Efforts are underway to establish a “Center for Faith and Technology” at Calvin College.

Professors Derek Schulman and Gail Armour, from the School of Computer Science and School of Engineering, respectively, are developing a proposal for the new center.

According to an excerpt of the draft proposal submitted to chimethe new center will “explore the intersection of faith and technology and provide an academic, public, and authoritative Christian voice on technology issues.”

Although this proposal is still in its preliminary stages, progress is progressing rapidly.

“It was reviewed by people in the engineering and computer science departments. And it was submitted to the dean and provost for consideration,” Professor Schulman said in an interview. chime.

“Our view is that we will not only be internally focused, but also externally focused, serving the church, building bridges with other organizations, and being a trusted presence in our publications, podcasts, and conferences.” We do all kinds of things like being speakers and speaking to groups,” Schulman said. chime.

According to Elmer, the engineering department chair, the need for a “faith and technology center” has existed for some time.

“The Engineering Department has long entertained the general idea of ​​a Center/Institute for Faith and Technology,” Armor said. chime. “But it’s only been in the last few years since Derek; [Schuurman] With the addition of the faculty member, progress has been made in drafting the proposal. ”

“When I first came to Calvin, I shared a dream of establishing a center of faith and technology. I somehow realized that there were many centers in Calvin,” Schulman said. chime.

Calvin's numerous centers and institutes (11 of them) include the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship, the Calvin Center for Business Innovation, and the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing.

“I thought Calvin had the philosophical and theological ability to add centers in areas like technology,” Schulman said. “I hope that a center like this can not only bridge the gap between computer science and engineering people, but also bridge the philosophy crowd. […] and people in the social sciences, including the humanities. ”

According to Schulman, one of the key questions in philosophy is: “What does it mean to be human?” To find the answer to that question, we need to branch out.

Schulman's efforts to highlight the ethical aspects of technology go far beyond Calvin's world. Schulman has lectured at numerous academic institutions, written for various publications, is a member of various professional technical societies, and holds many other professional certifications.

“This center represents the core of what is unique and exciting about Calvin's computing and engineering programs,” said Keith Vander Linden, dean of the Department of Computer Science. “We offer solid programs in both areas, as evidenced by our ABET accreditation for both BCSs. [bachelor of computer science] and BSE [bachelor of science in engineering]But what sets our program apart is our integration of the Reformed faith. ”

The proposal has progressed through a review process and comes at a time when Calvin is implementing a new data science program.

“Data science is a whole new discipline. A lot of schools are starting data science programs, and thinking about integrating faith and data science is kind of a new frontier,” Schulman said. chime. “Thinking about the integration of faiths in that particular area is something to do.”



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