Inspire, Spring 2005

“Only 10 speakers from around the world are selected to give a lecture to an audience of invited guests which includes local government and European Union dignitaries, Nobel Prize winners, faculty from various universities, and doctoral candidates,” he explained. “The speakers selected are considered to be the leading lights in their particular areas of research.” Alumna Named CU Trustee Cedarville University has named Karyn Hartman Brookes ’95 as its newest trustee. She will serve a three-year term. Dr. Bill Brown, president of Cedarville University, stated, “Karyn brings a wealth of experience to the board of trustees. As a wife, mother, and teacher, she is able to provide a great perspective for the board. Her involvement in a number of national ministries allows her to see the University in a broad context. And, of course, the fact that she is a Cedarville alumna and serves on the Alumni Council shows the depth of her commitment to her alma mater.” After receiving her elementary education degree from Cedarville, Karyn taught third and fourth grades in New York, North Carolina, and Washington. She is currently a substitute teacher in Annapolis, Maryland, where she and her husband, Dan, are involved with Officers’ Christian Fellowship, The Navigators, and a home Bible study group. Inspire 9 Ben will develop a software product that is capable of detecting and characterizing the behavior of a moving object from a stream of video data. This capability can be used, among other things, to allow robots to “look ahead.” The Cedarville recipients of the education scholarships are Amanda Anzalone ’06, Shannon Keyser ’05, Kara Simons ’06, and Sara Skaggs ’05. Alumnus Featured at International Conference Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño ’94, assistant professor of political science, recently spoke at the Eranos Conference, an international event that focused on scientific investigation and philosophical consideration of the varieties of religious experience. Held in Switzerland in a 13th century monastery, the conference featured distinguished speakers from around the globe who collectively addressed major themes and issues within each of the world’s major religions. Gerson served as the conference’s opening speaker and was the only American presenter. He was chosen to participate because of his research in the areas of natural law and 14th century political thought along with his additional research into the thought of 20th century German-American philosopher Eric Voegelin. The title of Gerson’s presentation was “Religious Experience and Political Morality: The Thomistic Natural Law Tradition” and will be published in Religionen — Die Religiöse Erfahrung/Religions — The Religious Experience (Eranos — Neue Folge, Nr. 14) later this year. Gerson said he was extremely honored to be part of this exclusive conference, considered to be one of the most prestigious intellectual conferences in Europe. historical insight by Dr. J. Murray Murdoch, chair of the department of social sciences and history. Dr. Murdoch briefly described the culture of the 1960s deep South, in which blacks were viewed as property, and lynchings were common. This setting made Dr. King’s peaceful push for freedom and equality all the more daring and vital. Dr. Murdoch called Dr. King “a remarkable American … a man who had a great passion for freedom” and explained that Dr. King’s dream cost him his life and paved the way for greater freedom in America today. By the end of the presentation, the four students found answers to their collective question, “What does Martin Luther King Jr. have to do with me?” One concluded, “Dr. King’s dream wasn’t just for yesterday; it was for today as well.” The program was directed by Michael Dorsey ’00, coordinator of intercultural recruitment; and Derrick Green ’97, assistant professor of communication arts and assistant director of forensics. John Piper Leads Line-Up at Evangelism Celebration Dr. John Piper, senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church (Minneapolis) and founder of the ministry Desiring God, was just one of the renown Christian leaders on campus for the February 28-March 1 Evangelism Celebration. The Celebration, called “Defending our Faith in a Changing Culture,” was a free conference sponsored by Cedarville University and the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. The two-day event featured challenging messages and renewing music. Additional speakers included Josh McDowell, nationally known author and speaker with Campus Crusade for Christ; Dr. Ergun Caner, nationally known author and speaker on reaching out to Muslims; Dr. Voddie T. Baucham Jr., evangelist and founder of Voddie Baucham Ministries; Dr. Bobby Welch, president of the Southern Baptist Convention; Dr. Alvin Reid, professor of evangelism at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; Dr. Bill Brown, president of Cedarville University; Dr. Thom Rainer, president and CEO of The Rainer Group; and Rick Stanley, evangelist and step-brother of Elvis Presley. Music was led by Charles Billingsley, artist-in-residence at Liberty University; Babbie Mason, Dove Award-winning vocalist; and Angela Carl, contemporary gospel vocalist. A variety of Cedarville University musical ensembles also provided music during the event. During the lunch program on March 1, attendees heard from Leah O’Brien Amico, three-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women’s softball team, and Mark Dantonio, head football coach for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. CU’s OneVoice gospel ensemble provided music at Cedarville’s Martin Luther King Day celebration.