The Biomimicry Institute is excited to host their 5th Annual Biomimicry Education Summit in Cleveland. The Summit brings together practicing biomimicry college and university professors, and formal and informal youth educators, from around the world to engage, collaborate, and network. Today's students want skills that will help them succeed and allow them to work according to their ethics in a rapidly evolving world. Biomimicry is an excellent tool to gives the next generation a roadmap for systems thinking, cross-discipline collaboration, and sustainable innovation. Come and learn why! All business and other non-educator professionals who are curious to learn more about biomimicry are welcome! Experienced biomimicry educators will share the challenges and solutions they’ve discovered in their classrooms. New and old alike will glean new insights, materials, and support from the education staff at The Biomimicry Institute. We'll also have open space sessions and workshop around the sessions that are most important to you. If you are bringing biomimicry into your classroom or would like to know more about how to integrate biomimicry into your learning materials, please consider attending our annual meeting

It’s that time of year again, when hundreds of people can be found walking at all hours of the day—and not just because the weather is finally warming up. Relay for Life will take place April 15-16 at Coach Bill Sudeck Track in North Residential Village, and already 55 teams composed of 663 members are ready to lace up their tennis shoes for the 18-hour overnight walk.

“For me, Relay is important to both Case [Western Reserve University] and the Cleveland community because it is one of those rare causes that everyone can relate to,” explained Audra Hormanski, undergraduate student chair of Relay for Life. “With Relay, we can directly fight a war that claims thousands of lives per year, and it's a battle I'm glad to be a part of with my community.”

This year, there will be plenty of entertaining and creative aspects to the event, from the live music by many of Case Western Reserve’s own students and faculty members to the Purple Couch, where people can sit and talk about what Relay for Life means to them. Additionally, the opening lap will be a Survivor’s Lap to honor cancer survivors and caregivers. As the evening goes on, participants can join in on themed laps, including carnival, pajama, limbo, zombie and many more. (For a full schedule of events, go online.)

But before that, there are plenty of activities happening around campus to raise awareness—and donations—for the event. So far, nearly $31,000 has been raised toward this year’s goal of $70,000.

First, this Friday will be Power of Purple Day, on which everyone is encouraged to wear purple and white and join the festivities in Thwing Center Atrium from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Additionally, Distinguished Professor Richard Hanson will speak about his 20-year journey with chronic lymphocytic leukemia at 1 p.m. Before or after the action at Thwing Center, stop by Case Quad to purchase raffle tickets for items in the Celebrity Bake Sale, hosted by the Undergraduate Student Government and Student Leadership Journey Council.

From now until April 5, employees are encouraged to donate $5 to take part in “Dress Down Day” on April 6. For more information, click here. Check the website to learn more about the various fundraisers popping up almost daily, including tomorrow night’s fundraiser at B Side Liquor Lounge from 8:30 p.m. to close.

Individuals and teams are still welcome to sign up for Relay for Life; if you can’t participate, volunteers are needed.

After a week of temperatures hovering in the single digits, it might seem odd to celebrate winter—but that’s precisely what members of the Case Western Reserve University community are setting out to do with the second Brite Winter festival Feb. 19. The free, public event, to be held in Hart Crane Memorial and Rivergate Parks in The Flats from 5 to 10 p.m., is the brainchild of biomedical engineering PhD student Jimmy Harris and Case Western Reserve alumna Emily Hornack (GRS ’10).

Hornack and Harris had both been tossing around the idea of a winter festival and put it into effect last year. “For me, winter—and having four seasons—is one of the things that makes Northeast Ohio so great,” Hornack explained. “I wanted to do something that helped people realize that.” Thus, they developed Brite Winter, which boasts the tagline, “Celebrate, don’t hibernate!”

Brite Winter will feature nearly a dozen live music acts, artwork from local artists, light displays, a giant skeeball game, kinetic light drums, snow mini golf, a giant claw game and ski-bike racing. Additionally, there will be bonfires to keep attendees warm, as well as hot food and beverages from restaurants, coffee shops and food trucks.

Now in its second year, the event is garnering media attention, and many university organizations and individuals are chipping in to celebrate the winter season. University sponsors of Brite Winter include the Graduate Student Senate, Graduate Professional Council, Graduate Business Student Association and the Class of 2011. Additionally, the Office of Student Affairs and Colleen Barker-Williamson in Student Activities & Leadership have provided guidance throughout the process, Harris said. Last year Brite Winter earned a Center for Civic Engagement & Learning mini-grant and received initial funding from the Office of the Provost. There are about 20 day-of volunteers with a connection to the Case Western Reserve community, organized by Ariel Cascio, a graduate student in anthropology who serves as volunteer coordinator and worked on sponsorships in her second year with Brite Winter. “Without all of these groups, this event would not be possible,” Hornack said.

Harris said he hopes to engage the university community more in coming years, such as using Brite Winter as a Capstone project or just getting more faculty, staff and students involved overall.

“We're proud to be representing CWRU in a way that brings together CWRU student organizations with [Cleveland State University], local businesses, community development corporations, local nonprofits, and regular Joe Clevelands,” Hornack added. “We hope that CWRU as an institution and as individuals take advantage of the opportunity to be exposed to the cultural and entrepreneurial fabric of our community.”

Harris said the goal of Brite Winter is to connect people with each other as well as the city. “There is a whole city surrounding Cleveland, and everyone can benefit from better acquainting themselves with the incredible art, culture, food, people and natural resources of Cleveland,” he said. “There is a lot in Cleveland. Sometimes it might be hard to find, but not at Brite.”

But don’t take Harris’ word for it—find out for yourself by attending Brite Winter Feb. 19. Not sure how to get there? “Although it's not on campus, it's really easy to get to,” Cascio said. “Just take the Rapid to the stop at West 25th Street and follow the crowd and the sound of merriment.”

For more information, visit the festival’s website.

Nell Irvin Painter, the award-winning author of The History of White People, will deliver the keynote address for Case Western Reserve University’s weeklong 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, “The Weight of History and the Challenge of Change,” which takes place Jan. 14-21.

Painter will speak during a free, public event Friday, Jan. 21, at 12:30 p.m. in Ford Auditorium. Her talk concludes the weeklong celebration that includes a variety of campus activities exploring King's life and legacy, including an essay contest, film screenings and readings.

Painter will elaborate on her new book, described as a journey “through more than 2,000 years of Western civilization, illuminating not only the invention of race but the frequent praise of whiteness.”

A distinguished 19th and 20th century American historian and scholar, Painter is the Edwards Professor Emeritus of American History at Princeton University. From 1997 to 2000, she directed the African-American studies program at Princeton University.

She has won much acclaim for writing about the history of the south in her articles and seven books, including Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol; Standing at Armageddon: the United States, 1877-1919; The Narrative of Hosea Hudson: His Life as a Negro Communist in the South; and Exodusters: Black Migration to Kansas After Reconstruction.

She holds a PhD from Harvard University; a master’s from the University of California, Los Angeles; a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers; and her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, she is pursuing graduate studies in painting at the Rhode Island School of Design. Arrangements for the appearance of Nell Irvin Painter made through Greater Talent Network, Inc., New York, NY.

Other Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration highlights:

Essay Contest
CWRU students can reflect and respond in a 500- to 750-word essay with thoughts about the concepts of race in the following statement from The History of White People: “Although science today denies race any standing as objective truth and the U.S. census faces taxonomic meltdown, many Americans cling to race as the unschooled cling to superstition.” The deadline is Jan. 10 and entries can be submitted by email to Melissa Burrows, Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity.

Essays will be judged on originality, relevance to the theme and creativity. The Kelvin Smith Library will award $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place.

Student Celebration
All undergraduate, graduate and professional students are invited to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. during a luncheon and afternoon of activities Jan. 17. Registration for the luncheon and symposium, sponsored by the Share the Vision Committee, is required. Space is limited.

For a full list of activities, read more online.

Friday, November 5, 2010
12-1 pm
Frohring Auditorium - BRB 105

The Case CCC and the Helen Moss Breast Cancer Research Foundation are pleased co-sponsor the Friday, November 5 Cancer Center Seminar Series featuring guest speaker Greg Plotnikoff, MD MTS FACP. Dr. Plotnikoff will present Current Controversies in Vitamin D and Cancer .

Flyer

November 1, 2010 Location: Wolstein Auditorium (WRB 1413) Time: 4-5 pm

Please join us Monday, November 1 at the a special Cancer Center Seminar Series featuring guest speaker Goutham Narla, MD, PhD. Dr. Narla, Assistant Professor of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Medicine, and Medical Education at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, will present The KLF6 Gene Family in Human Cancer. A reception will follow the presention.

Flyer

November 8, 2010 Location: Wolstein Auditorium (WRB 1413) Time: 4-6:30 pm

Please join us Monday, November 8 at the Cancer Center Scientific Series and hear updates on research funded by the American Cancer Society IRG Pilot Projects.

Derek Taylor, PhD
Structural and Functional Analysis of Human Telomeres and Telomerase

Ge Jin, PhD
Role of Human beta-Defensin-3 in the Progression of Tumors

David Wald, MD, PhD
ATP Depletion as a Therapeutic Strategy for AML

Reception to follow presentations.

Flyer

October 29, 2010 Location: BRB 105 Time: 12 pm - 1 pm

Please join us Friday, October 29 at the Cancer Center Seminar Series and hear guest speaker Vera P. Krymskaya, PhD present Rare Lung Diseases: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Targeting.

Flyer

You've heard of Spiderman, Superman, and all the rest. Well, how about a superhero for today's issues? You guessed it!.. "No Impact Man" is here, showing us ways to save the day... and ways that don't save the day and only serve to attract fruit flies.... This documentary looks into one family's try at living no impact for a year. Discussion afterward to stir it up! Cleveland Museum of Natural History Wed, Nov 17, 2010; 7:30 pm Film is free with Museum admission (CWRU ID = free admission)

The University Systems of Ohio effort in sustainability is pleased to announce a conference for Northwest Ohio colleges and universities. This workshop will provide a forum to share our approaches, successes and lessons learned. Targeted outcomes are new collaborations and insights that help us move our institutions forward in achieving sustainable campuses, educating our students and promoting productive research. Targeted participants are faculty, staff, administrators and students from all Northwest Ohio colleges and universities with interests in sustainability. The conference is organized around three themes: 1. University and student initiatives 2. Sustainability pedagogy: Sustainability in the classroom 3. Sustainability research†http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/envp/pages/2010_conference.html

October 22, 2010 Location: BRB 105 Time: 12 pm - 1 pm

Please join us Friday, October 22 at the Cancer Center Seminar Series and hear guest speaker Nancy Ratner, PhD present Neurofibromatosis: Timing and Targets.

Flyer

Celebrate the beginning of fall with our first Farm Harvest Festival at Squire Valleevue Farm! Guests will have an opportunity to see what our "Farm Food Program" has produced for Bon Appétit and all of our cafés on campus. Where: Squire Valleevue Farm When: Saturday, September 25 Time: 2 to 7 p.m. The menu will include vegetarian chili, apples, apple cider, hotdogs and fresh salads made with farm produce. Cost: The event is free for students and guests. Food will be free for students with a Case ID. Guests will be charged a $3 fee for food and drinks. Proceeds from the event will benefit the USG Student Sustainability Council. Activities will include hayrides, small bonfires to cook s'mores, a tall grass maze, music, dancing, planting in the new high tunnel hoop house, fresh food cooking demonstrations, dressing up like a farmer, cookie decorating, and planting your own herbs. The event is sponsored by the University Farm Administration, Office of Student Affairs, Alumni Office, Campus Services and Bon Appétit. Special thanks to the USG Student Sustainability Council, farm staff and Office of Student Affairs for organizing our first "annual" event. Want to Learn More? http://studentaffairs.case.edu/farm/food/ The purpose of the Farm Food Program is to grow food at the University Farm to supply locally grown and fresh vegetables to the campus dining rooms. The goals of this initiative are to provide new educational opportunities to faculty and students, study local food production in a sustainable way using mostly organic methods, and deliver fresh food and herbs to the campus — and eventually to the area surrounding the farm.

Come to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's 7th Annual Conservation Symposium, "Urban Ecology: Nature in the City." The program includes a full schedule of workshops, field trips, presentations, a boat float, and a film screening! Registration for the symposium is only $15/person and includes one field trip of your choice. For more information please contact organizer Cathi Lehn at clehn@cmnh.org or visit: http://www.cmnh.org/site/conservation/conservationsymposium.aspx

Parade the Circle and Circle Village brings thousands of people together for a day of activities and entertainment.

The parade, which begins at noon on Saturday, June 12, incorporates the drama and artistry of colorful floats, puppets, costumes, dancers and musicians. Circle Village invites visitors onto Wade Oval for an afternoon of activities, live music and food.

It takes hundreds of volunteers and help from University Circle institutions to make the annual event a day to remember, including the Case Western Reserve community.

Here are just a few of the campus members/departments lending a hand this year: