Moorpark College faculty and staff honored this year's Distinguished Faculty Chair, philosophy professor Janice Daurio, Ph.D., with a standing ovation at the Flex Day celebration last Friday.

At the packed Performing Arts Center, Daurio presented different ways of understanding the relationship of science and religion, to inaugurate The Year of Science of Religion, a yearlong dialogue program at Moorpark College. Daurio co-developed the program with anthropology professor John Baker.

"Thanks to the innovative work of Moorpark College professors Janice Daurio and John Baker and the support of staff, The Year of Science and Religion will provide opportunities for all members of the college community to acquire strategies and tools for talking about and understanding the relationship between science and religion," said Eva Conrad, college president.

The 10th recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Chair award, Daurio was nominated by faculty members and voted on by former award holders and members of the Academic Senate. Criteria for the award include excellence in teaching and service to the college and community.

The Academic Senate presents award recipients with a customengraved armchair, and the Moorpark College Foundation inaugurates a scholarship.

Among the courses Daurio has taught during 10 years at Moorpark College are introduction to philosophy, ethics, Western religions and critical thinking. She's also co-taught a class on English author and theologian C.S. Lewis.

Daurio has a master's degree in religious studies from Mt. St. Mary's College, and a master's degree in philosophy and a doctorate from Claremont Graduate University.

She resides in Camarillo with her husband, Paul Ford, Ph.D., professor of theology and liturgy at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo.

This fall, Daurio will be on sabbatical, during which time she'll be writing a book tentatively titled "Faith and Reason: Applying Critical Thinking to Popular Ideas About Religion" for a small Midwestern publisher. The book will be a critical thinking approach to select topics in religious studies, including the relationship between science and religion.

She also plans to continue supervising events for The Year of Science and Religion.

At Friday's event, Daurio outlined four models for conceiving the relationship of science and religion: conflict, independence, dialogue and integration. She highlighted the dialogue model as the ideal approach for The Year of Science and Religion.

Daurio said that to merely search for abstract general principles in order to arrive at "common ground," as in the integration model, leads to loss of personal identity and dignity.

"To search for abstract general principles in order to arrive at 'common ground' is to ask people to stop being themselves," Daurio said.

Conversely, Daurio said, the dialogue model brings students and faculty to the deepest beliefs and issues of society in a controlled and mutually respectful way.

The first lecture of the yearlong program took place last Thursday with speaker Dr. David Marcey, professor of developmental biology at California Lutheran University.

Speakers Vladimir Kalugin and Linda Kamailla will host the next lecture, "Philosophy and History of the Scientific Method," on Wed., Sept. 13.

For a complete list of programs for The Year of Science and Religion, go online to www. moorparkcollege/yearof.