vita VITA VITA VITA

1. NAME: Rudolf B.Brun

2. PLACE OF BIRTH AND DATE: March 4, 1938: Lucerne, Switzerland. Naturalized American Citizen.

3. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Ph. D.  1968: University of Basel, Switzerland.  Thesis:  “Pattern Formation in Feather Development”. Major Professor: Dr. Adolf Portmann.

4. FORMAL CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: enrolled into the marine biology class offered by the “Laboratoire d’Arago” University of Paris, Banyules-sur-Mer (France) Fall 1967. Enrolled into the embryology class offered by the marine laboratories in Naples, Italy, Spring 1969.

Postdoctoral training in developmental biology (gene regulation in embryogenesis): University of Geneva, Switzerland: Fall 1968-1970. Workshop (for post doctoral fellows) in tissue culture procedures, Oxford, England, February 1973.

5. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: N.A.

6. PRESENT RANK: Professor.

7. YEAR OF APPOINTMENT AND RANK: 1978: Assistant Professor.

8. YEAR OF LAST PROMOTION: 1987: Professor.

9. PREVIOUS TEACHING AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

a) part time: Undergraduate and graduate teaching assistant, University of Basel, Switzerland from 1965-1968.

b) Full time: Senior teaching assistant (Chef de Travaux), University of Geneva, Switzerland, 1969-1977. Faculty member (Chargé de Cours, 1972; Privat Docent, 1973) University of Geneva, to teach Embryology (with labs) and part of introductory biology (histology, developmental biology) including corresponding labs 1970-1977.

Assistant Professor to teach embryology and continue research (developmental genetics) at Indiana State University, Bloomington, Indiana 1977-1978.

Assistant Professor, Texas Christian University (TCU) Fort Worth, Texas, to teach Histology and Embryology.

Marine Biological Laboratories (MBL), Summer 1980. Research: Cytoplasmic transfers by micro-injection in the marine snail Ilyanassa.

Contributor to the embryology course offered by MBL.

10. PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS: none

11. EXTERNAL SUPPORT SOUGHT:

Received: US National Science Foundation (1980-1982) 75,000

US National Science Foundation (1984-1987) $ 100,000

12. INTERNAL GRANTS SOUGHT AND DISPOSITION OF REQUEST:

a) received: TCU/RF 1978 - 1990, 1992 Faculty Development:

13. GRADUATE THESIS DIRECTED: none

14. PRESENTATIONS AND SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES:

a) Refereed publications:

1) Brun,  R.  (1968) . Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Dynamik im Federkeim.  Rev.  Suisse de Zoologie,  Tome 75 , Fasc. 5, pp.1057-1063.

2) Brun,  R.  (1969).  Untersuchung über die Dynamik im Federkeim unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Musterbildung beim Argusfasan (Argusianus  argus)  .   Acta Zoologica et Pathologica Antverpiensia No. 49 , pp.3-64.

3)  Brun,  R.  (1971).  Ontogenese- und Evolutionsprobleme bei der Musterbildung des Argusfasans  (Argusianus  argus) . Rev. Suisse de Zoologie, Tome 78, Fasc. 1,no. 2, pp. 115-134.

4)  Brun, R.  et Kobel,  H. R. (1972).  Des  grenouilles métamorphosées obtenues par transplantation nucléaire a partir du prosencéphale et de l’épiderme larvaire de Xenopus  laevis. Rev. Suisse de Zoologie, Tome 79, pp. 961-965.

5) Brun,  R.  (1973). Mammalian cells in Xenopus eggs. Nature, New Biology 243 (122), pp.26-27.

6)  Kobel,  H. R. ,  Brun,  R.  and Fischberg, M.  (1973). Nuclear transplantation with melanophores, ciliated epidermal cells and the established cell line A-8 in Xenopus  laevis. J. Embryol.  Exp. Morphol.  29  , pp. 539-547.

7) Brun, R. (1974).  The response of Xenopus  laevis   oocytes to injected somatic cell nuclei soon after germinal vesicle break down induced in  vitro.

Exptl. Cell Res.  88, pp.444-447.

8) Brun,  R. (1974). Studies on fertilization in Xenopus  laevis .  Biology of Reproduction 11 , pp. 513-518.

9) Brun,  R. (1975).   Oocytes maturation in  vitro : contribution of the oviduct to total maturation in Xenopus  laevis.  Experientia 31 , pp. 1275-1276.

10) Wabel, M.R.,  Brun,  R.B., and Du Pasquier, L. (1975).Lymphocytes of the toad Xenopus  laevis have the gene set for promoting tadpole development.  Science 190, pp.1310-1312.

11) Brun,  R., and Kobel, H. R. (1977). Observation of a fertilization block between Xenopus  (laevis) borealis  and Xenopus  (laevis) laevis.   J. of Exptl.  Zool.  201, pp. 135-137.

12) Brun,  R. (1978). Developmental capacities of Xenopus  eggs, provided with erythrocyte of erythroblast nuclei from adults.  Dev.  Biol.  65 , pp. 271-284.

13) Brun,  R. (1978).  Experimental analysis of the eyeless mutation in the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma  mexicanum)   Amer. Zool.  18 , pp. 273-279.

14) Brun, R. (1981).  The movement of the prospective eye vesicle from the neural plate into the neural fold in Ambystoma  mexicanum  and  Xenopus  laevis. Dev. Biol. 88, pp. 192-199.

15) Brun,  R. and J. A. Garson (1983). Neurulation in the Mexican salamander  (Ambystoma  mexicanum) : A drug study and cell-shape analysis of the epidermis and the neural plate. J. Embryol. Exptl. Morphol.  74, pp. 275-295.

16) Brun,  R. B., and Garson J. A. (1984), Notochord formation in the Mexican salamander (Ambystoma  mexicanum) is different from notochord formation in Xenopus  laevis.  J. Exptl.  Zool. 229, pp. 235-240.

17) Brun,  R. (1985). Neural fold and neural crest movement in the Mexican salamander Ambystoma  mexicanum  J. Exptl. Zool. 234, pp. 57-61.

18) Brun, R. (1984). Evolution und Christentum. Internationale katholische Zeitschrift 13, pp. 518-523.

19) Brun, R. B. (1987). The eyeless mutant salamander (Ambystoma  mexicanum): Evidence for an imbalanced antero-posterior morphogenetic system. J. of Neurogenetics, 4, pp. 29-46.

20) Brun,  R.  B. (1992). Evidence for an antero-posterior morphogenetic system controlling eye size in the wild-type and eyeless mutant Mexican salamander Ambystoma  mexicanum.

21) Brun, R. and A. M. Brun-Zinkernagel (1992). Differences in the Response to PIF/Activin Between Animal Caps Excised From mid- or Late Blastula Stages of Xenopus laevis.  Experientia 48,  pp. 405-408.

22) Brun, R. (1992). Schöpfungslehre und Herrlichkeit. Internationale katholische Zeitschrift Communio,  21 pp. 351-360.

23) Brun,  R.  B. (1992). Bilateral Eye Formation in the Eyeless Mutant Mexican Salamander Following Unilateral,  Partial Excision of the Neural Fold Tissues: A Quantitative Study.  J. of Exptl. Zool. pp. 541-548.

24) Brun, R. (1993).Principles of Morphogenesis in Embryonic Development, Music and Evolution. Communio 20, pp. 528-543.

25) Brun, R. (1994). Integrating Evolution: A Contribution to the Christian Doctrine of Creation. Zygon 29, pp. 275-296.

26) Brun, R. (1994). Christocentric Cosmology and the History of Cosmogenesis.

Vistas in Astronomy  39:4 (Abstract).

27) Brun, R.(1997):"Adolf Portmann's Begriff der Gestalt aus der Perspektive der modernen Entwicklungsgenetik."  ("Adolf Portmann's  Concept  of Gestalt From the Perspective of Modern Developmental Genetics").  Commemorative Issue of UNI NOVA Vol. 79/80, pp. 88-90. Invited paper.

28) Brun, R. "Christianity, Science, and Art: Toward an Updadet Christian Doctrine of Creation." Electronic book published on the Internet (URL: <www.webfeats.com/rbrun/>).

29) Brun, R. (1999). "Does God Play Dice? A Response to Niels Gregersen's Article: The Idea of Creation and the Theory of Autopoietic Processes." Zygon, Journal of Religion and Science, Vol. 34, no. 1 ( March 1999) pp.93-100.

30) Brun, R. (2002). Cosmology, Cosmic Evolution, and Sacramental Reality: A Christian Contribution.” Zygon, Journal of Religion and Science, Vol. 37, no. 1 ( March 2002) pp.175-192.

31) Brun, R.  (2002) Cloning humans? Current science, current views, and a perspective from Christianity.” Differentiation:  Vol. 69, pp. 184-187.

b. Non-refereed publications:

1) Rudolf B. Brun: “Axolotls in the Lab”. Axolotl News Letter, Spring 1988“The Eyeless mutant Mexican Salamander” Axolotl News Letter, Spring 1991.

2) Rudolf B. Brun: Genes, Evolution, and the Word of God in Creation. ITEST Bulletin, Spring 2000. 3) Rudolf B. Brun: “Hope in Nature and Mind.” Published in "Hopefully yours..." Jnnam, Pune 2002.

d. Materials under active review: Book titled: “Faith Seeking Understanding: Toward and Updated Christian Theology of Nature.”

 

e.

Papers presented:

1968-1976:  Annual meetings of the Swiss Society of Zoologists, presented a paper each year.

1975:  International Society of  Developmental Biologists: Nuclear transplantation with red blood cell nuclei.

1977: Meeting of the American Society of Zoologists (ASZ) : Invited speaker to the

Symposium:  Developmental Genetics of the Mexican Axolotl. Paper presented:  “Experimental analysis of the eyeless mutant in the Mexican salamander.”

1980 ASZ : Eye formation in the eyeless mutant axolotl.

1981 International Society of Developmental Biologists:  R. B. Brun and J. A. Garson:  The forces that shape the neurula of Ambystoma  mexicanum.

ASZ: The movement of the prospective eye vesicle from the neural plate into the neural folds in Xenopus  laevis. 

1981 ASZ: The movement of the prospective eye cup from the neural plate into the neural fold in Ambystoma  mexicanum.

1982: International Society of Neuroscience: Nocodazole and colchicine affect elongation of tonofilaments in the epidermis of the Mexican salamander neurula.

1982 ASZ: R. B. Brun and J. A. Garson: The notochord of the Mexican salamander is ectodermal in origin.

1982 ASZ: R.B. Brun and J. A. Garson :  Morphogenetic movements during neurulation in the Mexican salamander.

1983 ASZ: The eyeless mutant axolotl produces small and delayed optic vesicles.

1984 ASZ: Mapping the neural crest cells in the Mexican salamander.

1985 Society of Developmental Biologists: The eyeless gene e in the Mexican salamander might interfere with a head gradient.

1985  International Society of Developmental Biologists: A.  M. Brun- Zinkernagel, and R. B. Brun:  Neural crest cell behavior analyzed by using the Thiebaud marker.

1986 Eight Conference of Genes, Differentiation and Development, Hamburg, Germany: The Eyeless Mutant Mexican Salamander:  Evidence for a Morphogenetic System out of Balance.”

    ASZ: Nashville TN:  Neural Crest Cells in  Xenopus  limb Muscles.”

    European Developmental Biology Congress, Helsinki, Finland: “Eye Formation in the Eyeless Mutant Mexican Salamander Following Repositioning of the Head Sense Organs.”

1988 Southwestern Developmental Biology Conference Port Aransas, Texas. “Eye Formation in the Eyeless Mutant Mexican Salamander:  Results Obtained with Eyeless/Wild-type Chimeras.”

1989 ASZ: Boston MA: “Unilateral Antero-Posterior Neural Fold Rearrangements in Wild-Type Mexican Salamanders (Ambystoma mexicanum) Influence Eye-Volumes on the Contralateral Side.”

1989 ASZ: Boston MA: Division of Philosophy and History of Science Boston MA:  “Evolution and Philosophy.”

1990 Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Rocky Mountain Div. Santa Fe, NM.: ”Evolution of Beauty.”

1990: Society of Christian Philosophers, Lincoln, NE: “Integrating Evolution into an updated Christian doctrine of creation.”

1991 Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Rocky Mountain Div. Santa Fe, NM. ”Evolution of Beauty “(revised version).

1991. ASZ Atlanta: 1991: Difference in the response to PIF/activin between animal caps excised from mid- or late blastula stages of Xenopus laevis.

1992 Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Rocky Mountain Div. Santa Fe, NM. “Embryogenesis, Music and Evolution.”

1992 Meeting of the International Christian Studies Association, Pasadena CA: “Integrating Evolution: A Contribution to the Christian Doctrine of Creation”.

1993 Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Rocky Mountain Div. Santa Fe, NM. "Nature, Life, and Art."

1993: ASZ Los Angeles, CA. "The Lens that Forms Following Grafting of an Optic Primordium of Xenopous borealis into Xenopus laevis, Differentiates from the Grafted Retina.

1994: Southwestern Commission on Religious Studies, Dallas TX.: "Evolution and the Christian Doctrine of Creation: Attempt at a Synthesis."

1994: Invited to present a paper at the Conference  on the Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena (INSAP), Rome, Italy (sponsored by the Vatican Observatory). Tittle:  "Christocentric Cosmology, Cosmic Evolution and the History of Cosmogenesis"

1995: Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Rocky Mountain Div. Santa Fe, NM. "Unification of Diversity, the Fundamental Creative Principle?"

1996: Meeting of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology, Cracow, Poland: "Christocentric Cosmology, Cosmic Evolution, and the Sacrament of the Eucharist."

1997:  Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Rocky Mountain Div. Santa Fe, NM. "A Biologist's Perspective on  Science and Art."

1998: Meeting of The John M. Templeton Foundation Science and Religion Course Porgram, Southern Region, Waco, Texas.

1999: Meeting ITEST, Chicago IL, August 1999.

2000: “Complexification in Musical Development and Biological Evolution.” Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Rocky Mountain Div. Santa Fe, NM. "A Biologist's Perspective on  Science and Art."

2001: “Music in Nature and the Nature of Music.” Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Rocky Mountain Div. Santa Fe, NM. "A Biologist's Perspective on  Science and Art."

2002: “Aesthetics in Nature and Art.” Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Rocky Mountain Div. Santa Fe, NM. "A Biologist's Perspective on  Science and Art."

15. EDITORSHIP, CONSULTANTSHIPS AND APPLIED PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: <

Reviewer of 24 papers submitted to the following professional journals: Developmental Biology, Journal of Embryology and Experimental Morphology, Journal of Experimental Zoology, and Journal of Morphology.

Reviewer of 14 Grants to the National Science Foundation.

Member of the Organizing Committee for the Meeting of the American Society of Zoologists, Dallas 1981.

Member of the Organizing Committee for the First Southwestern Developmental Biology Conference, UTA Arlington, Texas.

Co-Chairperson of session: Developmental Biology IV: Meeting of the American Zoologists, Philadelphia 1983.

Co-Chairperson of session: Developmental and Cell Biology III, contributed papers of early development: Meeting of the American Society of Zoologist, Denver Colorado 1984.

Seminar speaker at UTA Arlington, NTSU Denton, Rice University, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK.

Organizer of: “The Seventh Annual Southwestern Developmental Biology Conference”  Topic: “Embryology and Evolution”

Fort Worth, TX, March 23-25, 1989.

Co-Chairperson of session: Developmental and Cell Biology III, contributed papers of early development: Meeting of the American Society of Zoologist, Boston MA, 1989.

 Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Rocky Mountain Div. Santa Fe, NM. Organizer of the Panel: ”Embryogenesis and Music”. Participants: Dr. Charles Bestor, Professor for Composition and Dance, University of Massachusetts, Department of Music, Amherst, Massachusetts, and: Dr. John MacKay,  Professor  of Composition,  Department of Music, West Chester University, West Chester, PA. 1992.

(1994) Consultant and reviewer of the textbook: Analysis Of Biological Development by Klaus Kalthoff; McGraw-Hill, INC. (1996).

(1998) Appointed to the Book Review Council of Zygon, Journal of Religion and Science

16. ACADEMIC ADVISING ACTIVITIES:

Pre-med advisor 1978-1999

17. DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE:

Committee on formulating a proposal for a Ph. D. program in biology.

Primary initiator of the guidelines for the seminar sequence required for M.S. students.

Initiator an sponsor of the visit of Dr. Stuart Kauffman, Green Chair Professor, November 1984. Member of the Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS) 1983-1985; 1985-1987: chairperson of COGS).

18. COLLEGE SERVICE:

Re-activator and co-teacher of the course:  “Religion and Science”  (1985/1987/1990/1993/1995).

Graduate Studies Representative to the final examination of Jiandong Gou (W. Zerda, major professor), 5 December 1996.

19. UNIVERSITY SERVICE:

Participant in the honors course: “Origins”, Fall 1982.

Instructor for the Honors Colloquium: “The Nature of the Universe.” Fall 1988.

Proposal to the Honors Council for an interdisciplinary course entitled: The Nature of Development”.

Spring 1992: Coordinator of the  Honors Colloquium: The Nature of the Universe: Development.

Member of the Honors Council, 1985-90; 1991-1994; 1996-present.

Member of the Premed Committee: 1978- present.

 

20.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

Invited speaker to address the issue of “Christianity and Evolution.” December

1986, First Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth.

Invited by the Fort Worth Indep. School District, October 30, 1985 (Science Club)        

to discuss “The Making of a Science Poster”

Judge for the High School Science Fair,  1979-1990; 1992, 1994.

Judge for the Fort Worth Academy Science Fair since 1990-1995.

Judge for the Science Fair at Hill-School, Fort Worth, 1995.

 

21. MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS),

The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.

The American Society for Aesthetics (ASA),

The Institute for Theological Encounter With Science and Technology  (ITEST),

European Society for the Study of Science and Theology  (ESSSAT.

 

 

22. PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND AWARDS:

Mortar Board: Preferred professor 1988, 1994.

Candidate selected for the TCU 1996 Professor of the Year.

 

 

23. OTHER PROFESSIONAL RELATED ACTIVITIES (attended scholarly

           meetings):

1978: American Society of Zoologists.

          Meeting in Richmond, Virginia.

1980: Symposium on ocular and visual development.  Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1983: First Southwestern Developmental Biology Conference, UTA, Arlington Texas.

1984: European Developmental Biology Congress. Southampton, England.

1985: Southwestern Developmental Biology Conference, TWU, Denton, Texas.

1986: Southwestern Developmental Biology Conference, University of Houston.

1987: Southwestern Developmental Biology Conference, University of Oklahoma,

 Norman OK.:p>

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