Gerard Verschuuren
Encyclopedia
Gerard M. Verschuuren (born 1946 in The Netherlands
; nicknames Gerry and Geert) is a writer, speaker, and consultant, working at the interface of science, philosophy, and religion. He is a human geneticist who also earned a doctorate in the philosophy of science, and studied and worked at universities in Europe and the United States. Currently, he lives with his wife, Trudy, in New Hampshire, USA.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
; nicknames Gerry and Geert) is a writer, speaker, and consultant, working at the interface of science, philosophy, and religion. He is a human geneticist who also earned a doctorate in the philosophy of science, and studied and worked at universities in Europe and the United States. Currently, he lives with his wife, Trudy, in New Hampshire, USA.
Research and work
- He studied biology (in particular human geneticsHuman geneticsHuman genetics describes the study of inheritance as it occurs in human beings. Human genetics encompasses a variety of overlapping fields including: classical genetics, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, biochemical genetics, genomics, population genetics, developmental genetics, clinical genetics,...
) at Leiden UniversityLeiden UniversityLeiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
and Utrecht UniversityUtrecht UniversityUtrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
in the Netherlands, with a thesis on the statistical analysis of epigeneticEpigeneticsIn biology, and specifically genetics, epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence – hence the name epi- -genetics...
variation in the TellemTellemThe Tellem were the people who inhabited the Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali. The Dogon people migrated to the escarpment region around the 14th century. The Tellem were pygmies or "small red people" who built dwellings around the base of the escarpment as well as directly into the cliff-face. Many...
skulls of MaliMaliMali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
in comparison with the Kurumba tribe of Burkina FasoBurkina FasoBurkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
(former Upper Volta) (1972). - He was a participant of the six-member Human Adaptability Project team (led by professor John Huizinga, M.D.) of the former Institute of Human BiologyHuman biologyHuman Biology is an interdisciplinary area of study that examines humans through the influences and interplay of many diverse fields such as genetics, evolution, physiology, epidemiology, ecology, nutrition, population genetics and sociocultural influences. It is closely related to...
at Utrecht UniversityUtrecht UniversityUtrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
Medical School, as part of the International Biological ProgramInternational Biological ProgramThe International Biological Program was an effort between 1964 and 1974 to coordinate large-scale ecological and environmental studies...
, studying the population geneticsPopulation geneticsPopulation genetics is the study of allele frequency distribution and change under the influence of the four main evolutionary processes: natural selection, genetic drift, mutation and gene flow. It also takes into account the factors of recombination, population subdivision and population...
and adaptationAdaptationAn adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....
of savannahSavannahSavannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
populations in sub-saharan Africa based on research among the FaliFali-Languages:*Fali language , a language of Nigeria*Fali of Kirya, also a Chadic language of Nigeria*Fali language of Baissa, an unrelated language of Nigeria*Fali languages , a language or languages of Cameroon-People:*Fali people...
in CamerounCamerounCameroun was a French and British mandate territory in central Africa, now constituting the majority of the territory of the Republic of Cameroon....
, among the DogonDogon peopleThe Dogon are an ethnic group living in the central plateau region of Mali, south of the Niger bend near the city of Bandiagara in the Mopti region. The population numbers between 400,000 and 800,000 The Dogon are best known for their religious traditions, their mask dances, wooden sculpture and...
in MaliMaliMali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, and among the Fulbe in ChadChadChad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
. - He also studied philosophy (specifically philosophy of sciencePhilosophy of scienceThe philosophy of science is concerned with the assumptions, foundations, methods and implications of science. It is also concerned with the use and merit of science and sometimes overlaps metaphysics and epistemology by exploring whether scientific results are actually a study of truth...
, and more in particular philosophy of biologyPhilosophy of biologyThe philosophy of biology is a subfield of philosophy of science, which deals with epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical issues in the biological and biomedical sciences...
) at Leiden UniversityLeiden UniversityLeiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
and the Free University in Amsterdam, with a doctoral thesis on the use of models in the sciences (1981). - He taught biology, geneticsGeneticsGenetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
, human geneticsHuman geneticsHuman genetics describes the study of inheritance as it occurs in human beings. Human genetics encompasses a variety of overlapping fields including: classical genetics, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, biochemical genetics, genomics, population genetics, developmental genetics, clinical genetics,...
, statisticsStatisticsStatistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, philosophy, philosophy of biologyPhilosophy of biologyThe philosophy of biology is a subfield of philosophy of science, which deals with epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical issues in the biological and biomedical sciences...
, logicLogicIn philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
, and programming – in the Netherlands at Aloysius College, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht UniversityUtrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
, Open UniversityOpen University (Netherlands)The Open Universiteit Nederland is a Dutch university or institution for distance learning for higher education at university level . This means that students do not attend classes but study at home...
, and also in the United States, at Merrimack CollegeMerrimack CollegeMerrimack College is an independent college in the Roman Catholic, Augustinian tradition located in North Andover, Massachusetts, north of Boston, Massachusetts. It offers undergraduate degrees in business, education, science, engineering, and the liberal arts...
and Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. - During this time, he was the leader of a team of textbook writers that developed three consecutive series of biology textbooks for high-schools and colleges under the names Biosfeer (1975–1983), Oculair (1984–1994), and Grondslagen van de Biologie(Foundations of Biology; 1985–present).
- During the seventies, he wrote a weekly column on breaking biological topics in the Volkskrant, a leading national newspaper in the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. - Together with the professors Cornelius Van Peursen and Cornelius Schuyt of Leiden UniversityLeiden UniversityLeiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
, he was a member of the editorial board overseeing the development of 25 books on the philosophy of science for 25 specific fields, written by experts in those fields (1986–present), NijhoffMartinus Nijhoff PublishersMartinus Nijhoff Publishers is an imprint of Brill Publishers, dating back to the nineteenth century. Nijhoff's portfolio focuses on areas in Public International Law, Human Rights, on Humanitarian Law and increasingly on International Relations. Its annual publication program consists of over 20...
, Leiden, Series Philosophy of the Sciences. - He was also a member of the College Admission Test team for biology in the Netherlands (1976–1982).
- He wrote many books and articles in Dutch on biological and philosophical issues (listing).
- For years, he was a member of the editorial board of the Dutch philosophical magazine Wijsgerig Perspectief, and wrote several of its articles. In addition, he was a member of the editorial board of the Dutch-Flemish magazine Streven, for which he wrote many articles and book reviews as well (partial listing).
- In the eighties, he was an advisor to the Foundation Scientific Europe, which published a voluminous overview of research and technology in 20 European countries, entitled Scientific Europe and edited by Nigel CalderNigel CalderNigel Calder is a British science writer.Between 1956 and 1966, Calder wrote for the magazine New Scientist, serving as editor from 1962 until 1966...
. - From 1985 until 1994, he was the editor-in-chief of the Dutch magazine Natuurwetenschap en Techniek, a.k.a the "Dutch Scientific American," and publisher of the Dutch version of the Scientific American Library.
- In 1994, he moved permanently with his wife, Trudy, to the USA, and lives now in New Hampshire.
- He is a Microsoft Certified ProfessionalMicrosoft Certified ProfessionalMicrosoft Certified Professional is a program of Professional certifications awarded by Microsoft. Individual certifications are awarded upon passing of one or more exams. The MCP program itself is designed for both IT Professionals and developers. Beneath the MCP program is a variety of more...
and was an official adviser on Excel's latest statistical functions (2010). - He also helps scientists and engineers in using computers for data analysisData analysisAnalysis of data is a process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of highlighting useful information, suggesting conclusions, and supporting decision making...
, statistical analysis, and regression analysisRegression analysisIn statistics, regression analysis includes many techniques for modeling and analyzing several variables, when the focus is on the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables...
. He has been doing so for AbbottAbbott LaboratoriesAbbott Laboratories is an American-based global, diversified pharmaceuticals and health care products company. It has 90,000 employees and operates in over 130 countries. The company headquarters are in Abbott Park, North Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded by Chicago physician, Dr....
, AstraZenecaAstraZenecaAstraZeneca plc is a global pharmaceutical and biologics company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's seventh-largest pharmaceutical company measured by revenues and has operations in over 100 countries...
, Babson CollegeBabson CollegeBabson College is a private business school located in Wellesley, Massachusetts near Boston.- History :Babson College was founded by Roger Babson on September 3, 1919, as the Babson Institute. It was renamed "Babson College" in 1969...
, Bose, Boston ScientificBoston ScientificThe Boston Scientific Corporation , is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a range of interventional medical specialties, including interventional cardiology, peripheral interventions, neuromodulation, neurovascular intervention,...
, Bristol-Myers SquibbBristol-Myers SquibbBristol-Myers Squibb , often referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical company, headquartered in New York City. The company was formed in 1989, following the merger of its predecessors Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation...
, CommerceCommerce Insurance GroupThe Commerce Insurance Company, formerly known as Commerce Insurance Group, is an American company that provides personal insurance, commercial property insurance, and casualty insurance in Massachusetts and New Hampshire...
, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Emerson, Harvard U.Harvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Intel Corporation, John HancockJohn Hancock InsuranceJohn Hancock Financial is a loose term for a United States insurance company which existed, in various forms, from its founding on April 21, 1862, until its acquisition in 2004 by the Canadian insurance company Manulife Financial. It was named in honor of John Hancock, a prominent patriot...
, IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Keystone Trading, Lantheus Medical ImagingMedical imagingMedical imaging is the technique and process used to create images of the human body for clinical purposes or medical science...
, Liberty Mutual, PfizerPfizerPfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
, Mass. General Hospital, Millennium PharmaceuticalsMillennium PharmaceuticalsMillennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., The Takeda Oncology Company is a biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Company markets Velcade for injection, a cancer product, and has a growing clinical development pipeline of product candidates...
, MIT, Rockwell AutomationRockwell AutomationRockwell Automation is a global provider of industrial automation, power, control and information solutions. Brands in industrial automation include Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software....
, SepracorSepracorSepracor, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company founded in 1984 by Tim Barberich. It was originally located in Princeton, New Jersey and then re-located to Marlborough, Massachusetts. On October 12, 2010, the company changed its name to Sunovion.-Company history:The company's initial focus was on the...
, SiemensSiemensSiemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, Staples, TeradyneTeradyneTeradyne , a US company, is a supplier of automatic test equipment . The company's divisions Semiconductor Test and Systems Test Group, are organized by the products they develop and deliver.-History:...
, WyethWyethWyeth, formerly one of the companies owned by American Home Products Corporation , was a pharmaceutical company. The company was based in Madison, New Jersey, USA...
, and others. - On request of MrExcel, he has been developing a series of more than 10 interactive CDs and DVDs to help scientists and more general users to become familiar with programs such as ExcelMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
, AccessMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Office Access, previously known as Microsoft Access, is a relational database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development tools. It is a member of the Microsoft Office suite of...
, VBAVisual Basic for ApplicationsVisual Basic for Applications is an implementation of Microsoft's event-driven programming language Visual Basic 6 and its associated integrated development environment , which are built into most Microsoft Office applications...
, VB.NET and C#.NET. These products are great for visual learners - completely visualized, full-color, and with frequent self checks (listing). - Since he is a former Jesuit and a practicing Catholic, he is still very much interested in his old passion, the relationship between science and religion, evolution and creation from a CatholicCatholicismCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
viewpoint - which is the very issue of his next upcoming book (Aug. 2012) (preview). - Two more upcoming books are entitled Darwin's Legacy - The Good and the Not So Good and What Makes You Tick - the Metaphysics of Human Life.
- He also gives talks and leads conferences on the relationship between science and religion, evolution and creationhttp://www.where-do-we-come-from.com.
Books and articles
A selection:- Verschuuren, Geert (1971). Race and Races. In Heythrop Journal, 12, 164–174
- Verschuuren, Geert M.N. (1981). Modelgebruik in the Wetenschappen. Kok, Kampen, Netherlands ISBN 90-242-2161-7
- Verschuuren, G.M.N., Hans De Bruin, Manfred Halsema (1985, 2001). Grondslagen van de Biologie (3 volumes). Wolters KluwerWolters KluwerWolters Kluwer N.V. is a global information services and publishing company. The company provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal and regulatory sectors...
, Netherlands ISBN 90-207-1372-8 - Marcum, James and G.M.N. Verschuuren (1986). HemostaticHemostasisHemostasis or haemostasis is a process which causes bleeding to stop, meaning to keep blood within a damaged blood vessel . Most of the time this includes blood changing from a liquid to a solid state. Intact blood vessels are central to moderating blood's tendency to clot...
Regulation and Whitehead’sAlfred North WhiteheadAlfred North Whitehead, OM FRS was an English mathematician who became a philosopher. He wrote on algebra, logic, foundations of mathematics, philosophy of science, physics, metaphysics, and education...
Philosophy of Organism. In Acta BiotheoreticaActa BiotheoreticaThe Acta Biotheoretica a is peer reviewed journal focusing on the mathematical and philosophical basis of biological and biomedical science. The journal also encompasses mathematical biology and the philosophy of biology.-Abstracting and indexing:...
, 35, 123–133 - Verschuuren, Gerard M. (1986), Investigating the Life Sciences: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. In the series Foundations & Philosophy of Science & Technology, Pergamon PressPergamon PressPergamon Press was an Oxford-based publishing house, founded by Paul Rosbaud and Robert Maxwell, which published scientific and medical books and journals. It is now an imprint of Elsevier....
ISBN 0-08-032031-7 - Verschuuren, Gerard M. (1995), Life Scientists: Their Convictions, Their Activities, and Their Values. Genesis Publishing Company, North Andover, MA ISBN 1-886670-00-5
- Verschuuren, Gerard M. (1905–present), The Visual Learning Series (10 different titles published so far). Holy Macro! Books, Uniontown, OH
- Verschuuren, Gerard M. (2007). From VBAVisual Basic for ApplicationsVisual Basic for Applications is an implementation of Microsoft's event-driven programming language Visual Basic 6 and its associated integrated development environment , which are built into most Microsoft Office applications...
to VSTO. Holy Macro! Books, Uniontown, OH ISBN 1-932802-14-2 - Verschuuren, Gerard M. (2008). ExcelMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
2007 for Scientists and Engineers. Holy Macro! Books, Uniontown, OH ISBN 978-1-932802-35-1 - Verschuuren, Gerard M. (2012). God and evolution? - Science Meets Faith. Pauline Books & Media, Boston, MA