Chemistry's Michelle Francl Named an Adjunct Scholar of the Vatican Observatory
Bryn Mawr Professor of Chemistry Michelle Francl has been named one of nine adjunct scholars of the Vatican Observatory.
As an adjunct scholar, Francl will visit Rome regularly and have the opportunity to work with the Jesuit physicists who are the observatory’s full-time staff.
“What I’m most excited about is the chance to work in the observatory’s library, which includes material on the early history of science in Europe,” says Francl.
Projects Francl plans to be involved with include thinking about the chemistry and material science of meteorites and working with issues of faith and science, from both a historical and philosophical perspective.
A prolific writer, Francl is a regular contributor to the column “Catholic Spirituality” on the Philadelphia Archdiocese's news site, CatholicPhilly.com, and her reflections on struggling to live a contemplative life in the midst of the everyday chaos that comes with being a working wife and mother can be found in a number of print and online venues.
Francl’s use of contemplative practices in the classroom was recently featured in the Washington Post and she has taken on pseudo-science in a number of media outlets including Slate and on NPR.