RTB Scholar Team
Dr.
Hugh Ross
Hugh Ross' Testimony -- My Search for Truth
Hugh Ross launched his career at age seven when he went to the library to find out why stars are hot. Physics and astronomy captured his curiosity and never let go. At age seventeen he was the youngest person yet to serve as director of observations for Vancouver's Royal Astronomical Society. With the help of a provincial scholarship and a National Research Council (NRC) of Canada fellowship, he completed his undergraduate degree in physics (University of British Columbia) and graduate degrees in astronomy (University of Toronto). The NRC also sent him to the United States for postdoctoral studies. At Caltech he researched quasars, some of the most distant and ancient objects in the universe.
Not all of Hugh's discoveries had to do with astrophysics. He studied the world's religions and "holy books" and found only one that matched the findings of science. Then he observed with amazement the impact of describing for people the process by which he came to personal faith in Jesus Christ. Imagine meeting someone who started at religious "ground zero" and through scientific and historical reality-testing became convinced that the Bible is truly the Word of God! Imagine Hugh's surprise to discover how many individuals believed (or disbelieved) without checking evidence.
Hugh's unshakable confidence that God's revelation in Scripture and nature do not, will not, and cannot contradict became his unique message. Communicating that message as broadly and clearly as possible became his mission, wholeheartedly encouraged by family and friends. He and his colleagues at Reasons To Believe keep tabs on the frontiers of research to share with scientists and nonscientists alike the thrilling news of what's being discovered and how it connects with biblical theology. In this realm, he has written and co-authored many books: The Fingerprint of God, The Creator and the Cosmos, Beyond the Cosmos, The Genesis Question, Origins of Life, A Matter of Days, Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men, Who Was Adam? and Creation As Science, among others.
Between writing books and articles and hosting Creation Update, a weekly live broadcast on the Web, Hugh travels the world challenging high school and university audiences, churches and professional groups to consider what they believe and why. He presents a persuasive case for Christianity without applying pressure. Because he treats people's questions and comments with respect, he is in great demand as a speaker and as a talk-radio and television guest.
Hugh lives in Southern California with his wife, Kathy, and two sons-plus pets.
Dr.
Fazale Rana
Fazale (Fuz) Rana, the son of a Muslim scientist, serves as the vice president for science apologetics at Reasons To Believe. His research in biochemistry provided him with the initial evidence that life must have been created. A personal challenge daring him to read the Bible led him to the scriptural evidence that the Creator is the God of the Bible.
Fuz attended West Virginia State College (WVSC) as a Presidential Scholar. There he earned a BS degree in chemistry with honors. He completed a Ph.D. in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry at Ohio University, where he twice won the Donald Clippinger Research Award. His postdoctoral studies took him to the Universities of Virginia and Georgia. Before joining Reasons To Believe, Fuz worked for seven years as a Senior Scientist in product development for Procter & Gamble.
Fuz has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals including Biochemistry, Applied Spectroscopy, FEBS Letters, Journal of Microbiology Methods, and The Journal of Chemical Education. He has made presentations at twenty international scientific meetings and co-authored a chapter on antimicrobial peptides for Biological and Synthetic Membranes. In addition, he holds one patent.
Today Fuz travels widely speaking on science and faith issues at churches, business firms, and universities. He also participates in the weekly webcast, Creation Update, and has made guest appearances on The John Ankerberg Show, Harvest Show, and Newsmakers (hosted by Jerry Rose on The Total Living Network). In addition, Fuz currently lectures for the Master of Science and Religion program in Christian Apologetics at Biola University.
Fuz coauthored (along with Hugh Ross) the books Origins of Life (NavPress, 2004) and Who Was Adam? (NavPress, 2005). He is currently completing a book on biochemical design.
Fuz lives in Southern California with his wife, Amy, and their three daughters.
Kenneth
Richard Samples
An experienced educator and author, Kenneth Richard Samples holds degrees in philosophy, social science, and theological studies. He has taught many courses at the college level and currently lectures for the Master of Arts program in Christian Apologetics at Biola University and at Providence Christian College. Kenneth also teaches adult classes at Christ Reformed Church in Southern California. Before becoming vice president for theological and philosophical apologetics at Reasons To Believe, Kenneth worked as Senior Research Consultant and Correspondence Editor at the Christian Research Institute (CRI) for seven years. During that time he regularly co-hosted the popular call-in radio program, The Bible Answer Man, with Dr. Walter Martin. Now Kenneth regularly participates in the Creation Update webcast.
An avid speaker and debater, Kenneth has appeared on numerous radio programs across the country including Religion on the Line, Voice America Radio, Newsmakers, Talk New York, and Issues Etc. He has participated in debates and dialogues on diverse topics relating to Christian doctrine and apologetics.
Author of Without a Doubt: Answering The 20 toughest Faith Questions (Baker, 2004), Kenneth has also contributed to Lights In the Sky and Little Green Men: A Rational Christian Look at UFOs and Extraterrestrials, The Cult of the Virgin: Catholic Mariology and the Apparitions of Mary, Prophets of the Apocalypse: David Koresh and Other American Messiahs. He is currently completing a book on worldviews. In addition Kenneth has published articles in Christianity Today, The Christian Research Journal, and Facts for Faith.
Over the years Kenneth has held memberships in the American Philosophical Association, the Evangelical Philosophical Society, the Evangelical Theological Society, and the Evangelical Press Association. He holds an undergraduate degree in philosophy and social science and a master's degree in theological studies.
He lives in Southern California with his wife, Joan, and their three children.
Dr.
Jeffrey Zweerink
Jeff Zweerink came to Reasons To Believe from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where he still serves (part-time) on the physics and astronomy research faculty. Although science has been a major interest for most of his life, Jeff developed a fascination with gamma rays-messengers from vastly distant black holes and neutron stars-during his graduate studies at Iowa State University, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1997.
Prior to joining Reasons To Believe, Jeff conducted research using the STACEE and VERITAS gamma-ray telescopes. He was also involved in research projects such as the Solar Two Project and the Whipple Collaboration. Jeff has co-authored more than 30 journal articles and numerous conference proceedings.
As a Christian, Jeff passionately desires to understand how the worlds of science and Scripture integrate. He recalls the struggles he faced when his scientific studies seemed to collide with his early Biblical training. His involvement with Reasons To Believe grows from an enthusiasm for helping others bridge the perceived science-faith gap and avoid some of the difficulties he experienced.
Jeff and his wife, Lisa, live in Southern California with their four children.
Dr.
David H. Rogstad
Dave Rogstad earned a Ph.D. in physics from Caltech before launching his career as a rocket scientist. During his 31 years at Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Dave worked on a number of high-profile projects, including the supercomputers used to simulate national defense scenarios dubbed "Star Wars." He also led the technical team credited with saving the Galileo Mission to Jupiter.
In addition to publishing more than 20 papers on radio astronomy in scientific journals, Dave was commissioned to co-author and edit Antenna Arraying Techniques in the Deep Space Network (Wiley, 2003). This book is part of the prestigious JPL series that lays a foundation for innovation in deep space navigation and communications. Though Dave stepped down from his leadership role at JPL to join the RTB staff, Dave still serves as a technical consultant to the Lab.
On Sunday mornings Dave leads a class at his church, where he also serves as an elder and mentor. He loves studying and teaching from the Bible, and his specialty is communicating complex ideas, both scientific and spiritual, in simple terms that people can understand and apply.
A member of the RTB board since the ministry's inception, Dave is available for a limited number of speaking engagements.
He lives in southern California with his wife, children, and grandchildren and enjoys camping with them in the High Sierras.
