Ralph Seelke, Ph.D.

Department of Biology and Earth Sciences,

University of Wisconsin-Superior

The contents of these pages do not necessarily reflect the views of UW-Superior and are not officially endorsed by the university.

Read my FAVORITE Christmas story here (well, other than Luke 2 and Matthew 1)

IN MEMORIUM: DR. JACK ZAENGLE, 1956-2007

I’m in a MOVIE! (at least, I’m in the super-trailer). I gave an interview in Nov. 2006, about my research and some of the events that led to my sabbatical at Stanford. It’s part of a major documentary came out in Spring 2008. http://www.expelledthemovie.com/playground.php is the link. You have to look quick- I show up for < a second right at the end.

My daughter Heidi, who was in college when some of these things happened, wrote a nice summary, which you can read.

Office: McCaskill 119A

Telephone: (715)-394-8320; Fax: (715)-394-8418; E-mail: rseelke@uwsuper.edu

Office hours ( Fall 2009):

9-10, 2-3, MWF, or by appointment. If I’m in, I’ll almost always talk to you!

Class schedule (Fall 2009):

Biol 330,Genetics, three hours lecture (MWF, 10:00, B-103) and two, two hour labs (Tuesdays, 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM, Mc119)

Biol 355, Microbiology, Three hours lecture (MWF, 2:00, B-205), Lab 10-12 Th, Mc 119

Class Schedule, Spring :(Times may be subject to change)

I’ll be teaching Cell Biology and either Immunology or Lab Techniques each Spring- :

Biol 440-1,5,Cell Biology: 10:00 MWF, B-108; Labs 10-12 and 1-3, T., Mc 119

Biol 318, Immunology, 11:00 MWF, Mc126 (not until S 2011)

In even springs, I teach

Biol/Chem 465, lab techniques- this will run, in 2010, from Jan 11-15, with some items turned in after that time.

Biol 100, Environmental Science1-2 MW, B-108

Course Material and other resources: Now that I've put together PowerPoint presentations on many of my lectures, I don't have enough room on my web site to put all my course material. At this point, I will have Cell Biology and Environmental Science notes and presentations on D2L. The latest versions (the ones I'm lecturing off) will be found here, however.

How to do well in my courses

Animal Physiology Genetics Cell Biology Microbiology Immunology Environmental Science Research web page

Lab Techniques course

Some of my favorite quotes

Recent scientific presentations

For inspiring/controversial/interesting views from John Piper, go to the Desiring God web site.

Here are some papers and presentations that I've written/given on science, evolution, and some links to similar topics:

Many of these are similar- the older ones have more complete arguments, while the newer ones have more recent data.

When to believe a

Scientist: a paper I wrote

for the 1996 "Truth" seminars

Science and Faith: Why science actually makes

belief in a personal God very reasonable

Origin of Life: a critique of the standard story

What can evolution REALLY do? Part IV, 3/09

What can evolution REALLY do? 5/08

What can evolution REALLY do? Part III 4/07

Why I am a doubter of evolution- 11/09

What Can Evolution REALLY DO? Paper 8/05

Science Education and the

Culture Wars : The future of

Science Education

Evidence for Design in Nature

After Darwin's Black Box: Where Does

A Laboratory Scientist Go To Contribute?

Some Ways to test evolutionary theory

Links to my favorite web sites:

Science magazine: an excellent way to keep up with science.
the UWS Biolgy department: information about other faculty, programs, and activities
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship (I'm faculty advisor)
Leadership U., Faculty Commons Ministry’s web site: LOTS of good stuff on the intellectual validity of Christianity. In particular, Phillip Johnson's web site is a good one. He is one of the leading critics of evolution today.
The most challenging theologian that I know- who's provoked thought about the nature of God and purpose that I hadn't EVER had in 50+ years, is John Piper. The web site for Bethlehem Baptist Church has links to his thoughts on Desiring God

Some things about myself:

I'm 58 years old, and was educated through my BS in the South (Clemson University, '73). I spent two years in the Army on active duty (I was a tank platoon leader, among other things) and retired from the Army Reserve in 2000. In 1977 I married a Minnesotan, and went to graduate school at the U. of Minnesota and the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, finishing my Ph.D. in microbiology in 1981. I stayed at Mayo until 1983, and I've been a professor at various places since then, and at UW-Superior since 1989. My wife Julie and I have been married 32 years, and we have three children: Andrew (30 and a computer scientist/engineer in St. Paul, and father of Clara and Bethany), Peter (28 and working), and Heidi (25 and graduate of Bethel University in St. Paul and Marquette University, and as of August 2009 a predoctoral student in the English Department at Baylor University, Waco TX). In Spring 2004, I went on Sabbatical at Stanford U. Here are some pictures of me and the family from 2004.

My hobbies include my work- I’m greatly privileged to be able to ask a monumental research question: What can evolution REALLY do?? Answering that question is one of my great passions in life. My family is also my hobby. I cross-country ski with my daughter and my wife, occasionally run with my daughter (and also with my sheltie, Tacy, who isn't really fond of running), and am usually found doing things with my family when I'm not at work. I also have an ongoing interest in Christian apologetics, which sometimes overlaps my professional career. I am convinced that Christianity is not only true, but that it is perhaps the only way of viewing the world that allows you to have both meaning and rationality in life. I'll have more to say about this in a separate web entry.

Book Reviews:

Still under construction, but I hope to present reviews on several of my favorite books, including Darwin on Trial, (Phillip Johnson), Creator and the Cosmos (Hugh Ross), and Reason in the Balance (Phillip Johnson)

This web page last updated on December 11, 2009 by Ralph Seelke