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Connie Bertka, PhD

Connie Bertka Connie Bertka received her Ph.D. in Geology from Arizona State University. She was a Senior Research Associate at the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington from 1993 to 2000. Much of her work at the Geophysical Laboratory focused on modeling the interior structure and composition of Mars utilizing data from high-pressure laboratory experiments. She also directed Carnegie's Broad Branch campus intern program.

In addition to her scientific work, Dr. Bertka has had a long term interest in the relationships between science and religion and their influence on public understanding of science. She also holds a Master of Theological Studies degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC. In 2000 she joined the Program of Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (DoSER). For the past five years she served as the Program's Director. While at AAAS Dr. Bertka initiated projects that encouraged constructive interaction between the scientific community, religious communities and society at large on a diverse range of topics including astrobiology, evolution, and science education. In 2008 Connie left AAAS to pursue her own teaching and writing interests and is currently teaching a course on Contemporary Issues in Science and Religion at Wesley Theological Seminary.