The John Templeton Foundation is pleased to announce that Kevin Arnold, Ph.D., has been appointed to lead the Life Sciences department.
Dr. Arnold joined the Foundation in 2012 as a Program Officer, where he oversaw the development of the Foundation’s nascent Genetics funding area. Sir John Templeton’s vision for genetics was to support catalytic and novel research aimed at minimizing future sickness and poverty while helping to realize humanity’s fullest physical and spiritual potential. Towards that end, the portfolio has supported pioneering work in epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease in both animal model systems as well as human longitudinal studies. While managing this stream of funding, Dr. Arnold has also developed several ambitious global initiatives and spearheaded refinements to the Foundation’s peer review process.
In addition to directing the Genetics portfolio, Dr. Arnold now takes on the role of Director, Life Sciences. In this role, he will oversee philanthropic initiatives spanning the Foundation’s Life Sciences department, which supports basic scientific research on a wide array of topics across chemistry, biology, and health sciences, especially as they relate to life’s origins and evolution, human origins, and the interface of religion and human futures. Dr. Arnold is also the primary lead on the Foundation’s Science of Purpose funding priority.
Having received his B.S. in biochemistry from Messiah College and a Ph.D. in biomolecular chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Dr. Arnold joined the Foundation after holding a teaching position at Elmhurst College in Illinois. “Joining the Foundation seven years ago was a natural fit given my longstanding interest in the intersection of faith and scholarship,” said Dr. Arnold. “In addition, I’ve found great personal and professional satisfaction in developing and supporting contrarian ideas that would not find traction through traditional funding mechanisms. The Foundation is at its best when it enables researchers to question entrenched dogmas and assumptions in their field, pushing the boundaries of knowledge through increased curiosity and intellectual humility.”
