Dr. Wilson Shafer is an assistant chemistry professor as well as a researcher. He received his bachelor’s degree in 2003 from the University of Kentucky (UK) with an emphasis on materials/electrochemistry; his Master of Science at Eastern Kentucky University in 2007 with an emphasis in analytical chemistry and, finally, his Ph.D. at UK. Not only is he gifted in science, but he also has a talent for music and plays bass guitar, even traveling to play.
When it comes to teaching at Asbury, Dr. Shafer said that teaching here is an example of how God opens doors and closes others. Before coming to Asbury, Dr. Shafer worked as a chemist at UK’s Center for Applied Energy Research. He did not think about working somewhere else until he heard God’s call.
“I worked in full-time research doing a lot of catalysis-based work at UK. When I got my Ph.D., I thought I was done and that I could be a researcher and actually do things. About two weeks after that, I felt the winds shift, almost as if God said, ‘Not here.’ There was no speaking, no voice. I just felt something change, like when I walked into my work, I no longer belonged,” said Dr. Shafer.
After months of feeling like he did not belong, a friend of Dr. Shafer told him about an opening for an inorganic chemistry professorship at Asbury.
“It was not something I could see myself doing, but I decided to try it. As I applied, it became more clear to me that’s where God wanted me to go next,” said Dr. Shafer.
Dr. Shafer’s office is a testament to how life comes in chapters. The room is filled with experiments – both successful and failed, vinyl records, pictures of his bass performances, periodic tables and a collection of coffee cups. Dr. Shafer says that his life, as well as the life of all believers, is being refined each day.
“I have learned a lot, as well as made many mistakes,” said Dr. Shafer. “If you want to grow, you have to walk through the fire. Fire refines and pulls out the impurities.”
When it comes to combining both his faith and science, he sees the connection of both. Dr. Shafer focuses on the concept of light to show a link between the physical and metaphysical.
“Light is behind faith and reason. We use light to understand everything, but we don’t understand light,” said Dr. Shafer.
Dr. Shafer shared this with students through a chapel in spring of 2023 where he; Professor of Old Testament, Dr. Burnett and Professor of English, Dr. Strait used science and theology to show that there are things beyond our understanding of the physical world.
“We use light to see. Is light where our understanding begins or ends? Is light truly the independent? Scripture says that Jesus is ‘the Light of the World.’ Our idea of the chapel was to use light by stripping away color. Too many lean on science for their foundation for understanding. We sought to break that foundation to create a space for people to question what they know,” said Dr. Shafer.
His research of light and faith began when he was sitting at the foot of a cross one Easter about six years prior and was reminded of the crucifixion of Jesus.
“It all started at the cross. At the moment of his death, it became dark. I asked the question: ‘Why is it dark here?’ This began my questions about light,” said Dr. Shafer.
Out of the light chapel and his research with students, various grants have been given to the science program for further research as well as a student book that could be potentially published by the scientific community.
Dr. Shafer continues to inspire students and seeks to help them answer the questions of both the empirical and metaphysical world. He is a man who seeks for God, the Creator of all, to be glorified and his will to be done.
“My biggest fear is getting in the way,” said Dr. Shafer. “I don’t want my humanness to get in the way of what God wants to do.”
Photo courtesy of AU Strat Comm.
