Dr. Larry Vardiman, Senior Research Scientist at the Institute for Creation Research, has devoted 30 years to the defense of science that honors the Creator. June 2012 marked the retirement of Dr. Vardiman, who has blessed colleagues, students, and audiences around the world.
During his tenure at ICR, Dr. Vardiman has served as Professor, Department Chair, Director of Research, and even Chief Operating Officer for the Institute. Those who have known and worked with Larry have come to know him as a gifted scientist, a capable leader, a passionate communicator, and a genuine friend.
Highlights of Dr. Vardiman’s research include his work in paleoclimatology, hypercanes, global warming, and director of the eight-year RATE (Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth) research project that settled significant scientific issues related to earth origins. A gifted writer and communicator, Dr. Vardiman has published numerous articles, technical monographs, and books on creation science.
Summarizing his experience at ICR, Dr. Vardiman said: “I call this my ‘second career.’ My ‘first career’ was working with the government doing research in cloud seeding and weather modification. So with the ‘second career,’ these last 25 years or so, I have been studying an even bigger weather modification event, the biggest one of all times, the one that God did when He changed the climate and the weather of the earth.
“So, it’s been a real blessing from the Lord to serve in this ministry and be able to help people have more confidence in the Bible. That’s basically been my whole thrust—being able to do science from God’s perspective and show that it fits science and fits the Bible, so that people can read the Bible and believe it when it tells us what has gone on in the past and what’s coming in the future. We can have confidence in what it says.”
When asked how he intends to fill his time during retirement, Dr. Vardiman responded: “I have a ‘third career’ coming. But it’s a part-time career. I’m not as strong as I used to be physically. I’m going to turn 70 this next year, so it’s time to slow down a little bit. I’m planning on maybe spending a quarter of my time working on various articles and technical articles and doing a little bit of research. But mostly writing. I’m going to be mostly writing articles and doing some contract work for a few individuals who want me to do a little more research on the vapor canopy.
“Probably one of the more exciting things I’m working on right now is writing a couple of books dealing with my history and my family. One of them is a book called Doc’s Tribe. My father was a veterinarian, and there were six of us kids at home when we were younger. We lived on a farm and we were like a bunch of wild Indians. Neighbors called us ‘Doc’s tribe,’ and a lot of funny incidents occurred. So, I’m going to write a book similar to the one I published before called Over the Edge. It has to do with incidents that occurred in my family that I can recall, mainly as a legacy for my brothers and sisters and grandkids and nieces and nephews and so on—just talking about some of the funny things that happened in my life.”
All of us at ICR are grateful to Dr. Larry Vardiman for his faithful service to the work of the Institute and to the eternal work of the Creator.
* Mr. Ford is Executive Editor at the Institute for Creation Research.
Cite this article: Ford, L. 2012. Dr. Larry Vardiman Retires from ICR. Acts & Facts. 41 (7): 22.