Ken Miller '70 P'02 has taught biology at Brown since 1980, but this campaign season he's been teaching it in Ohio too. A professor of biology, Miller has recently campaigned on behalf of Tom Sawyer, a former Congressman who is running for a spot on the Ohio Board of Education.
Sawyer was selected by the organization Help Ohio Public Education to run against the incumbent, Deborah Owens Fink, a professor of marketing at the University of Akron who is a proponent of introducing the debate between intelligent design and evolution into classrooms. Though board of education races don't typically resonate with many voters, this particular contest has garnered national attention - including an Oct. 26 New York Times article - due in part to the controversial nature of the teaching of evolution.
"When we recruited (Sawyer), it made national news," said Patricia Princehouse, a professor of philosophy and evolutionary biology at Case Western Reserve University and one of the founders of Help Ohio Public Education. "His being in the race has raised the profile significantly. He's getting support from around the country."
This is not Miller's first engagement in Ohio politics. The author of "Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground between God and Evolution," which was published in 1999, Miller is also the co-author of multiple biology textbooks, some of which have been used in the state. The success of these volumes led teachers in Ohio to encourage Miller to get involved in local debates about evolution.
"What got me involved in Ohio were letters from high school teachers in Ohio, high school biology teachers," Miller said. "(They were) being confronted by their community by organized antievolution propaganda."
In 2002 Miller was invited by the Ohio Board of Education to participate in a debate that pitted two proponents of creationism against Miller and Lawrence Krauss, a professor of physics and astronomy at Case Western, both of whom advocate the teaching of evolution. The debate addressed the merits of teaching intelligent design in high school curriculums.
"(The debate) had a positive result - they voted not to include intelligent design," Miller said. "But what they managed to do was to slip it into the curriculum as the 'Critical Analysis of Evolution' as a lesson plan ... a cheap trick to get it into the system."
Miller has also worked on the issue of teaching evolution in other states. In September of 2005, Miller testified in Pennsylvania in the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District case. That case tested a law in which Dover Area School District officials tried to require that all science teachers emphasize that the theory of evolution is just one among many theories and offer a book on intelligent design as supplemental material. The law was overturned after several parents in the community brought the Dover Area School District to court.
While on the campaign trail recently, Miller has spoken at colleges and political rallies.
"I only endorsed Sawyer in places where it was a political issue being discussed." he said.
Krauss and Princehouse, who have been helping with the campaign, formed Help Ohio Public Education to inform the public about the elections and also to endorse a candidate to run against Owens Fink, who has served on the school board for the past six years.
Krauss started a petition at Case Western, rounding up signatures from the science faculty to show support for the teaching of evolution. "(The scientists had) totally different political leanings - it shows that it isn't just a fringe group of people who believe (in evolution)," Krauss said. "It's the entire community. Unless they view all scientists as evil, this is a significant result. This is a very unusual thing, the fact that it happened, shows the urgency of the situation ... it is so unique for a faculty to weigh in in a non-partisan way."
As scientists, both Miller and Krauss have tried to approach their academic work in a way that doesn't conflict with religion.
"Science is based on God-given reason. I don't approach religion or science as seeing them as being in conflict. I think inherently they work in harmony," Miller said. "Part of my attitude towards this was because I was brought up as a Roman Catholic."
But Krauss said he has encountered many students who view science and evolution as opposing forces.
"I have found when I go out into the community, when I point out that you don't have to be an atheist to believe in evolution, a lot of students have been told this growing up," Krauss said.
He continued: "Because God is not an explicit part of science, people feel that it is evil. ... The problem is that people are somehow afraid that scientific knowledge challenges faith, doing damage to children."
Religion has played a key role in the race thus far. "When I was (in Ohio)... the front-page article reported on the words a conservative radio show host had used: 'If you believe in God and creation and true science, vote for Debbie,'" Miller said.
He added that he was informed that Sawyer's opponent had raised "an astronomical amount of money" from religious organizations, some of which are not based in Ohio.
"(Owens Fink) has billboards all up along the highway. It will be interesting to see if rationality and reason will win out against money," Krauss said. "(That's) why I've become involved in these campaigns - the only way to hold them accountable is at the voting boxes."
The Ohio Board of Education race is an important one for Krauss and Miller because they believe it will guide future development of high school curriculums in the state.
"The issue in Ohio ... is really simple," Miller said. "Is the U.S. going to remain a science-friendly country, or are we going to confuse the issue of science and religion, and pass the mantle as a leading science nation to another country? These (countries) realize science is the future - if not enough people vote for the candidate, we're going to lose that mantle of science."
When asked what she thought about the endorsement of Sawyer by Help Ohio Public Education, Owens Fink told The Herald, "Obviously people can endorse a candidate that represent their views. I think it's all part of the democratic process."
Owens Fink also commented on Miller's involvement with the issue, saying she finds it "odd that he would get personally involved."
She continued: "This is never about whether or not evolution is true or not true - it is to debate. This is obviously a personal vendetta."
For his part, Krauss expresses disappointment at the fact that evolution must be defended.
"I'd much rather be getting people excited about science rather than defending it," he said.
No matter the outcome of this race, the election has raised awareness about the arguments on both sides. In a typical year, "Only about 40 percent of voters in the booths voting even simply check a box (for school board elections)," Princehouse said. "Most people walk into the polls without any idea that the board of education is on the ballot."
