Keynoters to Focus on Sustainability, Nanotechnology
Continuing the momentum fueled by X Prize Foundation creator Dr. Peter H. Diamandis' headlining presentation on Monday, June 1, AIHce 2009 keynote speakers Edward L. Quevedo, J.D., and Kristen Kulinowski, Ph.D., will share their expertise from the Toronto Convention Centre's main stage Tuesday and Wednesday, June 2-3, respectively. Both presentations will be focused on making "Discoveries Beyond Borders," which is the conference's overriding, 70th anniversary theme.
Quevedo, special counsel in Farella Braun + Martel's Environmental Law Department and chair of its Sustainability Group, will present "Sustainable Development Beyond Borders: Taking an Active and Meaningful Role in Advancing Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility in Your Organization" at Tuesday's General Session, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Quevedo, who also is on the faculty of the Dominican University of California's Green MBA Program in Sustainable Enterprise, will discuss an array of case studies designed to help attendees gain clarity around the often misunderstood concepts of sustainability, greenhouse-gas reduction, carbon neutrality, and related topics.
Reverberations of Quevedo’s message will be felt throughout this greenest-ever AIHce. No less than 14 pre-conference courses, technical sessions, and PDCs are planned to provide illuminating variations on Quevedo's theme. In addition, the Expo Hall will feature a new "Green Pavilion" for exhibitors who make or provide eco-friendly products and services, and an Interactive Green Building display is planned.
"Taking Science Beyond Borders: Global EHS Issues of Nanotechnology" will be the featured topic at Wednesday's General Session, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Presented by Kulinowski, director of both the International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON) and external affairs at the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN), the address will explore questions of nanotech's impact on the environment, health, and safety. Kulinowski developed Rice University's first introductory undergraduate course on nanotechnology, and she remains a faculty fellow in the school's chemistry department. At ICON, she led an effort that resulted in the Web production of the first publically available database of citations to peer-reviewed papers on nano EHS and a survey of best practices for nanomaterial handling in the workplace.