The summit will be held at 91短视频’s Suter Science Center (1194 Park Road, Harrisonburg, Virginia) with events starting at 9 a.m. It aims to bring together students, educators, and community members to explore undergraduate research, innovative initiatives, and real-world solutions.

Students will attend from Sustainable Shenandoah Valley’s five member institutions: Blue Ridge Community College, Bridgewater College, 91短视频, James Madison University, and Mary Baldwin University.

鈥淏y celebrating the impactful work already happening across the region, this event seeks to inspire new ideas, partnerships, and pathways toward a more just and sustainable future,鈥� the summit鈥檚 website says.

A schedule on the website lists presentations by local students and officials, posters and networking opportunities, and a keynote speech by John C. Jones.

Jones is an assistant professor in the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability at Virginia Commonwealth University. His main research interests surround the intersection of urban food system development, urban food insecurity, local governance, and the challenges facing America鈥檚 cities. In recent years, he has begun to research interventions to mitigate college student food insecurity. 

91短视频 students Ciela Acosta, Kate Stutzman, Jenna Oostland, and Tara Cahill are among those who will deliver presentations at the summit.

Acosta will present on examples of campus organizing and advocacy that have taken place on 91短视频鈥檚 campus, including bell ringing for Palestine and direct action for sustainability, according to the summit’s website. Her presentation will include an empowerment discussion for students to be able to notice where inequity is present on their own campuses and be able to effectively and peacefully call for change.

Stutzman, Oostland, and Cahill will lead a comprehensive analysis of 91短视频’s carbon emissions for the 2024-25 academic year in accordance to the university’s climate goals. Emissions from a number of sources are considered including, but not limited to, food production and waste, purchased electricity, natural gas, fertilizer and pesticide use, student and faculty travel, and 91短视频’s solar grid.

Register for the summit .

For more information, visit the event鈥檚 website .

鈥淚 got to practice incisions and suturing, and we had some frogs that needed postoperative care,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat was a really valuable experience, and I don鈥檛 think I would鈥檝e gotten that at a lot of other schools.鈥�

These days, Prock doesn鈥檛 operate on frogs. His patients are mostly dogs and cats. The vet is the co-founder of Furgent Care, a veterinary urgent care in Virginia Beach that offers evening and weekend services for pet owners when their primary care veterinarian is unavailable.

Identifying a need

In 2018, following four tough years at veterinary school (Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech), Prock earned his doctor of veterinary medicine degree. After working as a general practice vet at a clinic in South Florida for three years, he returned to his hometown of Virginia Beach with his wife, Katie (Landis) Prock 鈥�12鈥攖hey met at 91短视频鈥攁nd worked as a locum, filling in for understaffed hospitals that needed help.

鈥淭hink of it like substitute teaching, but for veterinarians,鈥� Prock said.

That experience opened his eyes to the growing need for after-hours veterinary services.

鈥淚t shocked me the amount of clients who would call in with sick pets and say, 鈥楳y dog is vomiting or has diarrhea or has an ear infection,鈥欌�� said Prock. 鈥淎nd the answer was, 鈥極ur first available appointment is in two weeks.鈥� That鈥檚 just how the system works. But it felt wrong to say no to so many sick pets.鈥�

That motivated him to reach out to his roommate from vet school, Jonah Williams, and together they opened Furgent Care in 2024. The clinic is staffed by 16 total employees, including four doctors. It has 164 reviews and a 4.9-out-of-5 rating.

鈥淥ur core values are compassion and collaboration, and that鈥檚 been echoed in our reviews,鈥� Prock said. 鈥淧eople get what we鈥檙e doing and they appreciate it.鈥�

Seeking a balance

From a young age, Prock had a love for animals. He said he鈥檚 always known he wanted to become a veterinarian.

鈥淢y parents let us keep weird pets,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had all sorts of reptiles growing up, hedgehogs, guinea pigs, and bunnies. You name it, we took care of it.鈥�

That taught him the responsibility of pet ownership and fostered in him a connection to animals. He added that he鈥檚 also always been fascinated with the subject of biology, the natural sciences, and the 鈥渉uge, complex system that makes all living things, living things.鈥� 

Those interests coincided with a passion for volleyball. A skilled player in high school, he started attracting attention from college recruiters across the country.

His older sister played volleyball at a Division I school, and he saw the commitment required to compete at that level. 鈥淚 got to see firsthand what having, essentially, a full-time job on top of college looked like,鈥� Prock said. 鈥淭hat helped steer me toward Division III and 91短视频.鈥�

鈥淔rom my visit to 91短视频, I felt like I could achieve a balance: smaller class sizes and professors who were involved and cared for their students more than they could in a thousand-student lecture hall,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s an athlete, I was given some flexibility with my assignments. They understood I had more than just school going on and helped me outside of class when I missed it.鈥�

鈥淚 think that balance made a huge impact on my ability to eventually get into vet school,鈥� he added.

At 91短视频, Prock excelled as a student-athlete. He was named to the first-ever Continental Volleyball Conference All-East Division Team during the inaugural season of the conference. His name still ranks No. 2 on the all-time digs list for 91短视频.

Although no amount of work can truly prepare someone for the rigors and stressors of vet school, he said, 91短视频鈥檚 coursework and degree equipped him as best it could. 鈥淚t was absolutely difficult and was a new level of challenging, but as far as fundamentals go, I had everything I needed,鈥� he said.

It鈥檚 also incredibly difficult to get accepted into vet school, he added. After graduating from 91短视频 with a biology degree, he stayed in Harrisonburg for a couple years, working as an assistant at Heartland Veterinary Clinic and serving as an assistant coach for the men鈥檚 volleyball team at 91短视频. At the same time, he applied to a flurry of veterinary schools across the country.

鈥淚 tell people I took one year off on purpose and one year off by accident, because I didn鈥檛 get into veterinary school,鈥� said Prock. He was eventually accepted during a second round of applications. 

When he started vet school, he had three goals. One was to graduate. Another was to stay married. And a third goal was to get as much sleep as he could. 鈥淢y priorities looked different than most people鈥檚,鈥� Prock said, noting the hypercompetitive nature of vet school students. 鈥淚t was never my goal to become the world鈥檚 best veterinarian or the world鈥檚 best clinician. I always wanted to help people and I knew I could do that by helping pets and working with animals.鈥�

Keeping his passion going

One of his most meaningful experiences from his time at 91短视频 occurred during a senior seminar class taught by Professor Emeritus Roman Miller. Prock recalled an assignment to shadow a large-animal veterinarian at cattle farms around Harrisonburg for several weeks. They performed everything from routine pregnancy checks to emergency calls and surgery.

鈥淭hat was wonderful preparation,鈥� Prock said. 鈥淚 gained an immense amount of respect for farmers and for large-animal vets who work incredibly long and hard hours. To have that kind of foresight in making me do that was really wise and paid off in keeping my passion going.鈥�

As Prock鈥檚 responsibilities at the clinic have shifted, he鈥檚 spent more time on the business side, building teams and systems, and less time on the floor seeing patients.

For those like him, seeking a career in veterinary medicine, he said the role requires a 鈥渟pecific type of brain.鈥� 

鈥淚t鈥檚 common to find people who have a passion for animals,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 less common to find those who have a passion for helping people, solving problems, and working with teams.鈥�

Learn more about the clinic at .

Become an advocate 鈥� voice your support with community and business leaders; encourage others to join the conversation; offer your prayerful support for this project and for 91短视频 students, faculty and staff.

Pledge your support 鈥� consider a multi-year commitment to achieve a gift of significance; consider a gift of appreciated securities to leverage your impact for this campaign. Make a one-time gift 鈥� contact us at 540-432-4203 or visit our giving page at .

A variety of naming opportunities are available, and can be used to honor a loved one, a family, or a beloved professor. For more information, contact Kirk Shisler, vice president for advancement at 540-432-4203.

Each year at 91短视频, dozens of expert scientists visit campus to share their insights. Some focus on their cutting-edge research and work in the field, and some share perspectives on social reform and sustainability in the context of science. See more at: .

Joseph Gascho is a cardiologist, Professor of Humanities and Medicine, at the Penn State Milton S Hershey College of Medicine. He is a photographer and poet. He has several permanent photography displays on exhibit at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and his photography and poetry have been published in numerous venues. Dr. Gascho is a Karuko (number game) addict; visiting London is a passion.

Each year at 91短视频, dozens of expert scientists visit campus to share their insights. Some focus on their cutting-edge research and work in the field, and some share perspectives on social reform and sustainability in the context of science. See more at:

Each year at 91短视频, dozens of expert scientists visit campus to share their insights. Some focus on their cutting edge research and work in the field, and some share perspectives on social reform and sustainability in the context of science. See more at: http://www.emu.edu/science-seminars

Each year at 91短视频, dozens of expert scientists visit campus to share their insights. Some focus on their cutting edge research and work in the field, and some share perspectives on social reform and sustainability in the context of science. See more at:

A research scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md., will discuss the ways that voltage sensors and electrical signaling happen in animal and human nervous systems at the next Suter Science Seminar.

Kenton Swartz, a senior member of the molecular physiology and biophysics section at NIH, will give his presentation 4 p.m. Monday, Mar. 30, in room 104 of the Suter Science Center at 91短视频.

"Kenton Swartz is a leader in his field who will speak about how brain cells called neurons create (bio)electricity," said Greta Ann Herin, assistant professor of biology at 91短视频. "Cells such as these control simple diffusion of charged atoms into and out of the cell using specialized gates called ion channels. Kenton will show us how ion channels’ construction makes them responsive to signals, controllable and very fast. It’s very exciting to have him come to speak," Dr. Herin added.

Dr. Swartz joined NIH as an investigator in 1997 and was promoted to senior investigator in 2003. His laboratory uses biochemical, molecular biological and biophysical techniques to investigate the structure of voltage-activated ion channels and to explore the molecular mechanics by which these channels gate.

Swartz received a BS degree in chemistry and biology in 1986 from 91短视频. In 1992, he received a PhD in neurobiology from Harvard University, studying the regulation of voltage-gated calcium channels. He did postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School, where he began isolating and studying toxins that interact with voltage-activated potassium channels.

Refreshments will be served 15 minutes prior to the presentation, which is open to everyone free of charge.

For more information, contact Dr. Roman J. Miller, Suter Endowed Professor of Biology, at 540-432-4412; email: millerrj@emu.edu.

John L. Horst, professor emeritus of physics at 91短视频, recently salvaged from storage a large chart depicting "principles of electromagnetic radiations," dated 1938. Horst taught at 91短视频 from 1967 until retiring in 2004.

John L. Horst examines the framed principles of electromagnetic radiations chart that now hangs in the Suter Science Center. A photo from 1943 of students in M.T. Brackbill’s physics lab is displayed to the left of the chart. (Photo by Jim Bishop)

According to Horst, the 3 1/2-foot by 5-foot "elegantly complex" poster originally hung on the wall behind the lecture deck of the late M.T. Brackbill’s "creative, quirky" physics classroom in the basement of the old administration building.

Brackbill taught science and many other courses at 91短视频 from 1919 to 1956. He died in 1963.

Edited by Nobel Prize Winner

The chart was edited by Arthur H. Compton, who shared the Nobel prize in physics in 1927 for the Compton Effect, a scattering experiment that demonstrated that x-rays are photons that have quantum particle properties. He later showed that cosmic rays are photons from deep outer space.

A sidenote: Compton’s mother was a Mennonite from Ohio. He attended Bluffton (Ohio) College (now University) for a year in the early part of the 20th century.

The chart moves the observer from top to bottom with "a flurry of ideas, depicting how various parts of the spectrum are generated," Horst noted.

"Many applications – from astronomy, chemistry, engineering, medicine and physics – are part of the spectrum, with everything related to existing technologies of 1938," he said.

Physicist James Maxwell first described the wave theory of electromagnetic spectrum in the late 19th century. The particle theory of the spectrum emerged with the development of quantum mechanics in the early 20th century.

Modern Look, Striking Colors

"The color scheme is striking and excellent for its day," Horst said. The graphic arrangement is amazing considering the creators had no computer assistance back then."

Horst noted that the chart "wasn’t carefully stored, and the bottom portion had some broken or missing pieces." He credited local craftsman Raymond Shank for his "excellent restoration and framing work." The chart is now displayed on the wall adjacent to the current physics laboratory in 91短视频’s Suter Science Center.

Dr. Francis Collins, a renowned geneticist and a Christian, surprised the audience with a touching hymn near the end of his lecture on the intersection of science and faith.

Like many young doctors, Francis Collins sometimes found himself at the bedsides of patients he could no longer help.

But always curious, Collins sat by their side listening and marveling at how many patients didn’t despair but found comfort in religion.

Then in his mid-20’s, a dying woman asked Collins what he believed on the subject. And the young man who was embarking on a career that would tackle some of the natural world’s toughest puzzles was stumped.

For all his training, Collins says, he had no answers for life’s basic questions: Why am I here? What will happen after I die? Is there a God?

On Saturday, Collins, 57, now a renowned geneticist and a Christian, spoke to a packed crowd at 91短视频’s Martin Chapel.

His message: that science and religion, two ways of explaining the world we live in, are not incompatible.

“Truth can be found in scientific exploration and religious exploration; It’s all God’s truth,” Collins said. “Some people are saying you have to pick one or the other. I would say that would be an impoverished outcome.”

‘The Language Of God’

Raised near Staunton, Collins, is the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.

And he coordinated the Human Genome Project. Genomes, he says, are like books contained inside every living organism, which hold the secrets of life.

In 2003, Collins and other scientists finished “mapping” the human genome, a landmark achievement that, he says, was like figuring out each letter in a book. His leadership on the genome project and work overall work on genetic research has catapulted him to the top tier of scientific researchers and earlier this month earned him the Medal of Freedom.

President Bush awarded him the medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in a ceremony on Nov. 7 in Washington.

Faith Bolstered By Science

Although scientists have yet to grasp the full meaning of the human genome, doing so could lead to advances in the fights against diseases such as cancer, diabetes and asthma.

But on Saturday, Collins focused on how decades in science has encouraged, not dampened, his religious faith.

It’s an experience described in his 2006 book, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence For Belief.

Known And Unknown

By studying fossils and DNA, scientists have achieved a greater understanding of life and found support for the theory of evolution, Collins said.

And most scientists now agree that the universe began about 13.7 billion years ago, he says, and that people share more than 98 percent of their DNA with chimpanzees.

Still science, Collins said, can’t answer how life began or the mystery of why 15 mathematical constants show up over and over in nature like a well-designed pattern.

Those questions, Collins says, are part of what has led him and about 40 percent of scientists to a belief in some God.

But Collins’ said his Christian faith led him a step further, to belief in a God who cares about people and has instilled in them a sense of right and wrong.

“We all have written in our hearts what is good and holy and the desire to reach out and find it,” he said.

Tricky Subject

Christian Early, a philosophy and theology professor at 91短视频 says Collins’ message is important in a society where science and religion often seem at odds.

Still, aspects of Collins speech, especially evolution, can be difficult for Mennonites and other Christian denominations to accept, Early said.

Victoria Clymer, 15, and Malinda Bender, 14, both freshman at Eastern Mennonite High School said that Collins’ world-view is different from theirs.

“Coming from a Mennonite background, you take what the Bible says,” Bender said. “It was a little bit different, but interesting,” she said. “I’m glad I came.”

Becky Horst, a 22-year-old 91短视频 student from Somerset, Pa., said that in his book and his speech Collins succinctly expresses an idea that will be important to her when she graduates and begins teaching high school science.

“My vocation can’t be disconnected from the faith part of my life,” said Horst, a Mennonite. She also said that while she wants science and religion in her life, she expects to be allowed to take only one of them into her science classes.

Dan McSweeney, 71, of Augusta County, says he’s an atheist who has no trouble with religious people, unless they tell him to be religious.

After the speech, he said he admired Collins as a scientist, but that the logic of his religious arguments doesn’t add up.

“What we have is the world around us, that’s what exists,” McSweeney said. But “a personal God? That’s a leap of faith,” he said. “Not science.”

Dr. Francis Collins, best-selling author of The Language of God, will speak Saturday, Nov. 17, at 91短视频.

Collins’ free public lecture on the theme, "A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief," is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Martin Chapel of the seminary building at 91短视频. A brief question and answer period will follow his presentation.

Collins serves as director of the in Bethesda, Md. He coordinated the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium, better known as the Human Genome Project.

Under Collins’ leadership, the group successfully mapped and sequenced human DNA, releasing its final results both ahead of schedule and under budget in 2003.

Collin’s Contributions Many

Collins’ contributions to science include a gene-hunting approach called "positional cloning," which he used to successfully identify the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis in 1989. He later used the technique to isolate the genes tied to a number of other illnesses, including Huntington’s disease and a form of adult acute leukemia.

Collins received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and his doctoral degree in physical chemistry from Yale University. He later obtained his medical doctorate from the University of North Carolina.

Following a fellowship in human genetics at Yale, he joined the faculty at the University of Michigan, where he remained until 1993 when he began work at the National Institutes of Health.

His book, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, published in July 2006, has received strong reviews. He is a member of both the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and the National Academy of Sciences.

Collin’s Visit a ‘Landmark Opportunity’

Christian E. Early, associate professor of philosophy and theology at 91短视频, called Collins’ visit "a landmark opportunity for the campus and public to learn from one of the great scientific minds of today.

"Francis Collins has changed the face of science and medicine for the better," Dr. Early said. "That he also believes in God ought to testify to the fact that religious faith and science are not mutually exclusive," he added.

Lamenting the polarized God-versus-Science debate, Collins has said, "Most people don’t live at those extremes. Most people live somewhere in the middle and are seeking a possible harmony between these world views. It seems rather sad that we hear so little about that possibility, especially when you look at young people being told they have to make a choice between science and faith. I think if you pick one or the other, you impoverish yourself."

A light brunch will be served at 9:30 a.m., with Collins’ presentation starting promptly at 10 a.m.

The program is being sponsored by the Shenandoah Anabaptist Science Society (SASS) at 91短视频. The focus of SASS is to create a space for dialog on issues at the intersection of science and religion.

For more information, contact Christian Early at 540-432-4456 or Cheryl Doss in the Suter Science Center at 540-432-4400.