Our Place on a Changing Planet

Featuring Dr. Eli Knapp

March 3 - April 1 2026

The Barnes Science and Faith Symposium assists the Roberts and Northeastern communities develop an intellectual basis for understanding the principle that all truth is God's truth. The symposium will be held March 31- April 1, 2026 on the Roberts campus and explore the often-perceived gap between science and faith, promoting a view that scientific and theological understandings can coexist harmoniously.

This year's symposium speaker is Dr. Eli Knapp, Professor of Ecology and Intercultural Studies at Houghton University and Conservation Biology at the AuSable Institute in Michigan. He has been published in Christian Scholar's Review, Christianity Today, NY Conservationist magazine and other scholarly publications.  He has authored 3 books on ecological topics including In the Crosswinds: Birds, Humans, and the Paradox of Place published in 2025.  He has also taught Forest Ecology and Ecosystems Research for the Creation Care Studies Program, in New Zealand.  He holds a Masters in Environmental Science and Management from the University of Santa Barbara, and a PhD in Ecology from Colorado State University. His interests lie in the interactions between humans and the environment, especially around protected areas.  He has studied human-environment relationships most extensively in East Africa and lived in Serengeti National Park, in Tanzania, for three years.  His active areas of research involve household economies and poaching around protected areas.  He and family live in Fillmore, NY, but they have traveled the world searching for birds.

All events are free and open to the public. Please register here.