About the Author
Dr. Keith Verner is a scientist, educator, and founder of LabLearner® and Schola Scientiae LLC. He received his PhD in Biochemistry from Cornell University and served as a professor at the Penn State College of Medicine, where he taught and conducted research in Cellular and Molecular Physiology as well as Developmental Pediatrics & Learning. His academic training and decades of classroom experience uniquely position him to integrate rigorous science with deep theological reflection.
Over the past twenty years, Dr. Verner has designed thousands of pages of curriculum, interactive student resources, and teacher guides, all rooted in inquiry-based learning and cognitive science. He authored BrainSTEM: Understanding Why STEM-Infused Instruction Works (NCEA, 2019), which explores how classroom practices align with the latest findings in neuroscience and learning theory.
Dr. Verner’s educational philosophy is simple yet profound: if information is presented clearly and in the right sequence, students will discover truth on their own. Rather than lecturing conclusions, he believes in equipping students with the tools and guidance to think critically and draw their own insights—whether in science, faith, or moral reasoning.
The Faith & Reason Series represents the culmination of this vision. By weaving together the methods of science and the wisdom of Catholic theology, the program helps students cultivate both intellectual maturity and spiritual depth. Dr. Verner sees this integration not only as an academic exercise but as a way to form character and virtue, preparing students to navigate a complex world with clarity, compassion, and faith.
Human Prenatal Development Consultant
Dr. Steve Cyran is a pediatric cardiologist and educator who brings a clinician’s clarity and a mentor’s heart to the Faith & Reason Series. Drawing on years of caring for children and supporting families through high-stakes medical decisions, he helps translate complex cardiovascular science into clear, age-appropriate learning for middle-school students and their teachers.
Dr. Cyran’s work spans clinical practice, teaching, and parent education, with a special interest in how early development, lifestyle, and virtue-based decision-making shape lifelong heart health. In the Faith & Reason curriculum, he contributes medical accuracy, case-based insights, and practical classroom examples—connecting topics like fetal circulation, cardiac anatomy and physiology, reflexes, and health stewardship to the formation of character and responsibility.
Rooted in a commitment to Catholic education, Dr. Cyran supports teachers in presenting science that is both rigorous and humane—respecting the dignity of every person while cultivating curiosity, prudence, and compassion. His collaboration strengthens the series’ goal of forming students who can think clearly, care deeply, and act wisely.