SVSU prof gives annual lecture

October 9, 2006 —

Science and its place in society was the topic of chemistry professor Deborah Huntley's lecture, entitled "Disturbing the Equilibrium: The Interplay of Science and Society," which took place Thursday in Founders Hall.

In her lecture, Huntley demonstrated the historical progression of science and how many of today's most celebrated minds had a difficult time getting through to a society which has often times proven to be very un-accepting of new ideas.

"Many scholarly communities are quite unyielding" Huntley said.

Using the stories of great mathematicians like George Cantor, Copernicus, and Galileo, Huntley showed how many of the ideas accepted by society today had a difficult time garnering acceptance when first brought to light.

"Galileo was sentenced to a lifetime of house arrest by the Catholic Church," she said. "It wasn't until 1992 that he was pardoned by Pope John Paul."

Showing how these debates still rage between science and society, Huntley gave the example of creationism versus evolution to show how relatively new ideas are still struggling to find acceptance in society, particularly in the church.

In addition to her role as a chemistry professor, Huntley also serves as the associate vice president for Academic Affairs.

She has authored or co-authored nearly 35 articles, including some of the most prominent publications in the field of chemistry, and has recently collaborated with Nobel-prize winning chemist Roald Hoffmann.