Idyllic Campus in St. Peter, MN Takes Global Center Stage as 46th Nobel Conference Begins Oct. 5

ST. PETER, Minn., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- When Gustavus Adolphus College set out to build a new science building in the early 1960s, they had no idea that a result of that effort would be the start of a 46 year tradition of hosting Nobel Conferences, an annual gathering of some of the foremost researchers, scientists and authors in the world.

The 46th Nobel Conference at Gustavus takes place October 5 – 6.  At this year's Conference, some of the world's leading food experts, scholars and researchers will take a global look at "Making Food Good."  Exploring issues of everything from the stigma of obesity to gender roles associated with agriculture in developing countries, Conference speakers will engage their audience on practical, theoretical and empirical levels.  Past Conference topics have included energy, global economics, genetics and spirituality.

When Gustavus requested permission from the Nobel Foundation to name their new building in honor of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish armaments magnate who willed most of his fortune to the establishment of the Nobel Prize, the Foundation granted permission in large part because the school's Swedish cultural heritage was a natural fit.  The Foundation invited all living Nobel laureates to attend the dedication in 1963, and afterwards, college officials approached the Foundation for permission to host an annual science conference as a "living memorial" to Alfred Nobel.  

"We have had the privilege of hosting some of the world's great thinkers, and perhaps equally as important, have provided our students with the unique opportunity to help plan, organize and play informal hosts to these accomplished presenters when they visit our campus," said Gustavus President Jack R. Ohle.  

Seven distinguished presenters will keynote the event:

• Bina Agarwal, Professor of Economics and Director of the Institute of Economic Growth at the University of Delhi, India
• Linda Bartoshuk, Presidential Endowed Professor of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science at the University of Florida, Gainesville
• Cary Fowler, Executive Director of Global Crop Diversity Trust in Rome, Italy
• Jeffrey Friedman, Marilyn M. Simpson Professor and HHMI Investigator at the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Director of the Starr Center for Human Genetics at The Rockefeller University in New York
• Frances Moore Lappe, co-founder of the Small Planet Institute in Cambridge, Mass.
• Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and Professor of Sociology at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University, and Visiting Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
• Paul Thompson, W.K. Kellogg Chair in Agricultural Food and Community Ethics at Michigan State University.

"It's an amazing transformation of the arena, of the college, of our people," said Ohle.  "The Nobel Conference sets the tone for an entire year of academic discourse and the learning that takes place in the classrooms, in the residence halls and in every corner of our college community."  

Beyond the keynote speakers, other events associated with the Nobel Conference include local speakers, a concert, an art museum opening, and performing arts events. The entire event will be webcast live at gustavus.edu/nobelconference. Tickets are available at gustavustickets.com or by calling 507-933-7520. Individual tickets range from $60-$100. High school and college student delegation rates are $40 for a block of 10 tickets. Full conference information is available at gustavus.edu/nobelconference.

About Gustavus Adolphus College

Established in 1862 by Swedish Lutheran immigrants, Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college that provides an undergraduate education of recognized excellence for more than 2,500 students. Following the dedication in 1963 of the Alfred Nobel Memorial Hall of Science at the College, the Nobel Conference was launched at the College, which continues to set a standard for timeliness, intellectual inquiry, and free debate of contemporary issues related to the natural and social sciences.

SOURCE Gustavus Adolphus College