Research News

These stories represent highlights of research and creative scholarship at Andrews University. For a more comprehensive list of campus-wide research activities, please explore the portions of this Research website dedicated to events, faculty research, and student research.

The Oxford Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist.

Andrew University professors Denis Kaiser and Nicholas Miller are co-editors of the first major treatment of Seventh-day Adventism by a major non-Adventist academic press.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theodicy of Love: Cosmic Conflict and the Problem of Evil is available as an audiobook.

John C. Peckham, Research Professor of Theology and Christian Philolosophy, announced that his 2018 book is now an audiobook. John Peckham offers a constructive proposal for a theodicy of love that upholds both the sovereignty of God and human freedom, showing that Scripture points toward a framework for thinking about God's love in relation to the world.

 

 

 

Dwain L Ford Guest Lecture Series published

The list of scientists presenting in the 2023 Dwain L Ford Guest Lecture Series has been published.  This will be the 58th anniversary of the department annual guest lecture series. The series was formally named the Dwain L Ford Guest Lecture Series 8 years ago in honour of Dwain L Ford, a beloved Department Chair and Organic Chemistry teacher.

 

John Peckham's God with Us is a work for general and classroom readers

God With Us: An Introduction to Adventist Theology was commissioned and edited by BRI, with its first purpose to be a foundational, accessible, and yet scholarly introduction to Adventist belief for undergraduate and graduate students.

 

 

Andrews Promotes Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Pitch Competition

Andrews University graduate and undergraduate students took part in the 2nd annual Pitch Competition to promote student engagement, innovation, and entrepreneurship on March 31, 2023.

 

Andrews Students to Exhibit Film

Eight words that have turned in to a short film that will be screening at the Sonscreen Film Festival, April 13–16, in Loma Linda, California.

 

Parkinson Voice Project Funds Andrews Clinic

The Andrews University Speech-Language & Hearing Clinic was recently awarded a $280,000 SPEAK OUT! Therapy and Research Center Grant by the Parkinson Voice Project.

 

Andrews University Hosts Statewide Research Event

On March 13, 2023, undergraduate students from across Michigan presented their research at the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters (MASAL) in the Howard Performing Arts Center on the campus of Andrews University.

 

Honors Scholars and Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium

The yearly Honors and Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium was held on March 10, 2023, where Honors students and Undergraduate Research Scholarship award scholars from all disciplines presented their research to the public.

 

Communications Professors Publish a Book on Relationships

Andrew University professors Heather Thompson Day and Seth Day have coauthored a book about relationships entitled, "I'll See You Tomorrow."

 

2023 Kingman Lecture Focuses on Dinosaurs

Mary Hibby Schweitzer, PhD presented, "Dinosaurs under the Microscope" for the 3rd annual Robert & Lillis Kingman Lecture Series on Science & Society.

 

CISM Lessons Learned: Crisis of Faith and the Importance of Spiritual Resilience

Andrews University professor, Harvey Burnet is published in the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc, on the importance of spiritual resilience.

 

The Adventist Truth and Sojourner's Legacy

Sojourner Truth, the renown ex-slave, abolitionist and women's rights activist, died in her Battle Creek, Michigan, home in the early morning of Novemeber 26, 1883. Later that same day, the Battle Creek Moon announced: "The funeral will be held at the Tabernacle Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, Eld. Uriah Smith officiating."

Shakespeare Focus of Double Book Launch

Andrews University Department of English hosted a double book launch for professors and Shakespeare scholars L. Monique Pittman and Vanessa I. Corredera on December 6, 2022. Students, faculty, and staff came together to celebrate the two recent academic publications and hear from the authors about their work.

Research Week 2022

Andrews University’s annual Research Week took place from Oct. 17–21. The program included three main events that together demonstrate the University’s dedication to seeking knowledge and engaging communities to create a better world.

Celebration of Community Engagement Celebrates Third Year

U.S. representative Fred Upton presented the keynote address at the third annual Celebration of Community  Engagement.

 

Andrews University Receives $5 Million Grant From Lilly Endowment 

Andrews University has received a $5,000,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary establish the Andrews Center for Community Change.

 

Dollar General Awards Grant to Andrews University

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded Andrews University a grant to support Andrews University Adult Basic Education programs. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading.

Grant Secured to Support Exploring Vocation

Andrews University is among a select group of institutions to receive the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) Vocation across the Academy Grant. The grant is intended to help member colleges and universities strengthen the connection between liberal arts and career preparation.

Andrews Bible Commentary Available at GC Session

The two-volume concise Commentary has been a ten-year project commissioned and funded by the General Conference and Andrews University, involving more than 60 biblical scholars from around the world.

 

Andrews University Opens Lifestyle Medicine Clinic & Training Center

The Andrews University Lifestyle Medicine Clinic & Training Center opened on Monday, April 25, with the aim to prevent and treat chronic diseases. The clinic was made possible through a grant awarded in October 2021 by the Ardmore Institute of Health.

Biology Professor Now National Geographic Explorer

Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske, professor of biology at Andrews University, has been awarded a grant from the National Geographic Society to study new detection techniques for Amazonian manatees in the Amazon Basin of Brazil as a 2022 National Geographic Explorer.

Andrews Archaeologist on Major Egyptian Project

An Andrews University staff member and archaeologist recently spent two weeks as an expert field epigraphist, carefully documenting each hieroglyph from one of the most famous inscriptions in Egyptian archaeology.

 

Andrews University Receives Reframing the Institutional Saga CIC Grant 

Andrews University was awarded $38,800 to re-examine and reframe the University’s history within its social context..

 

Leveraging Collaboration and Peer Support to Initiate and Sustain a Faculty Development Program

Andrews University professors Anneris Coria-Navia and Scott Moncrieff illustrate how underfunded programs can leverage peer collaboration and support to initiate productive, formal systems of assistance for faculty.

Seminary Receives Lilly Endowment Grant

Andrews University received a five-year grant of $997,444 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary strengthen the ability of pastors to serve effectively in urban settings.

 

Senior Research Professor Status Grows in Use

Andrews University has recently instituted a senior research professor status for retired faculty. The position allows retired faculty members to remain professionally active with continued affiliation to the University while stepping down from full-time teaching.

Art Professor Showcases Career in Area Exhibition

Greg Constantine, artist-in-residence and research professor of art, emeritus, at Andrews University is showcasing his art experience since 1974 in a retrospective exhibition titled “My Art Journey.”

Levantine Entanglements

The volume makes the case for a more inclusive and decolonized approach to the archaeology and history of the region of the world we commonly known as the Holy Land. It represents the final output of a long-standing collaboration by an international and cross-disciplinary team sponsored by the Centre for Advanced Study at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. Leaders of the project were Professor Terje Stordalen of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Oslo, Norway and Professor Oystein S. LaBianca of Andrews University in Michigan, USA. 

 

 

Andrews University Professor Wins Prestigous Award

The Shen Kuo Award for Interdisciplinary Achievements from the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) was recently awarded to Jay Johnson, Ph.D., professor of engineering. Scientists within the IAGA study the planets' magnetic and electrical properties. The IAGA focuses on both geomagnetism. the study of the magnetic field of earth, and aeronomy, the science of the upper atmosphere.

Exploring the Composition of the Pentateuch

Roy Gane discusses the book Exploring the Composition of the Pentateuch (Eisenbrauns, 2020). The volume, edited by Andrews Ph.D. students, graduates, and a Religion faculty member, is the result of a conference hosted on the university campus. The book investigates new ideas from the analysis of the biblical text against its ancient Near-Eastern background and covers a wide spectrum of topics and diverging perspectives. The chapters are concerned with the history of scholarship and alternative approaches to the development of the Pentateuch, and the exegesis of particular texts relevant to the composition of the Torah. Editors are L.S. Baker Jr., Kenneth Bergland, Felipe A. Masotti, and A. Rahel Wells.

Exploring Adverse Childhood Experiences in Racial and Ethnic Groups: Findings from a Diverse University Sample. 

Jasmine K. Collard and Melissa Ponce-Rodas (2020) examine the differences between the racial groups when it comes to individual ACEs as well as the ACEs total score which may have implications for culturally informed prevention and early intervention. 

Preliminary Findings For Pathways to Resilience Among Critical Incident Stress Management Responders

Harvey Burnett Jr., Karl Bailey, and Rachelle Pichot (2020) published findings that have implications on the need for stress management responders to have professional Critical Incident Stress Management training.

Biology Student Nina Woodard Featured in Research Webinar

April 23, 2020. Nina Woodard (BS Biology, Class of 2020) presented her research on Florida manatees in an interactive webinar hosted by Andrews University Alumni Services. Nina also answered audience questions while sharing experiences around the United States and abroad that have been pivotal in her education. Nina's presentation is available on YouTube.

Andrews Seminary Student Receives Award for Best Graduate Student Paper at Regional Society of Biblical Literature Gathering

Jônatas Ferreira, PhD student in the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary New Testament Department, received the Graduate Student Paper Award at the 2020 Midwest Region Society of Biblical Literature, which was held at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana. Ferreira’s paper was titled, “Exegeting Phrase-Level Parataxis as a Grammatic Unit: Colossians 2:16 for a Test Case.” The Midwest region of the Society of Biblical Literature includes Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Iowa. Learn more here.

 

Oystein LaBianca Undertakes Research in Jerusalem at the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research

October 1, 2019. Oystein LaBianca, who is professor of anthropology and the associate director of the Institute of Archaeology at Andrews University recently spent four and a half months in Jerusalem conducting research as a fellow at the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research. During this fellowship, LaBianca completed two books in collaboration with others: Levantine Entanglement: Local Dynamics of Globalization in a Contested Region and The Leventine Nexus: The View from Hisban. He also co-led a worshop, planned cultural events for visiting fellows. He also traveled to Florence, Italy, where he was one of the keynote speakers for the opening session of the International Conference on the History and Archaeology of Jordan (pictured speaking). Learn more here: LaBianca Spends 4.5 Months in Jerusalem.

AU Graduate Vivian Laughlin Receives Fulbright Award

September 23, 2019. Vivian Laughlin, who recently earned her PhD from Andrews University in biblical and Near Eastern archaeology, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award. "For the next two years, she’ll study the cultural appropriation of the ancient Egyptian cults of Serapis and Isis and its impact on Judea and Palestine," reports ABC57, the American Broadcasting Company affiliate in South Bend, Indiana (link).
 

School of Communication Sciences and Disorders Receives Grant from the Parkinson Voice Project

July 11, 2019. The Parkinson Voice Project has named the Andrews University School of Communication Sciences & Disorders as a recipient of its 2019 SPEAK OUT! & LOUD Crowd Grant Program. As a grant recipient, the AU clinic provides SPEAK OUT! and The LOUD Crowd services to the local Parkinson’s community in Michiana. SPEAK OUT! consists of individual speech therapy conducted by a speech-language pathologist. Learn more: AU Agenda and WSBT22.

Article by Andrews Professor Highlighted by the European Space Agency

March 4, 2019. The European Space Agency (ESA) has highlighted a paper co-authored by Professor Jay R. Johnson on the front page of its website. Dr. Johnson teaches both physics and engineering at Andrews. The abstract for the paper, titled "Electron Distributions in Kinetic Scale Field Line Resonances: A Comparison of Simulations and Observations" (Geophysical Research Letters, 11 June 2018), begins: "Observations in kinetic scale field line resonances, or eigenmodes of the geomagnetic field, reveal highly field‐aligned plateaued electron distributions. By combining observations from the Van Allen Probes and Cluster spacecraft with a hybrid kinetic gyrofluid simulation we show how these distributions arise from the nonlocal self‐consistent interaction of electrons with the wavefield."

 

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