CSC - Intelligent Design Scientist Denied Tenure Despite Exceeding Standard Requirements

Ames, IA – Astronomer and professor Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez, co-author of The Privileged Planet and an advocate of the scientific theory of intelligent design, has been denied tenure by Iowa State University even though he has met or exceeded every required standard for tenure approval.

“The denial of tenure to Dr. Gonzalez is blatant discrimination and violates both academic freedom and free speech,” said Dr. John G. West, associate director of Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture. Dr. Gonzalez is a senior fellow at the Institute. “The denial of tenure is all the more incredible given the fact that Dr. Gonzalez exceeds by 350% the number of peer-reviewed journal publications required by his department to meet its standard of excellence in research.”

Dr. Gonzalez has an impressive list of achievements including:

68 peer-reviewed scientific articles;
a college-level astronomy textbook published by Cambridge University Press;
spearheading research that led to the discovery of 2 new planets;
being asked to serve as a referee for a number of leading scientific publications.

Dr. Gonzalez’s research has been featured in Science, Nature, and on the cover of Scientific American.

“Given his outstanding record, it’s clearly preposterous to claim that Dr. Gonzalez is somehow deficient as a scientist. If anything, the problem is likely that he is too good. Darwinist professors can’t stand the thought of allowing a gifted scientist who supports intelligent design into their ranks. This is despite the fact that Gonzalez’s work focuses on design in cosmology, and does not even address biological evolution.”

According to West, the denial of tenure to Gonzalez is part of a growing pattern of discrimination against scientists who challenge Darwinism or support intelligent design:

Evolutionary biologist Richard Sternberg was harassed and then demoted by the Smithsonian after approving for publication an article supportive of intelligent design in a peer-reviewed biology journal.
Biologist Caroline Crocker was removed from teaching evolution at George Mason University after mentioning intelligent design, and subsequently her contract was not renewed.
Chemistry professor Nancy Bryson lost her job at the Mississippi University for Women after she gave a lecture on scientific criticisms of chemical and biological evolution to a group of honors students.

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