The 2015 Legacy Banquet

Alumna of the Year Georgia (Hickman) Purdom ’94 Georgia Ellen Purdom combines her passion for God’s Word and truth and her scientific education to educate individuals about science and creation as the Ministry Content Administrator and a speaker/writer for Answers in Genesis. Georgia’s journey to Answers in Genesis began when she was a biology and premed major at Cedarville University. In recalling her time at Cedarville, she remembers a professor advising her that the thing that mattered in life would not be the degrees achieved, but rather service to Christ and others. She remembers this advice today when she is tempted by the pride of what she has achieved. Her education at Cedarville prepared Georgia both academically and spiritually. While a student at Cedarville, Georgia was very involved in ministry and community. She served with a Bible club for local kids through Cedar Kids, a ministry to mentally and developmentally disabled adults through Muller Residential Services, and a spring break team ministering with Habitat for Humanity in Mexico City as a member of Chi Theta Pi. Since graduating from Cedarville, she has been highly involved in ministry, from VBS Coordinator to serving with inner-city ministries. She says about her time at Cedarville, “In my chosen field of study, academics are very important, and I was better prepared than most of my peers entering graduate school. But it was the spiritual growth and maturity that I gained at Cedarville that really helped me wade the secular waters of graduate school and the secular world beyond as well.” After graduating from Cedarville in 1994 with a B.A., Georgia received her Ph.D. in molecular genetics at The Ohio State University. While in graduate school, she met her husband, Chris, at church. After completing her doctorate, Georgia spent six years as a biology professor at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. While there, she felt the Lord prompting her to be more active in educating about creationism. She eventually received her dreamed-of position at Answers in Genesis, where she is able to share God’s truth about Creation with others. Georgia’s husband, Chris, also works for Answers in Genesis. They have been married for 18 years and have a daughter, Elizabeth, whom they adopted from China. They enjoy life in the country where they care for a dog and a few sheep while homeschooling Elizabeth. In her life Georgia has actively pursued 1 Peter 3:15: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” It is a reminder in her life of why she defends the Word of God.