2010 Summit Recap
Over 50 educational institutions were represented at our 2010 Summit. Inspirational presentation symposia featured nationally renowned experts, practitioners, educators, and students of the field of biomimicry, including:
- Janine Benyus. Co-founder of The Biomimicry Institute and Biomimicry Guild, and author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (1997).
- Valerie Casey. Founder of the Designers Accord.
- Dr. Brent Constantz. Consulting professor at Stanford University, School of Earth Sciences, and CEO of Calera Corporation.
- Thomas Knittel. Design Principal and Sustainable Design Leader, New York office of HOK.
- Tom McKeag. Landscape architect and city planner who founded BioDreamMachine.
- Dr. Jakki Mohr. Professor of Marketing at University of Montana, Missoula.
- Dr. Christopher Viney. Professor in the School of Engineering at University of California, Merced.
- Dr. Steven Vogel. Research Professor in the Biology Department at Duke University.
- Karen Wallace. Director of the Center for Science Learning at the Buffalo Museum of Science and adjunct associate professor in science education at the University of Buffalo.
The 2010 Summit also featured several outcome-oriented work sessions, organized along the following problem-driven focal topics pertinent to the advancement of biomimicry education at academic institutions:
- Bringing Biology into Design: biology taught from a functional perspective
- Biomimicry Youth Education: building the foundation
- Building Biomimicry Academic Programs: frameworks for success in academia
- Biomimicry Student Design Challenges: real-life, real-time collaborations
- Bringing Scientists to the Design Table: wooing nature's apprentices
2010 Summit: what participants had to say
"What an amazing experience, to have so many expert, articulate and
generous speakers and participants in such an incredible venue. I walked
away truly inspired, with state-of-the art information and connections I
can use in developing new creative thinking programs––based on
borrowing brilliance from Nature!"
-Marsha Austin
"We as humans are part of the universe, what we create will have
consequences in our environment. We know it, there are many scientific
studies that prove it and we have seen it with our own eyes. We have
tried to do something about it, but many times failed. The challenge
seems huge and extensive for our limited hands to resolve. But if we
start changing our way of seeing and listening we are able to change our
way of living. This is what biomimicry taught me, that there is a
feasible solution. A way of understanding nature as a model, measure
and mentor. Programs such as the Student Design Challenge and the
Biomimicry Education Summit allow biomimicry to expand and reach more
people."
-Karen Basáñez Martinez, student, Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico
"This was a truly inspiring experience – a superb demonstration of how
expertise from diverse disciplines can unite under Nature's tutelage to
achieve practical solutions for a sustainable future."
-Christopher Viney, professor, University of California, Merced
"The biomimicry Education Summit has been an invaluable experience for
me. In our very busy schedules, this provides a necessary break to focus
on one subject, in depth, with real case studies and like-minded
professionals. I left the summit not only with much clearer ideas on how
to move forward with biomimicry education, but met several new contacts
in the field as well."
-Doug Paige, professor, The Cleveland Institute of Art
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