Jennifer McCreight
Encyclopedia
Jennifer McCreight an American
skeptic
and atheist
blogger, is a graduate student at the University of Washington
. She is the architect of Boobquake
, an experiment designed to test a claim made by Kazem Seddiqi
, an Islamic cleric.
in West Lafayette, Indiana
with a double major in genetics and evolution. Since 2010, she has been pursuing a Ph.D. in genome sciences at the University of Washington
. She has had academic work published in the Journal of Zoology
and Molecular Approaches in Natural Resource Conservation and Management.
In 2009 she received an American Society of Mammalogists
Undergraduate Award.
, skepticism
and feminism
. She attributes her activism to reading Richard Dawkins
book, The God Delusion
, and attending a relatively religious college. While working on her undergraduate degree, she co-founded the Society of Non-Theists at Purdue. In April 2010, she started Boobquake. In May 2010, she joined the board of the Secular Student Alliance
. McCreight has been a guest on a few podcast
s, including Atheist Talk, Radio Freethinker and Savage Love
.
She has given talks at a number of events, including The Amaz!ng Meeting
, national conferences for Secular Student Alliance, the American Humanist Association
, Mensa
, local events by American Atheists
and the Center for Inquiry
, and numerous college secular groups. She is on the speakers bureau
of the Secular Student Alliance and the Center for Inquiry. She is scheduled to appear at prominent events including Skepticon
and Center for Inquiry's Women in Secularism conference.
McCreight has been featured in More
s What the New Feminists Look Like and by Dan Savage
in Slog
. In October 2009, her chapter Gifts for the Godless was published in The Atheist's Guide to Christmas
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
skeptic
Skepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
and atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
blogger, is a graduate student at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. She is the architect of Boobquake
Boobquake
Boobquake, which took place on April 26, 2010, was devised by Jennifer McCreight, then a senior in the Purdue University College of Science, in response to news reports that Hojatoleslam Kazem Seddiqi had blamed women who dress immodestly for causing earthquakes...
, an experiment designed to test a claim made by Kazem Seddiqi
Kazem Seddiqi
Hojjatoleslam Kazem Seddiqi is an interim Friday Prayer Leader for Tehran, Iran. The Friday prayer leader gives the khutbah or sermon shortly after noon on Friday, the traditional time of gathering for the Muslim community...
, an Islamic cleric.
Education
She graduated from Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in West Lafayette, Indiana
West Lafayette, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...
with a double major in genetics and evolution. Since 2010, she has been pursuing a Ph.D. in genome sciences at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. She has had academic work published in the Journal of Zoology
Journal of Zoology
The Journal of Zoology is a scientific journal concerning zoology, the study of animals. It was founded in 1830 by the Zoological Society of London and is published by Wiley-Blackwell. It carries original research papers, which are targeted towards general readers...
and Molecular Approaches in Natural Resource Conservation and Management.
In 2009 she received an American Society of Mammalogists
American Society of Mammalogists
The American Society of Mammalogists was founded in 1919. Its primary purpose is to encourage the study of mammals and professions studying mammals. There are over 4,500 members of this society, and they are primarily professional scientists who emphasize the importance of public policy and...
Undergraduate Award.
Activism
McCreight is known for her activism in atheismAtheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, skepticism
Skepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
and feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
. She attributes her activism to reading Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
book, The God Delusion
The God Delusion
The God Delusion is a 2006 bestselling non-fiction book by British biologist Richard Dawkins, professorial fellow of New College, Oxford, and inaugural holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford.In The God Delusion, Dawkins contends that...
, and attending a relatively religious college. While working on her undergraduate degree, she co-founded the Society of Non-Theists at Purdue. In April 2010, she started Boobquake. In May 2010, she joined the board of the Secular Student Alliance
Secular Student Alliance
The Secular Student Alliance , founded in May 2000, is an independent, democratically structured organization in the U.S. that aims to serve the needs of freethinking high school and college students. The Secular Student Alliance is based in Columbus, Ohio...
. McCreight has been a guest on a few podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s, including Atheist Talk, Radio Freethinker and Savage Love
Savage Love
Savage Love is a syndicated sex-advice column by Dan Savage. The column appears weekly in several dozen newspapers, mainly free newspapers in the US and Canada, but also newspapers in Europe and Asia...
.
She has given talks at a number of events, including The Amaz!ng Meeting
The Amaz!ng Meeting
The Amaz!ng Meeting is an annual conference that focuses on science, skepticism, and atheism. It was started in 2003 by the James Randi Educational Foundation...
, national conferences for Secular Student Alliance, the American Humanist Association
American Humanist Association
The American Humanist Association is an educational organization in the United States that advances Humanism. "Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that...
, Mensa
Mensa
Mensa meaning table in Latin, may refer to:*Mensa International, an organization for people with high IQs*Mensa , a southern star constellation*Mensa , a term used by geologists to refer to an extraterrestrial mesa...
, local events by American Atheists
American Atheists
American Atheists is an organization in the United States dedicated to defending the civil liberties of atheists and advocating for the complete separation of church and state. It provides speakers for colleges, universities, clubs and the news media. It also publishes books and the monthly...
and the Center for Inquiry
Center for Inquiry
The Center for Inquiry is a non-profit educational organization with headquarters in the United States whose primary mission is to encourage evidence-based inquiry into paranormal and fringe science claims, alternative medicine and mental health practices, religion, secular ethics, and society...
, and numerous college secular groups. She is on the speakers bureau
Speakers bureau
A speakers bureau is a company which operates to facilitate speakers for clients requiring after-dinner speakers, motivational speakers, awards hosts, cabaret acts, conference facilitators and keynote speakers....
of the Secular Student Alliance and the Center for Inquiry. She is scheduled to appear at prominent events including Skepticon
Skepticon
Skepticon is the largest student organized skeptic and atheist convention held in the United States. Guest speakers are invited to discuss atheism, skepticism, and other related topics...
and Center for Inquiry's Women in Secularism conference.
McCreight has been featured in More
More (magazine)
More, launched in September 1998, is a women's lifestyle magazine published once a month by the Meredith Corporation with a rate base of 1.3 million and a circulation of 1.5 million...
s What the New Feminists Look Like and by Dan Savage
Dan Savage
Daniel Keenan "Dan" Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in...
in Slog
The Stranger (newspaper)
The Stranger is an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle, Washington, USA. It runs a blog known as Slog.-History:The Stranger was founded by Tim Keck, who had previously co-founded the satirical newspaper The Onion, and cartoonist James Sturm. Its first issue came out on September 23, 1991...
. In October 2009, her chapter Gifts for the Godless was published in The Atheist's Guide to Christmas
The Atheist's Guide to Christmas
The Atheist's Guide to Christmas is a 2009 book written by forty-two atheist celebrities, comedians, scientists and writers who give their funny and serious tips for enjoying the Christmas season...
.
External links
- Blag Hag
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/apr/29/boobquake-earthquake-immodest-dress-iranThe GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Jennifer McCreight: What I learned from Boobquake]