About Me
Hello. My name is Stacy Trasancos, and I have been writing about science and theology since 2010, all intertwined with my real life. That year I was pregnant with my last and seventh-born child. Four years prior (2006), I had been received into the Catholic Church. THAT took two years (2004-2006) because pre-Catholic Stacy Trasancos was all over the place. I’m not sure what you call it, but I was definitely not religious, as in ‘did not care’ about the whole God-question or religion. I did not call myself an atheist because I had no need of a label. What I called myself was a Senior Research Chemist for DuPont’s, Lycra® division. I have a Ph.D. in chemistry from Penn State University. Atoms are my first love! I am well-versed on nanocomposite materials and elastomeric polymers. In my 30s, something happened. I just 360°-d it, left my career to raise children, and embraced the life of a homemaker (i.e., home-chemist). Here are some links if you want to know more about my work now: CV, courses, books, talks.
From 2010 to 2014, I studied dogmatic theology while raising my five youngest (post-Catholic) kids and seeing my oldest two (pre-Catholics) kids off into adulthood. I earned a M.A. in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College & Seminary in 2014 (summa cum laude, thank you very much). During that time, I started writing and shortly thereafter published books, Science Was Born of Christianity: The Teaching of Fr. Stanley L. Jaki (2014) and Particles of Faith: A Catholic Guide to Navigating Science (Ave Maria Press, 2016, 2019). I’ve done some work in bioethics, 20 Answers: Bioethics (Catholic Answers, 2018) and on Eucharistic miracles, Behold, It is I: Scripture, Tradition, and Science on the Real Presence (TAN, 2021). I speak on all these topics, but mostly on my conversion story from chemistry to Catholicism. Spoiler: it was photosynthesis.
In 2022, I decided to learn philosophy. I consider myself a humble Thomist. In 2024, I completed a second M.A. in systematic philosophy, also at Holy Apostles College & Seminary (summa cum laude, thanks again). In the Fall of 2024, I began a Ph.D. program at St. Patrick’s Pontifical University in Maynooth, Ireland where I will continue work on the philosophy of matter with Dr. Gaven Kerr. Brag!
I teach for three Catholic universities online and work completely from home except for travel to speak. I’ve been all over the U.S. and Europe and to Australia a few times. My kids are almost grown. That last-born is a teenager. After raising seven intensely independent kids, nothing shocks me. I am confident in my faith, wiser, and ready to really get my head around how science, philosophy, and theology all fit together to tell us more about divine action and creation.
I explain more about why I chose the name GOD & ELEMENTS here:
I think there is much work to be done in showing how Aristotelian-Thomistic natural philosophy does a better job of making sense of modern physics, chemistry, biology, and all the ethics involved therein than any other philosophical system. My purpose here is to work out the methods and synthesis. I invite you to be a part of this process by reading, sharing, and letting me know what you think in the comments.
