YSM Issue 97.1

Profile
SHORT
EMILY BORING
YC ’18 BY KENNA MORGAN
Although religion and science are frequently portrayed
as conflicting forces, Emily Boring (YC ’18, DIV ’23)
has proven herself to be a refreshing departure from this
paradigm, embodying the intersection between science and faith.
Growing up along the Oregon coast, Emily developed a sense
of wonder for the ocean that ultimately inspired her studies in
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (E&EB) as an undergraduate
at Yale. In line with her childhood dream of working along the
boundary of what we do know and what we haven’t proven
yet, Boring conducted research in the lab of Thomas Near, a
Yale professor and the chair of the E&EB Department. As an
undergraduate, she used genomic sequencing to discover a new
species of freshwater fish called Percina freemanorum, found
in Georgia’s Etowah River System. She also took classes at the
nearby Yale Divinity School, where she developed an interest in
religious literature and poetry. She now describes these courses
as the first time she recognized the ability of language to hold
the same sense of wonder, transcendence, and interconnection
that she had always experienced in her scientific pursuits.
“To me, science and faith were never separate; they were two
different vocabularies to express the interconnection of our
world,” Boring said.
Upon graduating from Yale in 2018, Boring returned to her
home state for further studies in integrative biology. At Oregon
State University, she explored the ecology of Leptasterias sp.
(a six-rayed sea star) and was inspired by Jane Lubchenco, a
professor of marine biology, to think critically about how to
communicate scientific information to wider audiences of
non-scientists. Although she completed her Master of Science
in marine ecology and genetics, she quickly felt called back to
religious studies at the Yale
Divinity School. “[At YDS], I
studied at the Institute of
Sacred Music, [...] exploring
what it means to find a
new language of faith
that speaks to people,
even in this time of a
lot of skepticism
and distrust of
religion,” Boring
said. Outside of her
coursework, she also
worked as a hospital
chaplain—a moving
experience that, for
Boring, epitomized
the intersection
between science
IMAGE COURTESY OF EMILY BORING
www.yalescientific.org
and spirituality. While
working with patients
in the emergency room
and the burn intensive
care unit, Boring
witnessed firsthand
how the breakdown
of the body—through
disease or injury—
often pushes people to
ask big questions that
can be answered by
IMAGE COURTESY OF EMILY BORING
Emily Boring holding an octopus while snorkeling.
medicine and psychology to a certain extent, but are inherently
informed by aspects of spirituality. Since earning her Master of
Arts in Religion in 2023, Boring has been ordained as a priest
and now serves as an Associate Rector at All Souls Episcopal
Parish in Berkeley, California.
Though returning to formal work in the sciences is not
beyond the realm of possibility for Boring, for now she keeps
busy by preaching and interacting with those in her parish
community, while dedicating time to her long-held passion
for creative writing. As an undergraduate, writing for the
Yale Scientific Magazine’s Scope blog allowed Boring to push
the boundaries of traditionally “scientific” publications by
incorporating creativity, art, and storytelling. Additionally,
she credits Verlyn Klinkenborg, a lecturer at the Yale English
Department and School of the Environment, for mentoring her
during her journey to become a writer who is curious, attentive
to systems in place around her, and confident in her point of
view. “That stance of open perception and curiosity, for me, has
tied together a lot of what I try to do in my scientific research
and also as a person of faith as I’m listening to people and
trying to be present to their life moments,” Boring said. Boring
is well-versed in the genre of creative nonfiction essays, and
has recently discovered that the magazine Christian Century
aligns closely with her work. For this particular publication,
Boring enjoys pulling from the vocabulary and observations
of science to shed light on patterns within our world that
produce awe and contribute to spiritual experiences. Currently,
she is working on a book project that will include a series
of nonfiction essays. By drawing from her experiences as a
chaplain, evolutionary biologist, and priest, Boring hopes to
elucidate the answers to profound questions surrounding what
it means to be a self, what it means to heal, and how we can
bear witness to one another in life’s critical moments. Given
Boring’s interdisciplinary expertise and personal experiences
with illness and recovery, it is sure to be a compelling piece
that—just as Boring herself does—lies at the crossroads of
science, medicine, and spirituality. ■
March 2024 Yale Scientific Magazine 35