - Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa, Sabbatical replacement
in biology for Fred VanDyke (now at Wheaton College, I think).
Church/Theological Affiliation:
Currently member of Bethesda Evangelical Covenant Church in Rockford, IL
Previously member and deacon of Memorial Presbyterian Church (PCA) in St.
Louis, MO
Grew up in non-denominational evangelical church (Elmbrook Church in
Waukesha, WI), where my father is missions pastor
Missionary kid (age 5-12) in Tehran, Iran (no church affiliation, parents
were self-supporting, some connection with Operation Mobilization)
Baptist grandparents, both sides.
I've been a believer since I can remember. I grew up in a family of
classical musicians; although I now play guitar and harmonica and sing in
our church's worship team, I was the lone non-musician in the family
growing up and have always been interested in biology. I became interested
in botany in college when I couldn't get into the intro "pre-med" science
course track (classes filled up) and was diverted to a different, less
pre-med intro series. This led to a fascination with plant taxonomy, then
biogeography and systematics, then to evolution, which I then pursued in
graduate school.
I agree with Dobzhansky that "nothing in biology makes sense except in
light of evolution". Doing comparative biology and ecology in light of
historical (evolutionary) processes has always fascinated me. It's a
wondrous gift that the physical world leaves a record by which the past can
be studied. By creating a universe with historical contingency, God makes
his creation more accessible to us for study (the knowledge of which gives
us greater voice to praise him by). I'm a big fan of Howard Van Till's
perspectives on creation. I also really like Richard Bube's book, Putting
It All Together and Richard Hummel's Galileo Connection. I suppose I can
best be described as holding to the Complementarity view for resolving
apparent "conflicts" between theology and natural science (see my
Perspectives article, PSCF 52: 222-227).
That said, I've been pretty slow to enter into discussions about
evolution-creation issues, both because I'm not a good debator and because
I find that these discussions rarely help people in their faith-walk with
God. To contrast with Dobzhanski's statement above, I think there are few,
if any, things in Christian theology and one's relationship with Christ
that require the "light" (knowledge or acceptance) of evolution to give
sense to them. Since I am not currently in a vocation that really uses
evolutionary biology, many people I know aren't even aware of my training
in this area. This is not to say that I am afraid to speak on the matter,
but I am very selective about when I choose to do so. For example, after
getting to know the new youth pastor at our church, I did mention to him my
background, and now he has asked my to lead several weeks of high school
Sunday school on science-faith this fall.
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