Dr. Ralph Stearley
Professor Emeritus, De Vries Senior Contributing Scholar
Biography
Current teaching
- Intersections of Theology and Science (Calvin Seminary; co-taught with professor Mary Vanden Berg)
- Paleontology (GEO/BIO 313)
Education
- Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
- Completed a BA in anthropology at the University of Missouri, 1975
- Earned an MS in geology from the University of Utah
- Received his PhD in geology and paleontology from the University of Michigan, 1990
Professional Experience
- Ongoing paleontological work focuses on the Neogene record of fish faunas, particularly in western North America, correlated with changes through time in drainage basin dynamics and ecology. A particular emphasis is the development in time and space of salmonid ecosystems. These studies are accompanied by detailed studies of the anatomy and taxonomy of our modern salmonid fishes (whitefishes, chars, trouts, and salmons).
- Current work also involves writing articles and books about fossil discoveries and what they are telling us, related to the historic Christian faith.
- Past research has included studies of nearshore marine invertebrate ecology as well as the biogeography of Ice-Age mammals, including the excavation of the Ada Bible Church Mastodon in nearby Cascade, Michigan.
Academic Interests
- paleontology
- biogeography
- history of science
- relationships of science and theology
Publications
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