Biotechnology Institute News room
E.O. Wilson to Speak at Biotechnology Education Conference
Arlington, VA (March 19, 2007) – Edward O. Wilson, legendary biologist, conservationist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, will be the keynote speaker at the Biotechnology Institute’s Annual Awards Banquet on May 5. The banquet is the signature networking event of the Institute’s Conference on Biotechnology Education, the nation’s premier professional development program for biotechnology teachers, students and their supporters in the biotechnology community. The conference will be held May 3-6 in Boston, MA.
“We are honored that Ed Wilson will share with us his views on what the biotechnology education community can do to preserve biodiversity on Earth,” says Paul A. Hanle, president of the Biotechnology Institute. “As an educator himself, Dr. Wilson is an eloquent and passionate speaker about the importance of education and the fundamental role biotechnology can play in solving environmental problems.”
Wilson, who is Pellegrino University Research Professor Emeritus at Harvard University, is one of the most highly respected scientists in the world today. Hailed as “the new Darwin” by Thomas Wolfe and one of “America’s 25 Most Influential People” by TIME Magazine, Wilson has received 75 awards in international recognition for his contributions to science and humanity. He is also the recipient of 27 honorary doctoral degrees from North America and Europe.
Wilson has twice received the Pulitzer Prize for The Ants and On Human Nature. In his new book, The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth, Wilson sounds the alarm that the Earth is in danger and its destruction threatens us all—no matter what we believe about its origins. The fate of the planet rests in our hands, he writes, and the only way the earth can be saved is if science and religion join forces. The Creation also relates Wilson’s views regarding science education and how educators should energize the nation’s future scientists and leaders.
Attendees to the banquet will receive a complimentary copy of The Creation. Other highlights of the banquet include presentation of the Genzyme-Invitrogen Biotech Educator Award, which recognizes educators who serve as models for their colleagues on how to incorporate biotechnology into the classroom. The winning posters from the Dow AgroSciences-Lilly BioDreaming Poster Competition, which encourages K-12 students across the nation to use their artistic talents to create posters that showcase their understanding of the promise and challenges of biotechnology, will also be on display.
The banquet is sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization and Biogen Idec. For registration information, visit www.biotechinstitute.org/banquet.
About the Biotechnology Institute
The Biotechnology Institute is as an independent, national nonprofit organization dedicated to education about the present and future impact of biotechnology. Its mission is to engage, excite and educate the public, particularly students and teachers, about biotechnology and its immense potential for solving human health, food and environmental problems. For more information, visit www.biotechinstitute.org. # # #
Jeff Ghannam
Communications Director
703-248-8681
jghannam@biotechinstitute.org
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