The Thomistic Institute

Dr. Marvin Bolt explores the history and epistemology of scientific instruments, arguing that they are not merely passive tools but active embodiments of knowledge that require hands-on engagement to fully understand.

This lecture was given on July 16th, 2026, at Dominican House of Studies.

For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events

About the Speaker:

Marvin Bolt is an expert in the history of science and astronomy who served as the first Curator of Science and Technology at The Corning Museum of Glass until his 2020 retirement. Prior to this role, he managed extensive historical collections and curated major astronomy exhibitions at Chicago's Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum. Throughout his career, he expanded scientific collections, curated prominent exhibitions, and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame while actively engaging in teaching and publishing.

Keywords: Scientific Instruments, History Of Science, Epistemology, Natural Philosophy, Scientific Revolution

Fr. Chris Gault, O.P. explores why St. Thomas Aquinas remains a vital guide for contemporary students, emphasizing that his systematic approach to theology fosters both intellectual clarity and a deeper interior life.

This lecture was given on April 16th, 2026, at Maynooth University.

For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events

About the Speaker:

Fr. Chris Vincent Gault, OP, was born and raised in Belfast in the north of Ireland, where he studied medicine at Queen's University Belfast. Qualifying as a doctor in 2013, he began to train as an emergency physician, before leaving medicine after 3 years to enter the Irish Province of the Order of Preachers. Ordained as a Dominican priest in July 2024, and after having completed his studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, he was assigned to the convent of St. Mary of the Isles in Cork, where he now resides and ministers, particularly to the youth and young adults of that city.

This project/publication was made possible through the support of Grant 63391 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Keywords: Faith And Reason, Christian Humanism, Scholasticism, Dominican, Human Flourishing

Prof. Santiago Solares explores the technical challenges and philosophical implications of Atomic Force Microscopy, arguing that rigorous scientific practice requires both technical precision and a commitment to intellectual formation.

This lecture was given on July 17th, 2026, at Dominican House of Studies.

For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events

About the Speaker:

Professor Solares joined The Catholic University of America in 2023, prior to which he held faculty positions at The George Washington University (2014-2023) and at the University of Maryland, College Park (2006-2014). His research program spans scanning probe microscopies, nanoscale mechanics, multiscale modeling and viscoelastic materials, especially polymers and biological materials. His teaching interests include simulation methods (atomistic to continuum), thermodynamics, mechanics and dynamics. Before joining academia he held various technical and management positions with Pepsi-Cola International and Mars Incorporated. He currently holds a primary appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and a secondary appointment in the Department of Physics.

Keywords: Atomic Force Microscopy, Physics, Faith And Reason, Science, Philosophy Of Science

Prof. John Brungardt explores the Aristotelian-Thomistic necessity of scientific instruments as essential tools for the human mind to investigate the cosmos and overcome the limitations of natural sensation.

This lecture was given on July 17th, 2026, at Dominican House of Studies.

For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events

About the Speaker:

Dr. John G. Brungardt is assistant professor of philosophy in the School of Catholic Studies at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas. Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, Chile. A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College, Brungardt completed his doctorate in philosophy at The Catholic University of America. As a philosopher, Catholic layman, and Dominican tertiary, his studies, teaching, and scholarship aim at continuing the philosophical tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, and their heirs, attempting to bring their insights into meaningful dialogue with modern theories. His central interests lie in the philosophy of nature and the philosophy of science. He is working on a monograph for CUA Press, Searching for the Cosmos. Brungardt is a scholar associate of the Society of Catholic Scientists and an ordinary member of The Sacra Doctrina Project. He also serves as the general editor of The Charles De Koninck Project and as the assistant editor of Lux Veritatis: A Journal of Speculative Theology, both initiatives of the Sacra Doctrina Project.

Keywords: Natural Philosophy, Faith and Science, Aristotle, Epistemology, Philosophy Of Science, Cosmology

Prof. Karin Öberg examines how the vocation of the scientist aligns with the Thomistic view that studying the material order is a necessary component of faith, arguing that the scientific study of the cosmos serves as a profound path to understanding God's wisdom, power, and goodness.

This lecture was given on July 18th, 2026, at Dominican House of Studies.

For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events

About the Speaker:

Professor Öberg obtained her B.Sc. in Chemistry from Caltech and her Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Leiden. She has taught at Harvard since 2013, where she is the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences. Her scholarship aims to uncover how chemical processes impact the outcome of planet formation, with special attention to the possible habitability of nascent planets. She has published over 250 refereed articles, including in Nature and Science. Professor Öberg has been awarded the Barry Prize by the American Academy of Sciences and Letters (2024), the Harnack Lectureship by the Max Planck Society (2022), a Simons Investigator Award (2019), the American Astronomical Society's Newton Lacy Pierce Prize (2016), a Packard Fellowship (2014), and a Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (2014). She is the Vice President of the Angelicum Board, a Board Member of the Society of Catholic Scientists, a member of the American Academy of Catholic Scholars and Artists, and a frequent public speaker on questions of science and faith.

Keywords: Astronomy, Vocation, Cosmology, Philosophy Of Science, Faith and Science