Professor of Chemistry & Planetary Sciences
Dr. Channon Visscher serves as professor of chemistry and planetary sciences at Dordt University, teaching courses such as Solar System Astronomy, Introductory Geology, Meteorology and Climate Change, and Principles of Chemistry.
His research interests include modeling of planetary and astrophysical environments to further study new worlds (including objects observed by the James Webb Space Telescope), and to better understand the formation and history of planetary systems. A full list of his peer-reviewed research publications can be found at https://cvisscher.github.io/publications/.
He is also interested in origins stories (cosmologies & cosmogonies) and the relationship between science and religion, and has recently authored a co-edited book, Science and Religion: Perspectives Across Disciplines. Additional essays & reflections on science and faith are listed at https://cvisscher.github.io/reflections/.
“Our faith provides a framework for studying the physical world, in which a revelatory creation is made as an act of love,” says Visscher. “Through close and attentive scientific inquiry, we can gain meaningful knowledge that not only depends our understanding of the structure and dynamic nature of the world, but also reflects the beauty and majesty of its Creator.”
Prior to Dordt, Visscher served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, and as a research scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. He currently holds a joint appointment as a research scientist with the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado.
In addition to his research and teaching responsibilities, Visscher serves on the Faculty Status Committee and the Educational Framework refresh committee at Dordt. He also serves as a mentor for the Astronomy club and co-mentor for the Science & Faith club.
Education:
How might ordinary acts of creativity shape a life of faithfulness? By tending our small corners with imagination and generosity, we participate in the on-going work of restoration.
Science and religion are often framed in opposition, yet both explore fundamental questions about creation, purpose, and what it means to be human. How can we cultivate a perspective that recognizes science and faith as mutually enriching ways to explore deeper meaning?
