Biology Department announces new tenure-track position in intelligent design

April 1, 2005

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.

The Biology Department will initiate a nation-wide search for a new tenure-track professor next Monday, according to department chair Amy Vollmer. In making the announcement, Vollmer explained “while our current faculty covers the full range of the discipline’s traditional subfields, we recently noticed that nobody is qualified to teach in the rapidly growing field of intelligent design. When a generous donor came forward with a gift to endow the position, we couldn’t refuse.”

Students in the department, however, were not pleased with the decision. According to John Apeman, “in establishing this position, Swarthmore is selling out to the religious right. No graduate school will accept me when my three preparations are micro, genetics, and ID.”

Sample advertisement

Vollmer even ran up against opposition among the department faculty. Colin Purrington, an official member of Darwin’s Posse
( http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/evolk12/posse/chazhasaposse.htm ), expressed contempt for the decision, and said that he had immediately begun looking for employment elsewhere.

However, Vollmer remains convinced in her decision and said that she has received support from the college’s administration. According to Provost Connie Hungerford, “this is all part of a longer process where we identify our priorities. Establishing Swarthmore as a leader in emerging fields like ID is crucial to our long term competitiveness.”

For those not familiar with intelligent design, Vollmer suggested visiting the Intelligent Design Network website at http://www.intelligentdesignnetwork.org/ . “I think you will find,” she said, “that they are after the same things any good scientist is after ‘objectivity in origins science'”.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous Story

Sager sparks sexual revolution among Swatties

Next Story

Irate denizens of McCabe violently remove closing buzzer

Latest from Sports

Athlete of the Week: Lauren Lior ’27

Swarthmore women’s soccer forward Lauren Lior ’27 hails from Fairfield, CT, and is a graduate of Greens Farms Academy. During her first year with the Garnet, she had a stellar season, breaking into the starting lineup, and cementing herself as an integral

WSOC Day in the Life: Away Game vs. Muhlenberg College

As we head into the middle of the fall semester, Swarthmore’s sports schedules will become increasingly busy. While exams and paper deadlines approach quickly, varsity athletic teams plunge into the middle of conference play, when the significance of winning is the most

Swinging Through the Glass Ceiling 

The Swarthmore men’s golf team has welcomed numerous women as walk-on players over the years. Currently there are two female players competing on the men’s team: Ava Chon ’26 and Bori Chung ’28. Chon is a senior from Princeton, NJ, who went

Athlete of the Week: Melissa Eyer ’28

Melissa Eyer '28 runs the volleyball court with her elite ball control and defensive capabilities. Read on to hear more about her fourth Centennial Athlete of the Week selection!
Previous Story

Sager sparks sexual revolution among Swatties

Next Story

Irate denizens of McCabe violently remove closing buzzer

The Phoenix

Don't Miss