Dr. Henry Schaefer to speak at Huntington College

HUNTINGTON, IN -- Dr. Henry Schaefer, a five-time Nobel Prize nominee, will present his lecture entitled "The Big Bang, Stephen Hawking and God" on Thursday, October 5, in the Longaker Recital Hall in the Merillat Centre for the Arts. His presentation is the second in the 1995-96 Forester Lecture Series at Huntington College. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Purdue University's Exponent called Schaefer the "third most highly cited chemist in the world." His presentation will concentrate on his reflections on the beginnings of the universe, as well as some of the theological and philosophical implications of the work of physicist Stephen Hawking. Hawking is a scholar whose work, while highly acclaimed within his discipline, transcends the bounds of science and speaks to fundamental questions about life.

The presentation is designed for those with an interest in science and religion. College-level study in either discipline is not required to understand and appreciate Dr. Schaefer's lecture.

In addition to Thursday evening's lecture, during his visit to Huntington College Schaefer will speak to several undergraduate science classes and will present a chapel on Friday at 11 a.m.

Dr. Schaeffer received his B.S. degree in chemical physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1966, and his Ph. D. in chemical physics from Stanford University in 1969. From there he went on to teach at several colleges and universities across the nation. His major awards include the American Chemical Society Award in Pure Chemistry in 1979, the American Chemical Society Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award in 1983 and the Centenary Medal of the Royal Society of Cemistry in London in 1992.

Dr. Schaefer currently works in the Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry at the University of Georgia. His research involves the use of state-of-the-art computational hardware and software to solve important problems in molecular quantum mechanics.