Past Events
Earlier Rothermel Programs
2020: All events cancelled by Pandemic
2019
April 7, 2:00pm, First Presbyterian Church of New Bern
Faces of Alzheimer’s Disease Research: Dr. Carol Colton, Professor in Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine.
October 6, 2:00pm, First Presbyterian Church of New Bern
Sex, Race, and Politics Explaining the Division between the Religious Left and Religious Right: Dr. Daniel K. Williams, Professor of History, University of West Georgia.
2018
April 29, 2:00pm, First Presbyterian Church of New Bern
Immunotherapy Engineering: New Treatments for Cancer: Dr. Gianpietro Dotti, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, UNC Libeberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
October 7, 2:00pm, First Presbyterian Church of New Bern
Concepts of God: Dr. Andrei Buckareff (Associate Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Cognitive Science Program), Marist College.
2017
The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars Dr. Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science, Director of the Penn State Earth Systems Science Center, Penn State University.
2016
I Shall Not Hate: A Message of Hope, Faith, and Courage: Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, Associate Professor, Dala Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, a Palestinian physician, lost his family in the Gaza war. His determination not to hate, but to hope and work for peace was told in his book, I Shall Not Hate, and in this lecture. See the video on this site’s Videos page.
Climate Change: What’s Happening?: Dr. Bruce Wielicki, Senior Earth Scientist, NASA senior project scientist has worked with climate change data for 40 years. His expertise and depth of knowledge made his presentation one of our best received lectures of recent years. Available on the Videos page.
2015
Fracking for Hydrocarbons in North Carolina: Dr. Kenneth B. Taylor, State Geologist of North Carolina, and Dr. Avner Vengosh, Professor of Geochemistry and Water Resources, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University. Available on the Videos page.
Reason, Morality, and the Death Penalty: Michael Tigar, Professor Emeritus, Duke Law School and American University, Washington, School of Law. See Mr. Tigar’s lecture on our Videos page.
2014
New Discoveries in Ancient Galilee
Dr. Jodi Magness, Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Video is not available because Dr. Magness shared with us discoveries that had not yet been published.
The Spirit of the Law: Religious Voices and the Constitution in Modern America
Dr. Sarah Barringer Gordon, Arlin M. Adams Professor of Constitutional Law and Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania Law School
The Ethics of Drone Warfare
Dr. John Kaag, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
2013
New Medical Miracles: Promises and Pitfalls: Dr. Ronald M. Green, Eunice and Julian Cohen Professor for the Study of Ethics and Human Values, Department of Religion, Dartmouth College
Soulful Science: An Evolutionary Theology: Rev. Michael Dowd, author of Thank God for Evolution
2012
Jesus and Judaism: Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University
Troubled Waters: Issues and Politics of Eastern North Carolina’s Waters:
I. Clark Wright, Attorney
Chosen for Destruction: A Holocaust Survivor Tells His Story: Mr. Morris Glass
2011
God, Soul, Mind, Brain
Dr. Michael Graziano, Princeton University
Africa: Beyond the Stereotypes
Mr. Jon Sawyer, Dr. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, Dr. James Thomas, Mr. John Beck
2010
New Bern’s Early Religious Communities
Dr. Lauren Winner, Nelson McDaniel, Gwen Bryan, Rev. Msgr. Gerald Lewis
Volcanoes of the Deep Sea:
Dr. Richard A. Lutz, Director Center for Deep-Sea Ecology and Biotechnology, Rutgers University at Centenary United Methodist Church
2008
Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Offshore North Carolina: Could it Happen? Should it Happen? Will it Happen?:
Dr. Donald F. Oltz; Petroleum Geologist Director (Ret) Alabama State Oil and Gas Board; Dr. B.J. Copeland; Marine Ecologist, Vice Chair, North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission, Dr. Michael F. Orbach, Social Anthropologist, Director (ret.), Duke Marine Laboratory
Climate Change and Polar Ice: Are We Waking Sleeping Giants?
Waleed Abdalati, Ph.D.
The New Dialogue Between Science and Religion
George L. Murphy, Ph.D., M.Div.
2007
Ethics and Embryos: The Issues in Stem Cell Research:
Dr. Ronald M. Green, The Eunice and Julian Cohen Professor for the Study of Ethics and Human Values, Dartmouth College
Toward the 21st Century: A Vision of Women in Church & Society
Sister Theresa Kane
2006
Nanotechnology and the Future: The Facts and Some Ethical Concerns
Dr. Vicki Colvin
What Americans Need to Know About Muslims and Islam
George W. Braswell, Jr., D. Min. Ph.D.
2005
Interfaith Dialogue
Mark J. Pelavin
Environmental Health: Life or Half-Life
Dr. Dade W. Moeller
DaVinci Code
Dr. Bart Ehrman
2004
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible
Dr. James C. VanderKam, Ph.D.
Earlier Rothermel Programs
2020: All events cancelled by Pandemic
2019
April 7, 2:00pm, First Presbyterian Church of New Bern
Faces of Alzheimer’s Disease Research: Dr. Carol Colton, Professor in Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine.
October 6, 2:00pm, First Presbyterian Church of New Bern
Sex, Race, and Politics Explaining the Division between the Religious Left and Religious Right: Dr. Daniel K. Williams, Professor of History, University of West Georgia.
2018
April 29, 2:00pm, First Presbyterian Church of New Bern
Immunotherapy Engineering: New Treatments for Cancer: Dr. Gianpietro Dotti, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, UNC Libeberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
October 7, 2:00pm, First Presbyterian Church of New Bern
Concepts of God: Dr. Andrei Buckareff (Associate Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Cognitive Science Program), Marist College.
2017
The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars Dr. Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science, Director of the Penn State Earth Systems Science Center, Penn State University.
2016
I Shall Not Hate: A Message of Hope, Faith, and Courage: Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, Associate Professor, Dala Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, a Palestinian physician, lost his family in the Gaza war. His determination not to hate, but to hope and work for peace was told in his book, I Shall Not Hate, and in this lecture. See the video on this site’s Videos page.
Climate Change: What’s Happening?: Dr. Bruce Wielicki, Senior Earth Scientist, NASA senior project scientist has worked with climate change data for 40 years. His expertise and depth of knowledge made his presentation one of our best received lectures of recent years. Available on the Videos page.
2015
Fracking for Hydrocarbons in North Carolina: Dr. Kenneth B. Taylor, State Geologist of North Carolina, and Dr. Avner Vengosh, Professor of Geochemistry and Water Resources, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University. Available on the Videos page.
Reason, Morality, and the Death Penalty: Michael Tigar, Professor Emeritus, Duke Law School and American University, Washington, School of Law. See Mr. Tigar’s lecture on our Videos page.
2014
New Discoveries in Ancient Galilee
Dr. Jodi Magness, Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Video is not available because Dr. Magness shared with us discoveries that had not yet been published.
The Spirit of the Law: Religious Voices and the Constitution in Modern America
Dr. Sarah Barringer Gordon, Arlin M. Adams Professor of Constitutional Law and Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania Law School
The Ethics of Drone Warfare
Dr. John Kaag, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
2013
New Medical Miracles: Promises and Pitfalls: Dr. Ronald M. Green, Eunice and Julian Cohen Professor for the Study of Ethics and Human Values, Department of Religion, Dartmouth College
Soulful Science: An Evolutionary Theology: Rev. Michael Dowd, author of Thank God for Evolution
2012
Jesus and Judaism: Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University
Troubled Waters: Issues and Politics of Eastern North Carolina’s Waters:
I. Clark Wright, Attorney
Chosen for Destruction: A Holocaust Survivor Tells His Story: Mr. Morris Glass
2011
God, Soul, Mind, Brain
Dr. Michael Graziano, Princeton University
Africa: Beyond the Stereotypes
Mr. Jon Sawyer, Dr. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, Dr. James Thomas, Mr. John Beck
2010
New Bern’s Early Religious Communities
Dr. Lauren Winner, Nelson McDaniel, Gwen Bryan, Rev. Msgr. Gerald Lewis
Volcanoes of the Deep Sea:
Dr. Richard A. Lutz, Director Center for Deep-Sea Ecology and Biotechnology, Rutgers University at Centenary United Methodist Church
2008
Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Offshore North Carolina: Could it Happen? Should it Happen? Will it Happen?:
Dr. Donald F. Oltz; Petroleum Geologist Director (Ret) Alabama State Oil and Gas Board; Dr. B.J. Copeland; Marine Ecologist, Vice Chair, North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission, Dr. Michael F. Orbach, Social Anthropologist, Director (ret.), Duke Marine Laboratory
Climate Change and Polar Ice: Are We Waking Sleeping Giants?
Waleed Abdalati, Ph.D.
The New Dialogue Between Science and Religion
George L. Murphy, Ph.D., M.Div.
2007
Ethics and Embryos: The Issues in Stem Cell Research:
Dr. Ronald M. Green, The Eunice and Julian Cohen Professor for the Study of Ethics and Human Values, Dartmouth College
Toward the 21st Century: A Vision of Women in Church & Society
Sister Theresa Kane
2006
Nanotechnology and the Future: The Facts and Some Ethical Concerns
Dr. Vicki Colvin
What Americans Need to Know About Muslims and Islam
George W. Braswell, Jr., D. Min. Ph.D.
2005
Interfaith Dialogue
Mark J. Pelavin
Environmental Health: Life or Half-Life
Dr. Dade W. Moeller
DaVinci Code
Dr. Bart Ehrman
2004
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible
Dr. James C. VanderKam, Ph.D.