The 2026 SCS CONFERENCE  (SCS2026)

LIVE STREAMING of TALKS:   There will be a LIVE STREAM LINK here on this webpage.  On Saturday, June 6, talks go from 9:00am to Noon and then from 1:15 pm to 5:30pm.  On Sunday, June 7, the talks go from 10:00am to 12:30pm.

THEME:

The conference theme is “Critical Issues at the Interface of Science and Faith.”  This encompasses a wide range of topics. 

VENUE AND TIMES:   

The conference will be held on June 5-7, 2024, at the conference center of Mundelein Seminary (also called University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary), renowned for its scenic beauty, and a popular location for retreats and conferences. See this MAP OF THE MUNDELEIN CAMPUS.  Attendees will stay in the Conference Center Lodging (Building E on map); meals and receptions will be in the Dining Hall (Building B); and lectures will be in the Conference Center (Building D).

On Friday evening, June 5, there will be an informal buffet dinner at 6:30 PM, followed by the Opening Reception starting at 8:00 PM.  The lectures are given on Saturday morning and afternoon and on Sunday morning. On early Sunday afternoon there will be the annual “member meeting” of SCS.

INVITED & CONTRIBUTED TALKS:

This year there will be six invited talks and six contributed talks.  Invited talks are 40 minutes plus 10 minutes Q&A. Contributed talks are 25 minutes plus 5 minutes Q&A.

So far, four invited speakers have confirmed (exact titles of their talks to be announced later):  Prof. Adam D. Hincks, SJ (Univ. of Toronto) will speak about Jesuit astronomy.   Prof. James J. Lee (Univ. of Minnesota) will speak on the evolution of sexual reproduction and sexual differentiation.  Prof. Maureen Condic (Catholic University of America) will speak on the biology of human nature and human individuation.  Prof. Nuno  Castel-Branco (University of Oxford) will speak about Bl. Nicholas Steno.

The complete set of speakers and talks, when known, will be found in the conference program and schedule:

CONFERENCE PROGRAM & SCHEDULE:

Here is the SCHEDULE of the conference.  It is subject to minor changes.  The speakers and talks will be filled in as known,

SUBMITTING ABSTRACTS FOR TALKS AND POSTERS:

We encourage SCS members and associates to submit abstracts for talks and/or posters.  The deadline for abstracts for talks is April 1, 2026.  The deadline for abstracts for posters is May 21, though if there is still space for more posters, this will be extended.

There will be two Poster Sessions at the conference. 

Poster presentations can be on any subject.  There will be a section for more technical posters on the presenter’s own research, and sections for posters of broader interest on topics that are scientific, philosophical, theological, historical (or multidisciplinary).   Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and should be sent as a Word document to smpbarr@gmail.  The format should be title of the talk, then name and institution of the presenter, then abstract.

TRAVEL AND LODGING:

Mundelein Seminary is about a 40-minute drive from O’Hare International Airport (the closest airport).  From O’Hare one can take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft. A good taxi service is American Taxi 847-255-9600. Presumably most attendees will want to stay at the conference venue during the conference (i.e. for the nights of June 5 and 6), as that is included for those who register for the conference.  Those who need to come a day early or stay a day late due to flight schedules can ask the organizers at smpbarr@gmail.com or can easily secure a room at an airport hotel near O’Hare for the extra nights. (There are also some hotels in the vicinity of the conference venue.)

The best place to PARK at the conference or to be dropped off by taxi or Uber is the “purple parking lot” on the Mundelein campus. See the MAP OF THE MUNDELEIN CAMPUS.  (It is best to enter into google maps or GPS “St. Mary’s on the Lake, Mundelein, IL” as that will take you directly to the purple parking lot.)

We will be setting up mechanisms for carpooling from the airport to the conference and back.

REGISTRATION FEE & REGISTRATION FORM:

Registration will open on Feb 1, and a link to the registration page will be sent to all SCS members, associates and others eligible to attend on February 1 and periodically thereafter.   (If you receive the link, do not share it with anyone else, as otherwise people not eligible to attend may register, which will create myriad problems for the organizers).  The undiscounted registration fee is $290. For students (grad or undergrad) it will be half of that amount, and for members of religious orders the fee will be waived altogether (though registration is still required).  The registration fee will cover all one’s meals at the conference as well as rooms at the conference venue for the two nights of the conference. If you decide not to stay in the dorm, the registration fee would be $100 less, i.e. $190 for Regular Members and Associates, $45 for students.

More information will be posted here as it becomes available.  If you have questions, email smpbarr@gmail.com