View source for Darrel R. Falk

{{short description|American geneticist}}

{{Infobox scientist
| name        = Darrel R. Falk
| birth_date  = 1946
| birth_place = [[Canada]]
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| fields       = Biologist and author
| occupation  = Professor of [[biology]] at [[Point Loma Nazarene University]]
|education = [[Simon Fraser University]], [[University of Alberta]]
|workplaces = [[University of British Columbia]], [[UC Irvine]], [[Syracuse University]], [[Mount Vernon Nazarene University]], [[Point Loma Nazarene University]]
|known_for = ''Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology''
}}

'''Darrel R. Falk''' (born 1946) is an [[Americans|American]] [[biologist]]. He is Professor Emeritus of Biology at [[Point Loma Nazarene University]] and is the past president and a current senior advisor with [[BioLogos Foundation]],<ref>{{cite news |url= https://biologos.org/about-us/our-team/darrel-falk|title= The BioLogos Team|publisher=[[BioLogos Foundation]]|access-date=2015-08-11}}</ref>
an advocacy group that emphasizes compatibility between science and Christian faith.

==Education==
Falk attended [[Simon Fraser University]], originally planning to become a medical doctor. In his second university semester, he signed up for Introduction to Biology, Genetics, and Developmental Biology. Falk graduated from Simon Fraser University in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.<ref name="FalkBio">{{cite news|url=http://www.pointloma.edu/page2934.aspx|title=Darrel R. Falk|publisher=[[Point Loma Nazarene University]]|year=2009|access-date=2009-12-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606233539/http://www.pointloma.edu/page2934.aspx|archive-date=2008-06-06|url-status=dead}}</ref> He then completed his [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] from the [[University of Alberta]] in 1973.<ref name="FalkBio"/>

==Career and research==
He did post-doctoral studies at the [[University of British Columbia]] (1973–74) and at the [[University of California, Irvine|University of California]] at [[Irvine, California]] (1974–76).<ref name="FalkBio"/> He was an Assistant/Associate Professor at [[Syracuse University]]  from 1976 to 1984. Then a professor at [[Mount Vernon Nazarene College]] in [[Ohio]] from 1984 to 1988. Since 1988, he has been a professor at [[Point Loma Nazarene University]].

His research interests have included [[molecular genetics]] of ''[[Drosophila melanogaster]]'', organization of [[gene]]s; and mechanism of repair of [[chromosome]] breaks.

== Christian beliefs ==

Falk is a Christian and believes in [[theistic evolution]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.beliefnet.com/scienceandthesacred/2009/09/on-reducing-irreducible-complexity-part-ii.html |title = On Reducing Irreducible Complexity, Part II - Science and the Sacred|date = 21 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|cCTXzDe-MT4}}</ref> He is the past president (2009-2012) of The [[BioLogos Foundation]], founded by geneticist [[Francis Collins]], which seeks to find "harmony between science and biblical faith" by advocating for "an evolutionary understanding of God’s creation".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://biologos.org/about/history|title=Our History: 2006 to Today|publisher=[[BioLogos Foundation]]|access-date=2015-08-11|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811080251/http://biologos.org/about/history|archive-date=2015-08-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://biologos.org/about|title=What we believe|publisher=[[BioLogos Foundation]]|access-date=2015-08-11}}</ref>

He has authored a book on the [[creation–evolution controversy]] titled ''Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology'' (InterVarsity Press, 2004), with a foreword by Collins. He has been critical of the [[intelligent design movement]] and written about the movement frequently on The BioLogos Foundation's website.<ref name="FalkReview">{{cite news |url=http://biologos.org/blog/author/darrel-falk |title=The BioLogos Forum - Darrel Falk |publisher=[[BioLogos Foundation]] |date=May 3, 2012 |first=Darrel |last=Falk |access-date=2012-05-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501111122/http://biologos.org/blog/author/darrel-falk/ |archive-date=May 1, 2012 }}</ref>

In May 2025, Falk started a Substack addressing the fraught relationship between science and Evangelical Christianity, particularly in the context of the dismantling of science initiated in the early months of [[Trump]]'s second presidency.<ref> {{cite web | url=https://darrelfalk.substack.com/ | title=Substack: Darrel Falk | date=May 6, 2025 | first=Darrel | last=Falk | access-date=2025-05-23 }}</ref> It began with a three-part series entitled "Challenging Times for Science in America."

==Publications==
*''The Fool and the Heretic How Two Scientists Moved beyond Labels to a Christian Dialogue about Creation and Evolution'' (with Todd Charles Wood) (Zondervan Academic, 2019) {{ISBN|9780310595434}}
*''Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology'' (InterVarsity Press, 2004)
*''Affirming: The Brightening Lamp'' (with Arthur F. Seamans) (Point Loma Press, 2002) {{ISBN|0-9652698-6-8}}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070109162901/http://www.pointloma.edu/page2934.aspx Point Loma Nazarene University Bio]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120310004720/http://biologos.org/about/team/darrel-falk/ BioLogos Foundation Bio]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Falk, Darrel}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American Christians]]
[[Category:American geneticists]]
[[Category:University of Alberta alumni]]
[[Category:Simon Fraser University alumni]]
[[Category:Point Loma Nazarene University faculty]]
[[Category:Syracuse University faculty]]
[[Category:Mount Vernon Nazarene University faculty]]
[[Category:Theistic evolutionists]]
[[Category:Science activists]]
[[Category:Members of The BioLogos Foundation]]