The inaugural K-State Sustainability Conference welcomed over 350 attendees to the K-State Campus and Manhattan to share successful and innovative ideas related to sustainability. The program featured keynote presentations by Dr. David Orr, the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies at Oberlin College, Wes Jackson, president and founder of The Land Institute; along with over 78 faculty, staff and non-university professionals and 15 student oral and poster presentations. View the presentations here.

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About the 2009 Conference

Sustainability has become a very important word in the life of universities. In the overlap between environmental stewardship, smart planning, and saving money on resource costs, universities have a responsibility to serve their own needs and those of society. They can lead a society-wide transition to a conservative resource future by example and as well as through outreach. This conference will represent a wide variety of activities related to sustainability at K-State, both in terms of academic research and teaching and also in university operations and management. However, it will also probe what we could be doing better at K-State and what the role of a land-grant institution should be in a societal transition toward sustainability.

Conference Goals

  1. Develop awareness of current K-State efforts in sustainability
  2. Develop awareness for K-State students, faculty, and staff about the diverse sustainability needs of Kansas stakeholders
  3. Foster networking, collaboration, and partnerships between K-State students, faculty/staff, and stakeholders in meeting the needs communicated throughout the conference
  4. Recognize current student and alumni leaders in sustainability

Who Should Attend