Colorado State University’s College of Business to Host Outreach Director for Biomimicry Institute at New Belgium on Dec. 3

Denise DeLuca, outreach director for the Biomimicry Institute, will speak to students and campus community as part of the Sustainable Enterprise Speaker Series on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

DeLuca will speak at the New Belgium Brewery from 4-6 p.m. on ways that nature can inspire sustainable solutions for fields as diverse as design, business and engineering. The event is free, but reservations are required at http://www.biz.colostate.edu/rsvp/denisedeluca.aspx.

The Biomimicry Institute is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to nurture and grow a global community of people who are learning from, emulating and conserving life’s genius to create a healthier, more sustainable planet.

Biomimicry, a new discipline, studies nature’s best ideas and imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. An example of this would be studying a leaf for the invention of a better solar cell. Many at the institute think of it as "innovation inspired by nature."

DeLuca is a registered professional engineer and a LEED AP, an expert in the field of sustainable design. She is currently developing The Biomimicry Resource Handbook, and is working at the institute to develop outreach materials and programs that target engineers, architects and designers.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, DeLuca obtained her masters in civil and environmental engineering from Montana State University. DeLuca has been working in public and private sectors for more than 15 years on projects concerning surface and groundwater quantity and quality modeling analyses, environmental compliance, alternative waste management and green building strategies.

The speaker series gives students and campus community an opportunity to learn from sustainability experts from around the globe. Colorado State University’s College of Business offers a unique 18-month master’s degree in Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise. Each GSSE cohort consists of 50 percent international students and 50 percent U.S. students. The program focuses on entrepreneurial, sustainable approaches to solve global challenges in energy, agriculture, health, water, environmental management and economic development.

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