Connections 5: A Conference of Critical Thinking
“A Single Rain”: Using Biomimicry to Think and to Solve
Friday, September 29, 2017
9:30am - 4:00pm
Critical thinking is an important aspect of education across disciplines, and many institutions are working to promote and focus on the integration of critical thinking exercises in their curriculum. Today it has moved beyond traditional formal reasoning to incorporate essential skills—such as problem solving, communication, and creativity—that are necessary to maneuver through modern information overload. This is arguably one of the most important skills students can learn, and it can be applied to every discipline. At East Georgia State College, the promotion of critical thinking is an important component of the curriculum, and this conference is organized to allow educators, students, and independent scholars to share both research and practical applications of critical thinking in the classroom.
Call for Papers
In Walden, or Life in the Woods, Henry David Thoreau wrote: “A single gentle rain makes the grass many shades greener. So our prospects brighten on the influx of better thoughts.” For East Georgia State College’s fifth annual Critical Thinking Conference, taking place on Friday, September 29, 2017, we welcome proposals that respond to the use of biomimicry, where the main problem-solving question is “What would nature do?” Indeed, nature is a masterful designer and problem solver, and learning from and applying nature’s principles can provide “better thoughts” as we think critically about the challenges we face. We welcome presentations that demonstrate a use of biomimicry and invite scholars to visit www.asknature.org to deepen and “brighten” further critical thinking ideas. We also welcome proposals on any other topics that deal with critical thinking in an educational setting.
Faculty, students, and independent scholars are invited to provide individual and panel proposal summaries through EGSC’s electronic Proposal Submission Form. Proposals should be no more than 250 words, and final presentations should be no more than 20 minutes reading time in length (approximately 10 typed, double-spaced pages).
Please submit your proposals by Friday, September 8, 2017.
Conference Specifics
Connections will be held at the Swainsboro campus of East Georgia State College located at 131 College Circle, Swainsboro, GA 30401. The conference is free.
LUNCHEON IS INCLUDED FOR PRESENTERS (Presenters can enjoy our signature sandwiches, homemade chips, salad bar, and a variety of desserts).
Keynote
"Biomimicry in Insects, Parasites and Science" | Dr. Lance A. Durden
About the Speaker
Dr. Lance A. Durden is a world-recognized expert on insect taxonomy, and his research
career has covered, in part, faunal relationships and host associations of ectoparasites
of vertebrates, insect and tick-borne diseases, and faunistic evaluations of moths
and butterflies. Dr. Durden's research has gained both national and international recognition, and he has authored
more than 300 peer-reviewed publications which have appeared in journals such as the Journal of Entomological Science, the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, the Journal of Parasitology, the Journal of Medical Entomology, and Medical and Veterinary Entomology. Dr. Durden earned his Ph.D. from the University of London and is a Professor of
Biology in the College of Science and Mathematics at Georgia Southern University.
