WHAT IS THE ST. ALBERT INITIATIVE?

The St. Albert Initiative is a half-day program on science and faith for Catholic high school students, teachers, and parents, as well as the general public (high school age and above). It will feature short talks by Catholic scientists and the opportunity to meet, eat with, and ask questions of Catholic scientists in many fields and at various stages of their careers.

It will be held at the Pryzbyla Center of the Catholic University of America on Saturday, Nov 13, 2021, from 9am to 3:30pm. (Light breakfast and sign-in at 9am. Events start at 9:45am)

The St. Albert Initiative is sponsored by the Society of Catholic Scientists (SCS) and co-sponsored by the Science and Religion Initiative of the McGrath Institute for Church Life and by the Lumen Christi Institute, with funding by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The event is hosted by the CUA/DC-area Chapter of SCS and by the Catholic University of America.

Event highlights include:

• Two 25-minute Opening Talks: one on Science and Faith, and one on Cosmology and Extraterrestrial Life.

• ‘Lightning Round’ Talks: Choose one talk in each round. Round 1: Is the Universe Made for Life? / What is Human Life and When does it Begin? / Earthquakes, their consequences, and Jesuit Seismology. Round 2: God and the Dinosaurs / Evolution and Creation: A Catholic Perspective / Modern Science, the Church and Galileo.

• Big Questions/Ask-a-Scientist Poster Session: Attendees will have an opportunity to meet Catholic scientists one-on-one and ask them about their fields of science, career paths, the big unsolved questions in their areas of science, being a Catholic in science, and anything else they are curious about. The scientists will be a varied group: young and old; male and female; experimenters and theorists; and in many areas of research. Students interested in STEM subjects and teachers interested in renewing their own understanding will dialogue about high-impact topics, including: genetics, mathematics, materials science, evolutionary biology, superstring theory, cosmology, environmental science, neuroscience and brain research, and much more.

Click HERE for the PROGRAM & SCHEDULE (as of August 31, 2021). Click HERE for Bios of Speakers and List of Presenters.

REGISTRATION:

How to Register: Click HERE to register. (There will be signing-in, but no registration at the event itself.) Each person coming should individually register. (Students are asked on the form to enter the name of one adult who is accompanying them under "Additional Guest Information". Adults should enter there the names of any students they are bringing and are in charge of.)

Registration Deadline: Registration closes on Nov 11, 2021 (at 11:59 PM, unless the capacity of the conference is reached earlier in the day on Nov 11).

Does it Cost Anything to Register?:

• For high school students (including home schoolers) the event is free.

• For adults, there is registration fee of $25, which will be refunded to adults who bring one or more students.

• In addition to the refund, adults who bring students get stipends. ($50 for bringing one student; $100 for bringing more than one.)

• High school teachers get 8 hours of professional development (certificate to be awarded by the Science and Religion Initiative, Univ. of Notre Dame).

• Members of the general public are welcome to register to attend the event.

COVID PRECAUTIONS: The St. Albert Initiative will comply with all COVID protocols in force on November 13 in the District of Columbia and at Catholic University of America. The event will be held in very large and well-ventilated spaces.

TRAVEL TO THE EVENT AND PARKING: The event will be held in the Pryzbyla University Center on the campus of Catholic University of America (CUA). This is a 7 minute walk from the "Brookland-CUA" stop of the DC Metro station, which is on the "Red Line". (For information about the DC metro system go HERE.) Parking for the event: The Pangborn Parking lot will be open and has plenty of spaces for cars and large vans. No permits will be required -- they will relax enforcement in that lot on Nov. 13th. The Pangborn lot is right next to Pangborn Hall, accessible from John McCormack Drive and a two-minute walk from the Pryzbyla University Center. There are no gates, so parking will be easy. There will also be parking for the event (for cars) in the underground parking structure on the CUA campus just south of the Columbus School of Law.

[If flying, we suggest flying into Reagan National Airport and staying at the Crystal City Marriott close by, which has good rates. Both the airport and the hotel are on "Blue Line" stops of the DC Metro. To get to the event on Saturday morning, take the Metro to the Metro Center station and switch there to the Red Line, which you would take to the Brookeland-CUA station. To be on the safe side, leave at least 50 minutes to get from hotel to the event.]

The St. Albert Initiative is named after St. Albert the Great, bishop, scientist, philosopher, theologian, teacher, and patron saint of natural science and scientists.