Dr. Georgia Purdom

Ph.D., molecular genetics, Ohio State University

AiG-US speaker and researcher

Dr. Georgia Purdom is a compelling and dynamic lecturer and well qualified to speak on the relevance of Genesis to the issue of biblical authority. She is the only female Ph.D. scientist engaged in full-time speaking and research for a biblical creationist organization in North America. Dr. Purdom states, “A proper understanding of Genesis is very important because it is foundational to biblical authority and a Christian worldview. It’s about so much more than the creation/evolution controversy. It’s about the truthfulness and authority of God’s Word.”

Education and Professional Experience

Dr. Purdom graduated with a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from Ohio State University in 2000. Her specialty is cellular and molecular biology. Dr. Purdom’s graduate work focused on genetic regulation of factors important for bone remodeling. She has published papers in the Journal of Neuroscience (under her maiden name Hickman), the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research and the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. She is a member of the American Society for Microbiology and American Society for Cell Biology. Following graduation, Dr. Purdom served as a professor of biology for six years at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio.

Research Interests

Dr. Purdom is a member of the Creation Research Society and serves on the editorial board and executive council of BSG: A Creation Biology Study Group. She serves as a peer reviewer for Answers Research Journal and Creation Research Science Quarterly. Dr. Purdom along with Dr. Joseph Francis of Master’s College are co-founders of the Microbe Forum. This forum sponsors research, collaboration, and conferences in the field of creation microbiology.

Dr. Purdom’s scientific research focuses on the roles of natural selection and mutation in microbial populations. She seeks to understand the original, created, “very good” roles of bacteria in the pre-Fall world and genetic mechanisms that have led to their adaptations and pathogenicity in a post-Fall world. She has presented her research in this field at two Microbe Forum conferences and the 2008 International Conference on Creationism. Dr. Purdom also has published papers in the 2008 Proceedings of the International Conference on Creationism and Answers Research Journal. In addition, she has numerous lay-friendly and semi-technical articles in Answers magazine and on the AiG website.

Dr. Purdom’s expertise in natural selection was crucial in her design of the “Natural Selection Is Not Evolution” exhibit at the Creation Museum. She is also interested in studying the formation of stromatolites, animal speciation after the Flood, and the Intelligent Design Movement.

Speaking Interests

Dr. Purdom describes herself as a “teacher at heart” and this is clearly displayed in her presentations. As a former biology professor, she has the experience necessary to make scientific concepts understandable to a wide variety of people. Dr. Purdom has both general and in-depth presentations. She is a regular speaker in the Creation Museum Speaker Series and has spoken at many AiG conferences.

Dr. Purdom also has a passion to help women understand the importance of Genesis for their roles as wives and mothers and is an excellent choice to speak to women’s groups. As a wife and mother herself she has a vested interest in understanding what Genesis has to say to women.

Dr. Purdom’s DVDs:

• The Intelligent Design Movement: How Intelligent Is It?
• The Code of Life: DNA, Information, and Mutation

Dr. Purdom’s DVDs in production (available in 2009-2010)

• Wonder of the Cell
• Genetics, Evolution, and Creation: Most Asked Questions
• All Creatures Great and Small: Microbes and Creation
• Hope Amid Despair: The Legacy of Eve (for women)

Dr. Purdom’s general presentations:

• Is Genesis Relevant in Today’s World?
• Only One Race: The Biblical Answer to Racism
• Biblical Authority and the Six Days of Creation
• The Power of Creation Evangelism
• Why is There So Much Pain and Suffering in the World?
• Wonder of the Cell
• The Code of Life: DNA, Information, and Mutation
• My Plans, God’s Detours (personal testimony)

Dr. Purdom’s in-depth presentations:

• The Intelligent Design Movement: How Intelligent Is It?
• Genetics, Evolution, and Creation: Most Asked Questions
• All Creatures Great and Small: Microbes and Creation

Dr. Purdom’s presentations for women audiences:

• Hope Amid Despair: The Legacy of Eve
• What’s the Big Deal? Why God’s Word Matters From the Very Beginning
• Fighting Truth Decay: Bringing the Bible to Life
• Why? Answering Life’s Toughest Questions About God and Suffering
• The Biblical Answer to Racism Meets Motherhood
• My Plans, God’s Detours (personal testimony)