Clark College News and Events

Graphic–Clark College News and Events

Clark College News and Events


April 9, 2008
For Immediate Release
For additional information: 
Barbara Kerr, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing
Telephone: 360-992-2921
E-mail:  bkerr@clark.edu

BIRDS, BEES AND BIODIVERSITY:
HOW FOOD CHOICES IMPACT THE PLANET


Clark College biology professor Kathleen Perillo will lead the discussion
during the college’s spring 2008 Faculty Speaker Series event on April 25

Biology professor Kathleen PerilloVANCOUVER, Wash. – On April 25, Clark College will host the second event in its new Faculty Speaker Series with a discussion by acclaimed ecologist and biology professor Kathleen Perillo.

In “Birds, Bees and Biodiversity,” Perillo will discuss how food choices impact the planet as she shares her sabbatical journey through Switzerland, France and Mexico exploring sustainability issues and their relationship to the United States.

Inspired by her sabbatical experience, Perillo organized the Center for Eco-dynamic Agriculture – an organization that promotes a new way to grow crops that encourages biodiversity. Guests at the Faculty Speaker Series event will learn how to become a “locavore” by determining the environmental benefits to eating local, organically farmed food. They also will discover the differences between polyculture and monoculture farming and learn how to reduce their carbon footprint.

Perillo said, “Each of us has the power to promote or reduce biodiversity in our own kitchens and in the simple everyday food choices we make.”

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Penguin Student Lounge, located in the Penguin Union Building on the northwest corner of the college’s main campus. The doors will open at noon. Refreshments, featuring seasonal food from local farms, will be offered.

The discussion will begin at 12:15 and will include a question and answer session. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Parking will be available in the college’s red and yellow parking lots.

About Kathleen Perillo

Kathleen Perillo joined the faculty of Clark College in fall 1999 as a tenure-track faculty member in the biology department. Perillo, who received tenure in 2002, teaches a variety of courses in biology and environmental science. Her areas of expertise include wildlife biology, environmental biology, general ecology and birds.

Kathleen Perillo has worked with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in support of western pond turtle recovery activities in the Columbia River Gorge. Perillo followed this state endangered species for several years (2000-2004) using radio-telemetry techniques to asses their habitat use and survivorship as they were reintroduced into the Columbia River Gorge.

Prior to coming to Clark College, Perillo spent 14 years in the field of environmental education. Working with students of all ages, in pre-kindergarten classes through mature learning, she taught at nature centers and environmental education centers in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Kathleen Perillo is co-founder and president of the Center for Eco-dynamic Agriculture, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting biodiversity in agriculture. She promotes sustainability in her own life by, in her words, “living simply in a modest straw-bale house in the gorge with my dogs and cats.” She also supports local markets, grows an organic garden each year and assists with all aspects of her partner’s organic vineyard, where grapes are grown to produce small batch organic and sulfite free wines which are sold locally in the Columbia River Gorge and Vancouver/Portland areas.

Kathleen Perillo has a bachelor’s degree in physical geography from the University of Delaware and a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of New Haven.

In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, gardening and wildlife watching.

About the Clark College Faculty Speaker Series

The Faculty Speaker Series, established by Clark College with support from the Clark College Foundation, honors individual faculty members and celebrates academic excellence.

Each fall, winter and spring quarter, the Faculty Speaker Series will showcase recent experiences that have enriched both the life and teaching of a Clark faculty member. Throughout the series, faculty members will share their developmental experiences with the college community – and members of the community at large – while addressing some of today’s most intriguing issues.

Dr. Rassoul Dastmozd, Clark College Vice President of Instruction, said “The Clark College Faculty Speaker Series is a wonderful opportunity to share the expertise of our faculty members with our college and the greater community.”  

Clark College President Robert K. Knight noted, “Three years ago, our college established a Distinguished Lecture Series, drawing regionally and nationally renowned speakers to the college. This is the next step. I’m very proud that our Faculty Speaker Series continues that tradition by focusing on the talents and achievements of our own faculty.”

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