Mysteries of the Cosmos: Science, Philosophy, & the Big Questions (virtual)
Overview
Rooted in her University of Virginia course and newly released book, Into the Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos, Kelsey Johnson, Professor of Astronomy, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences will take us to the edge of scientific understanding and ask what lies beyond—exploring the convergence of science, philosophy, and theology. What caused the Big Bang? What happens inside black holes? Are there other dimensions? Did time have a beginning? In this talk, Professor Johnson will explore how we make progress on these questions and whether some of these mysteries might remain closed to human understanding.
Speakers' Biographies
Kelsey Johnson, Ph.D. Professor of Astronomy, Department of Astronomy, Affiliate Faculty, Religious Studies, Interim Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Kelsey Johnson is a Professor of Astronomy at the University of Virginia, an affiliate faculty in the Department of Religious Studies, and currently serving as the Interim Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the College of Arts & Sciences. She is the past president of the American Astronomical Society and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the founding director of the award-winning Dark Skies Bright Kids program. She has won numerous awards for her research, teaching, and promotion of science literacy. Her TED talk on the importance of dark skies has more than 2 million views, and her writing has appeared in nationwide publications, including the New York Times, Scientific American, and Washington Post. Her children’s book Constellations for Kids is consistently in the top 10 children’s astronomy books, and her new book Into the Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos has been named one of the top 20 non-fiction books of 2024 by Publisher’s Weekly. She lives in rural Virginia with her family, including two very large dogs, and does watercolor painting as a side hustle to keep her sanity.
Brie Gertler, Ph.D. (moderator) Deputy Provost and Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Office of the Provost, Commonwealth Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Brie Gertler is Deputy Provost and Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, and Commonwealth Professor of Philosophy, serving as second-in-command for the provost and providing leadership and oversight of the core academic functions of the University. Specific responsibilities include academic program review, oversight of academic enhancement programs for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, University-wide advising and support, and all aspects of state and federal academic compliance, including accreditation by the Southern Association of College and Schools (SACSCOC). In this broadly collaborative role, she works with executive and school leadership, the Faculty Senate, and Student Affairs in advancing institutional objectives, including those identified in the University's strategic plan.
Ms. Gertler's past appointments include Acting Dean of the University's College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; interim associate dean for the College, and chair of the Philosophy Department. As interim associate dean, she worked closely with Buckner W. Clay Dean of Arts & Sciences, Ian Baucom, to advance the College's most important projects, including its graduate education initiatives, the Democracy Initiative, and undergraduate curriculum reform. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Professor Gertler served as a member of several University committees and working groups, including the Fall 2020 Planning Committee. She also co-directed the University’s effort to develop and launch signature courses for 2021’s innovative January term.
Ms. Gertler joined the Provost's office in July 2021. Before coming to the University of Virginia in 2004, she held the position of associate professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the position of assistant professor at the College of William & Mary. In her research, she takes a contemporary analytic approach to longstanding philosophical issues about the nature and extent of knowledge, the relation between mind and body, and the existence of free will.
Sponsored by UVA’s Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost in partnership with Lifetime Learning, Office of Engagement.
