Network member Courtland Randall directs "The William Pollard Project," loosely based at the School of Theology, University of the South (Sewanee). Pollard was an Episcopal priest and nuclear physicist who founded the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies, which he directed from 1946 until his retirement in 1974. (See Pollard in Oak Ridge Associated Universities history.) Court Randall worked for Pollard as a division head (education area and communication in environmental energy conservation area) at Oak Ridge from 1965 to 1985.

Pollard, who died in 1989, was one of the founders of the group that eventually became the Ecumenical Roundtable on Science, Technology and Faith in Canada and the U.S. Court organized a festscrift for him in 2000, in which ST&F Network Officer Robert Schneider participated.

Court wants to use Pollard as a model of a "renaissance techie" for young people. For one thing, he is writing a biography of Pollard, the scientist-priest. A second part of the "Pollard Project" will be a history of Pollard's scientific contributions, to be published by the University of Tennessee Press. Pollard is credited with the rise of science departments in 200 colleges and universities, because he opened facilities of Oak Ridge as a practicum for faculty.

A third part of the Project will be an anthology or reader, to include Pollard's Chance and Providence, which was very influential and had an impact even on Vatican thinking. Theologian John Polkinghorne has just agreed to write the introduction. In addition, Court says that he sees a website coming, and a dramatic play to be produced at Sewanee, and perhaps a documentary for television.

The Board voted its unanimous endorsement of the Pollard Project and invites any Network members who have Pollard stories to contribute, or know of possible funding sources to support this project, to contact Court Randall by email.