This story was originally published in the spring edition of The Master’s University Magazine.
Two faculty members from The Master’s University published work in the spring 2023 issue of The Journal of the Math3ma Institute, released this month in digital and print formats.
Dr. Matthew McLain, associate professor of biological science and geoscience at TMU, wrote on the discovery of pterodactyls that appeared to have feathers — and the biblical implications of this finding.
And Dr. Joe Francis, dean of the School of Science, Mathematics, Technology & Health, addressed questions such as, “Did we have an immune system before the fall? If so, what purpose did it serve?” In the article, he presents original contributions from his work in immunology.
The journal is published annually by the Math3ma Institute, a hub for science research conducted by faculty and advanced undergraduate students at The Master’s University, as well as external colleagues. For instance, this edition of the journal also featured work from Dr. Miles Stoudenmire, research scientist at the Flatiron Institute. In his article, Stoudenmire investigates the principled framework that allows scientists to organize the concepts of rotations and symmetry on their most complex levels.
One goal of the Math3ma Journal is to challenge traditional ideas of the academic “journal,” which is typically written by experts, for experts. “There’s a lot of technical jargon in traditional academic outlets,” said Dr. Tai-Danae Bradley, executive director of the Math3ma Institute and a visiting research professor at TMU. “It’s not very accessible to laypeople.”
In comparison, Bradley describes the journal’s audience as “the ambitious layperson — someone who wants to be challenged a little bit and who wants to learn a new topic in STEM.”
The journal’s motivation for engaging new audiences is explicitly theological. While secular academia focuses its spotlight on human scientists and authors, Bradley and her colleagues are using their discoveries to point to the One who truly deserves the glory.
“We want to strip away all of that lofty jargon and unclear, muddled writing that typically serves as a barrier for people to see the brilliance of God’s creation,” Bradley said, “to share what it is that resonates so deeply with us so that we can participate with a mutual joy and adoration of the God we serve.”
The print edition of the Math3ma Journal is available for purchase through TMU’s online bookstore, and the digital version is available for free at math3ma.institute/journal.
Josephine Lee is a junior double-majoring in communication and interdisciplinary studies.
