Workshop: Designing a Network for Undergraduate Biomimicry Research and Education; October 6-8, 2017, Cleveland/Akron, Ohio

本次研讨会将启动一个由仿生学社区的主要利益相关者组成的网络，以制定和实施一个本科课程平台设计的共同愿景，以加强研究和协调的教育和培训。这个令人兴奋的跨学科领域建立在生物系统可以激发人类建筑环境中技术问题的新解决方案的前提下，其中包括可再生能源和获得清洁水。生物学设计有惊人的灵感来源（例如，章鱼如何在毫秒内动态匹配其环境的三维颜色和纹理特征，以“消失”，壁虎如何快速粘在几乎任何表面上），可以吸引所有学生并吸引新的人才和思维方式，包括代表性不足和服务不足的学生。尽管如此，目前的仿生学研究和教育大多是在临时的基础上进行的，并且在已经开发了正式和非正式项目的网站之间普遍缺乏合作和协调。该领域的跨学科性质（在生物学，工程，设计和商业的交叉点）依赖于翻译和协作，这通常不是在个别学科教授。一个成功的仿生网络可以利用参与地点的广泛研究平台（例如，博士后，工业，研究生和REU平台），并帮助培养下一代科学家在多个接口，有助于仿生。研讨会将由阿克伦大学仿生研究和创新中心领导，将包括来自五大湖仿生，植物生物力学组的代表（弗莱堡大学植物园），美国宇航局格伦研究中心，克利夫兰艺术学院，仿生中心（亚利桑那州立大学）和生物启发设计中心（格鲁吉亚理工学院）。为期2.5天的密集协作研讨会将让参与者参与创意设计过程的头脑风暴和演讲会议，讨论研究平台和本科课程。讨论还将涵盖仿生学教育理念和标准，以及国家网络在定义和执行仿生学本科生培训中的作用。研讨会的成果和可交付成果将立即通知教学和学位课程准备推进仿生作为创新和可持续发展的可扩展和可重复的范例。该项目由生物科学理事会，生物基础设施部资助，作为他们努力应对本科生物学教育中的愿景和变革所带来的挑战的一部分：行动呼吁（http：//visionandchange/finalreport/）。

This workshop will launch a network of key stakeholders from the biomimicry community to develop and implement a shared vision for the design of an undergraduate curriculum platform to enhance research and coordinated education and training. This exciting interdisciplinary field is built on the premise that biological systems can inspire new solutions to technical problems in the human built environment which include renewable energy and access to clean water. There are amazing sources of inspiration for design in biology (for example how an octopus can dynamically match the three-dimensional color and texture characteristics of its environment in milliseconds to "disappear" and how a gecko can rapidly stick and unstick to nearly any surface) that could engage all students and attract new talent and ways of thinking, including underrepresented and underserved students. Despite this, current biomimicry research and education is mostly conducted on an ad hoc basis and there is a general lack of collaboration and coordination among sites that have developed formal and informal programs. The interdisciplinary nature of the field (at the intersection of biology, engineering, design, and business) relies on translation and collaboration that is not typically taught in individual disciplines. A successful biomimicry network could leverage a broad array of research platforms at the participating sites (e.g., post-doctoral, industrial, graduate and REU platforms) and help train the next generation of scientists at the multiple interfaces that contribute to biomimicry.The workshop will be led by the University of Akron Biomimicry Research and Innovative Center and will include representatives from Great Lakes Biomimicry, Plant Biomechanics Group (Botanic Garden of Freidburg University), NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland Institute of Art, the Biomimicry Center (Arizona State University), and the Center for Biologically Inspired Design (Georgia Institute of Technology). The intensive, collaborative 2.5 day workshop will engage participants in a creative design process of brainstorming and presentation sessions addressing research platforms and undergraduate curricula. The discussion will also cover biomimicry education philosophy and standards and the roles of a national network in defining and executing undergraduate training in biomimicry. Outcomes and deliverables of the workshop will immediately inform pedagogy and degree programs poised to advance biomimicry as a scalable and repeatable paradigm for innovation and sustainability.This project is being funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/).