Speakers

Mr. Hugh Owen

Hugh Owen is the convert son of Sir David Owen, a former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations and Secretary General of International Planned Parenthood Federation. Hugh attended Princeton University where, at the age of 18, he was baptized, confirmed and made his first Holy Communion in the Princeton University Chapel on the Easter Vigil, in 1972. Hugh's wife Maria was a member of the first class of women at Princeton. She and Hugh were married in 1973 and Maria made her profession of faith in the Catholic Church in 1975. Hugh received a B.A. in honors in history from New York University, and a M.S. in education in supervision and administration from Bank Street College of Education in New York City. He also received a permanent license to be a principal or superintendent of schools in the state of New York. Between 1977 and 1991, Hugh worked as a teacher and administrator of several independent schools and served as a school evaluator for the Middle States Association and as a member of the executive committee of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. For the past 25 years, Hugh has dedicated his life to the service of the Church as a writer, editor, teacher, and lecturer. Hugh has written numerous books and articles on Catholic and secular topics. His books and articles have been published by the Catholic Distance University, Human Life International, Seton Home School, The Apostolate for Family Consecration, Latin Mass Magazine, The Social Justice Review, The Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Journal of Canada, 1 Peter 5, LifeSiteNews, and many other websites and publications. For thirteen years, Hugh was in charge of religious education for St. John Bosco Parish in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia. For the past twenty-three years he has served as the founder and director of the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation in Mt. Jackson, Virginia, and was recently made a member of the newly-founded John Paul II Academy for Human Life and the Family. Hugh and Maria have nine children (including a daughter who is a Benedictine nun) and twenty grandchildren (so far!).

Hugh Owen on Gloria TV, speaking about "Junk DNA":

Mr. Eric Bermingham

Eric Bermingham is an aerospace engineer and author of the book "Creation vs. Evolution." He has been investigating the scientific, theological, and scriptural evidence for the traditional Catholic teaching of a literal six-day Creation and global Flood for many years. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation.

Dr. Joseph A. Strada

Dr. Joseph Strada is the General Manager, Electronic Programs Division, National Systems Group, at the Aerospace Corporation in Chantilly, VA. He has a Ph.D. in Aeronautical Engineering and Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School Engineer's Degree in Aeronautical Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School, M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering and Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School B.S. in Mathematics, Villanova University.

After graduating from Villanova University with a B.Sc. in Mathematics, in 1967, Dr. Strada was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy and reported for flight training in Pensacola, FL. He was designated a naval aviator in 1968 and went on to operational tours in carrier-based anti-submarine squadrons, deploying with carrier battle groups in the Pacific and Mediterranean Fleets. He deployed with naval forces to the South China Sea during the Vietnam War, and to the Mediterranean during the Yom Kippur War.Dr. Strada was assigned to the Naval Postgraduate School from February 1974 to June 1977, where he completed an M.Sc. Degree, Engineers Degree, and Ph.D. in Aeronautical Engineering and Mathematics, under the guidance of Dr. Max Platzer. He received the W.R. Church Award for Excellence in Mathematics and the Admiral Moffett Award for Career Potential and Excellence in Aeronautical Engineering. In 1979 he was selected as one of 208 national finalists for NASA's Mission Specialist Program for the Space Shuttle, and in 1983 was one of 39 national finalists for the White House Fellowship Program.After becoming an Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer, Dr. Strada was assigned to acquisition and program management assignments in the Naval Electronics Systems Command, the Naval Air Systems Command, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, and the Office of Naval Research. He served as Joint Test Director for the Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) Program; Deputy Program Manager of the Navy Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) Program; and Program Manager of the Milstar Joint Terminal Program Office. After serving as Senior Military Advisor to then Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney, he retired from the Pentagon with the rank of Captain in 1993.Dr. Strada joined the Aerospace Corporation in 1993, serving as Principal Director for Low-Earth Orbiting (LEO) Systems in Northern Virginia. In 1998 he became General Manager of the Electronic Programs Division, overseeing all Aerospace technical support to the Signals Intelligence Directorate of the National Reconnaissance Office. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation, and has made presentations at the Center's international conferences on creation in June, 2001 and October, 2002. He has also spoken to school and parish groups on the theory of evolution in light of modern scientific tools, disciplines and discoveries.Dr. Strada and his wife JoAnne live in Fairfax, VA and have six children and six grandchildren.

Dr. Thomas Seiler, PhD

Dr. Thomas Seiler is a German physicist with a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Munich. He is a development engineer at Robert-Bosch-Corporation since 2004.

Education: Diploma of Physics from the University of Freiburg, PhD in Physics from the Technical University of Munich

Edward A. Razz

Mr. Edward Razz is a retired Nuclear Engineer and Physicist from the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Niskayuna, NY. The Laboratory is part of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program whose mission is the design, operation and disposal of nuclear power plants developed for use by the United States Navy. During his 38-year career, he achieved the rank of Advisor Engineer, supporting the application, qualification and development of thermal-hydraulic design computer programs used in nuclear safety and reactor performance analysis. These analyses formed the technical basis justifying the nuclear plant safety posture and operating procedures for the Navy submarines and aircraft carriers. This work employs a technology known as Computational Fluid Dynamics where the equations of motion are simulated on a computer to capture the key physics of a boiling two-phase flow system. Mr. Razz received his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and his master of science degree in mechanical engineering from Union College in Schenectady, NY. Mr. Razz also received internal program training in nuclear engineering and plant analysis.

Mr. Razz became involved with the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation after seeking a faithful Catholic defense of origins. The discovery of critical flaws in naturalistic explanations of origins and hearing a defense of the traditional teachings led to his reversion back to the Catholic faith. Mr. Razz launched the first Kolbe Center web site in the early 2000s and now serves as a science advisor and speaker for the Kolbe Center. He currently resides in Hiram, GA with his wife, Kathy, to be close to his grandchildren.