Ryan Bebej

Ryan Bebej is a professor in the Department of Biology at Calvin University, where he has taught courses in anatomy, physiology, and zoology since 2012. He earned his Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology with a focus in paleontology from the University of Michigan. His scientific research focuses on the evolution of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) from terrestrial ancestors. He is especially interested in the earliest stages of this evolutionary transition and the anatomical modifications that facilitate changes in swimming mode. He has excavated skeletons of fossil whales at Wadi Al-Hitan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Egypt’s western desert, and he routinely spends time working in collections at world-renowned museums. Ryan is also deeply interested in the relationship between science and Christian faith, especially the difficult theological questions that arise when considering evolution. In addition to being a member of BioLogos Voices since 2016, he has been a Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford (SCIO) visiting scholar in science and religion, a participant in SCIO’s Bridging the Two Cultures of Science and the Humanities II program, and a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation. When he isn’t working, he loves playing tabletop games with his family, going birding, and rooting for the Michigan Wolverines and St. Louis Cardinals.