Prof Denied Tenure

DES MOINES REGISTER, May 15 — Iowa State University assistant professor Guillermo Gonzalez, a prominent supporter of the theory of intelligent design, is appealing a university decision to deny him tenure. Gonzales, an assistant physics and astronomy professor, was denied tenure by the university in early May. Intelligent design holds that life is a product of an intelligent cause, not random evolution. University officials said the decision to deny Gonzalez tenure wasn’t political, but backers of intelligent design believe otherwise. “I think if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it likely is a duck,” said John West, a senior fellow at the Seattle-based Discovery Institute. “There are two issues here: academic freedom and the First Amendment.”

Bishop Heads College

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, May 21 — Bishop James Griffin, 73, will become interim president of Ohio Dominican University on July 1. Bishop Griffin, 72, retired as bishop of Columbus in 2004. He joined the college’s theology faculty two years ago. He will replace Jack Calareso, who is leaving to head Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass.

Given his age, Bishop Griffin said that he will likely hold the post for only about a year.

Culture of Life Toolbox

FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY OF STEUBENVILLE, May 17 — Steubenville graduating senior Jason Buck has been awarded a William E. Simon Fellowship for Noble Purposes by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Buck was honored for his Culture of Life Toolbox, an intranet site that connects pro-life organizations and individuals on the Internet. Said Buck, “The user-friendly website will help grassroots leaders with limited resources connect with broader organizations, and will extend the influence of those organizations.”