The BYU Life Sciences college hosted a seminar to show connections between science and faith on Thursday, Sept. 12.
The two professors invited to speak were recipients of the Spiritually Strengthening Professor Award, a student-nominated award given to life sciences professors who spiritually uplift their students outside of their regular curriculum.
Matt Seeley, who holds a Ph.D. in exercise sciences, spoke first, encouraging students to "fear not," because God is with them as they encounter challenges. He shared his experience as a visiting professor in North Carolina, explaining the pressures he felt to stay in Provo and the anxiety he felt about leaving.
“We went, and I was petrified,” Seeley said. “We’re so glad we didn’t succumb to the fear and decide not to go.”
Seeley also talked about his new endeavor, the Strong Youth Project, that helps youth, parents and coaches avoid injuries by sharing scientific data and background. For example, Seeley had his son play multiple different sports throughout the year because data suggests this helps prevent injury and burnout.
Through this project, Seeley and his team hope to create evidence-based training programs for young athletes.
Seeley showed the importance of faith in these efforts by sharing that temple attendance with the students helped inspire the mission statement for the Strong Youth Project. He encouraged all those in attendance to “go back to the mount,” and then, “go to the mount again, and work hard.”
Seeley concluded his remarks by sharing that he did not have a testimony of the temple before President Russell M. Nelson invited members to go more often. Seeley said he took that challenge and now has a “very strong, very unshakable testimony of temple worship."
Matt Bailey, who has a doctorate in human and statistical genetics, then spoke, beginning by sharing his exploration of science and religion through AI generated images that “seamlessly integrate science and religion." Some of these images included a mountain scene, an ethereal strand of DNA and an angel teaching what he dubbed 'World Creation 101.'
Bailey structured his words around three questions he posed to the audience at different points:
- First, “Why are you here?”
- Second, "What do you believe in that you think nobody else does?”
- Third, “what is the coolest thing that you’ve ever built?”
Bailey closed his words with a quote from his 6-year-old daughter.
“You have to be scared before you can be brave, that feeling of fear is normal.”
After their remarks, Blake Lee, a microbiology student and research assistant with the Strong Youth Project, shared his thoughts on the seminar.
“The best scientists that I’ve met have always been the ones that totally respect that blend of religion and science,” Lee said. "We bring the religion into the science and vice versa, and I love that.”