In the spirit of unifying environmental interests at Purdue, the Ecological Sciences & Engineering Graduate program, coordinated by Center for the Environment at Purdue (C4E), will host their second annual campus-wide integration symposium. This year's theme is biomimicry - the science and art of developing sustainable processes, policies, and technologies inspired by ideas from Nature. To learn more about biomimicry visit http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org. The main focus of the symposium is creating a forum for graduate students to present their research, interact with experts in various environmental fields, and learn about environmentally focused initiatives at Purdue and area citizen efforts.

The symposium is an interdisciplinary event, which is student run and organized by a committee composed of ESE graduate students. The tentative schedule includes two distinguished speakers on biomimicry, a luncheon, a student poster presentation competition, and an afternoon biomimicry workshop.


Keynote Morning Speaker on Permaculture Systems
Bill Wilson, PDC, is a Permaculture educator and co-founder of Midwest Permaculture. He also co-founded and served as Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Community located in Stelle, IL. His work with Midwest Permaculture involves heightening the awareness and understanding of the general public to the many benefits of permaculture and sustainable living practices.


Keynote Lunch Speaker on Biomimicry
Curt McNamara, P.E. is Engineering Instructor for the Biomimicry Institute, and an electrical engineer from Minnesota with over 20 years experience in product design and development. He created the innovation and systems classes for the Minneapolis College of Art and Design's Sustainability certificate and is a scholar of Buckminster Fuller. Curt has worked with biomimicry for many years, teaches it to design students, and has a research group that studies how to apply it to engineering. In 2000 he received the IEEE Millennium medal for his work in education.

Thank you to our departmental sponsors!

1. Center for the Environment – Platinum Level
2. Office of Engagement at Discovery Park – Platinum Level
3. Foods and Nutrition
4. Forestry & Natural Resources
5. Krannert School of Management
6. Mechanical Engineering
7. Office of the Vice President for Research
8. Anthropology
9. Agronomy
10. Botany & Plant Pathology

(updated 11/21/08)
For sponsorship information contact the planning chair

Discovery Park was established at Purdue University to create a combinational power greater than any individual strength, and to serve as a catalyst for drawing faculty, staff, and students to reach into other disciplines and projects in order to take Purdue to the cutting edge of academic work.