About

The Roots program represents a nationwide network of volunteer activists who believe that humans and nature are the result of intelligent design and who desire to raise awareness of this life-changing understanding in their local communities. Typical activists include parents & educators, pastors & lay leaders, youth & campus ministry leaders, and more.

Organized by staff at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture, the Roots program seeks to provide resources, training, speakers, and networking opportunities for this network of activists. In addition, activists are encouraged to create their own resources and organize their own events, fueling a grassroots movement in support of intelligent design.

Daniel Reeves

_{Director, Education & Outreach, Center for Science and Culture}

Daniel Reeves is Director of Education & Outreach with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. He holds a BA in Biology with additional graduate studies in Zoology. Before joining Discovery Institute, Daniel has engaged in both field and laboratory research for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture. He also has a passion for education, and has taught science in both museums and public schools.

Kate Kavanaugh

_{Education and Outreach Assistant, Center for Science and Culture}

Kate Kavanaugh is an Education and Outreach Assistant at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. She holds a B.S. in biology, with minors in chemistry and psychology, from Fontbonne University in St. Louis, MO. Prior to joining Discovery Institute, she taught high school science at a private school and worked for the Acton Institute, a think tank focused on economics and religious liberty.

Brian DeVries

_{Strategic Initiatives Manager, Education & Outreach Ambassador, Center for Science and Culture}

Brian DeVries is currently the Strategic Initiatives Manager and Education & Outreach Ambassador for the Center for Science and Culture, having contracted with Discovery Institute in 2024. He has also been on staff with Search Ministries since 2019, where he currently serves as Area Director. He is a graduate of Luther College with an MS in Physics from Arizona State University and an MS in Technology Management from the University of St. Thomas. Brian has worked with Exxon Research, Seagate Technology, and Lockheed Martin as a Physicist, Metrologist, and Senior Manager. His technical research focused on novel x-ray measurement techniques, semiconductor surface physics, and atomic deposition monitoring.

Why “Roots”?

As you may have gathered, the name Roots calls to mind the phrase grassroots movement, where collective action at the local level affects change at the national or international level. But there’s also much more to it than that…

At the Center for Science & Culture, we believe that a singular question lies at the root of many of science’s most fundamental inquiries and society’s grandest battles — the question of design or chance … mind or matter … purpose or futility. Is life the product of a mindless evolution of matter and energy or the product of an Intelligent Designer? If the former, what provides the foundation for culture and ethics other than survival of the fittest? If the latter, what can we learn about the Designer (i.e. faith) and the design (i.e. science). Together with our networks of activists, we are convinced by the evidence of design in the universe, in the origin of life, and in the uniqueness of humanity. We believe this provides a foundation for scientific advancement, technological innovation, cultural reform, and creativity of all kinds.