Daily News

Elms College to Present Fourth Annual Rev. Hugh Crean Lecture on April 20

CHICOPEE — Elms College and the St. Augustine Center for Ethics, Religion, and Culture will present the fourth annual Rev. Hugh Crean Distinguished Lecture in Catholic Thought on Thursday, April 20 at 4 p.m. in the college’s Alumnae Library Theater.

Dr. Karin Öberg, professor of Astronomy and director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Astronomy at Harvard University, is this year’s distinguished lecturer. The title of her remarks is “Christian Creation and the Big Bang Cosmology.”

The most cited living astronomer in the world, Öberg’s research aims to uncover the way in which chemical processes affect planet formation, including the chemical composition of fledgling planets. Her research team, the Öberg Astrochemistry Group, approaches this work through laboratory experiments, astrochemical modeling, and astronomical observations of molecules in planet-forming disks around young stars.

The St. Augustine Center for Ethics, Religion, and Culture was launched in October 2020 with support from an anonymous naming gift and several significant contributions. The center, whose founding executive director is noted bioethicist Dr. Peter DePergola, aims to increase engagement and discourse on the most pressing and complex questions related to ethics, religion, and culture in today’s society, and to lead the regional community in thoughtful, engaging dialogue.

The annual Rev. Hugh Crean Distinguished Lecture was established through an endowment made by B. John (Jack) and Colette Dill to honor the legacy of Rev. Hugh Crean and recognize his academic work at Elms College and his pastoral ministry throughout the Diocese of Springfield and the entire region.

The lecture will take place both in person and virtually via Zoom. Click here to register for the event.