Published on September 16, 2013 by Steve Donaldson  

Melanie McConnell, a junior Science and Religion major has received this year's award for best student essay in an annual contest sponsored by the Science and Religion Forum. Melanie's accomplishment was acknowledged at the Forum's fall conference at the University of Chester, UK. Her paper, "A Theodicy of Chance: Scientific Perspectives on Pain and Providence," built off her summer research as part of the Randomness and Divine Providence research team. Melanie reports that she heard a number of interesting presentations at the conference and "made some great contacts and got some new ideas to follow."

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.