Samford University has been selected to host the fourth annual Lilly Fellows National Research Conference in the fall of 2004. The theme of the November conference will be "Christianity and Human Rights." Scholars from around the nation will be invited to present papers. The conference will also include several prominent plenary speakers and numerous scholarly panels. Lilly has awarded Samford a grant of $83,500 to host the conference.

The University of Notre Dame hosted the first Lilly National Research Conference in 2001, followed by Baylor University in 2002 and Seattle Pacific University this year. Lilly National Research Conferences foster and promote research that addresses issues of faith and learning, Christian practices of teaching, the relationship of religion and the academic disciplines, the relationship of the sacred and the secular, and other aspects of church-related higher education.

Dr. Fred Shepherd, chair of Political Science, and Dr. Chris Metress, associate professor of English, co-wrote Samford's proposal to host the conference. They will serve as co-directors.

"The conference will bring scores of academics and activists from across the country to focus on an important set of religious and political issues," said Dr. Shepherd. "Samford is delighted to have been selected as host in a highly competitive process."

About 30 scholarly papers on various aspects of the conference theme will be presented during the three-day program, in addition to plenary speakers. The Lilly Fellows Program is headquartered at Valparaiso University in Indiana.