Ronald Curtis Marks



Ronald Curtis Marks is a Professor of Chemistry at a private University in the upstate of South Carolina. Dr. Marks has taught courses in chemistry, physics, earth science, and a Junior Honors Seminar on “Hot Topics in Science”. Dr. Marks is a chemist, creation scientist, and young-earth biblical creationist.

Prior to teaching at North Greenville University, Ron served for twenty years in the U.S. Air Force, where his experience ranged from managing the acquisition of aircraft simulators, to work with chemical and biological counterterrorism and intelligence organizations. While in the Air Force, he spent two separate three-year terms teaching at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. During his last assignment there, Ron was in charge of the administration and organization of the General Chemistry program responsible for instruction of over 1,000 students each semester. In addition, Ron is an ordained Elder, Deacon, has served as a Minister of Education in local churches and as a home church pastor. He has served as congregational and choir music leadership, biblical and theological studies teacher and on the Organizational Board and Curriculum Committee for Maryville Christian School, Maryville, Tennessee. Ron married Joann Williams in 1981. They have one beautiful daughter.

Biblical Creation Position
Dr. Marks never though much about the Genesis account of creation and its relationship to his scientific career. When asked, he most often responded "If God wanted to use evolution, He was God and could do whatever He wanted." Although Ron had "grown up" in Baptist churches, the reality of the Genesis record was never taught or emphasized. So, Ron tried to make the Genesis record merge with what evolutionary science taught - Ron became a theistic evolutionist. He kept this view, though only because he never spent much time studying Genesis or the issue of origins. He simply assumed science was right and the Bible had to match what science was saying. Ron was completely unaware of the compromise and of the upside-down approach to truth this respresented.

While teaching at the Air Force Academy, a collegue encourage Ron to think more carefully about what the Bible said concerning the creation of the universe. As he began to study, his wife prompted him to answer the question, "Why six days?" This question, when both understood in its complexity and in the narrative of Scripture, and the answer, when it is consistent with all of God's Word, had a powerful impact. The Holy Spirit used the pursuit of the answer to this question of "Why six days?" to help Ron accept the Truth of a literal six days, each equal to the current 24-hour days we know, in which God created all the physical universe.

Publications

 * Gammon, S., Marks, R., Blankenship, J., Sandelier, M., Morgan, M., “Interactive Web Page Development: On-line Homework Assignments With Automatic Grading”, Institute for Information Technology Applications, United States Air Force Academy, October, 2001.
 * Gould, T., et al., “Report of the Chemical/Biological Warfare Competency Panel”, Defense Science Board 1997 Summer Study on DoD Response to Transnational Threats, Volume III, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology, February 1998
 * Kabalka, G. W.; Goodman, M. M.; Srivastiva, R. S.; Bowers, K. R.; Marks, R. C., “Synthesis of Radioiodinated Vinyl Iodides”, Journal of Labeled Compounds and Radiopharmaceuticals, 1994, 35, 220
 * Kabalka, G. W.; Marks, R. C., “Boranes in Organic Synthesis,” Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 1993, 457, 24
 * Kabalka, G. W.; Goodman, M. M.; Green J. F.; Marks, R. C., Longford, D., “Synthesis of Nitrogen-13 Labeled Amines Using Organoborane Polymers”, Journal of Labeled Compounds and Radiophaceuticals, 1993, 32, 165
 * Goodman, M. M.; Kabalka, G. W.; Marks, R. C.; Knapp, F. F. Jr.; Lee, J; Liang, Y.,  “Synthesis and Evaluation of Radioiodinated 2-(2(R,S)-amino-propyl)-5-iodothiophenes as Brain Imaging Agents”, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 1992, 35, 280

Representative Presentations
A Biblical Science Worldview None of the current paradigms for the relationship of Faith and Science account for the truth of God's Word - that God has already spoken on this issue. Dr. Marks shows that God has clearly given us the proper perspective. Evidence of a Recent Creation A short list of scientific evidence pointing to a young creation.
 * "Freedom to Believe: Scientific Evidence of Creation", Presenation in local churches in Colorado, Florida, and South Carolina, 2000 – present.  Two examples from this series include:


 * "Science Impacting Faith Impacting Science", Creation Research Society Meeting, Lancaster, South Carolina, July 2010


 * "Biological and Chemical Threats in Terrorism", West Lecture, Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina, 13 November 2006.


 * "The Changing Face of Terrorism: Biological and Chemical Threats", Sigma Xi Invited Lecture, The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 12 February 2002.

Professional Data
Associations
 * American Chemical Society
 * Creation Research Society

Education