Portland State’s School of Business Administration kicks off the new Center for Design and Innovation for Business and Sustainability with an International Conference on Business and Sustainability, November 1 and 2.

Presented in collaboration with PSU’s Center for Sustainable Policies and Practices, the conference brings together industry practitioners and academics to share practices and leading-edge research focused on the theme of “Sustainability in the Supply Chain.” Keynote speakers include David Griswold, president and founder of Sustainable Harvest Specialty Coffee Importers; Jenette Ramos, general manager of Boeing (Portland, Ore.); Janelle Kearsley, director of corporate strategy and sustainability at Wal-Mart Corporation; and H. Thomas Johnson, PSU professor of accounting.

With this conference, the PSU School of Business Administration launches the new Center for Design and Innovation for Business and Sustainability (CDIBS). Recognizing that a healthy economy depends on the combined efforts of businesses, educational institutions, government and citizens, the center will support the region’s green economy by educating students, presenting an annual conference, supporting academic research and providing a hub for knowledge and information sharing.

“Portland State’s School of Business believes that the highest leverage for creating a sustainable footprint on the planet is through product design and innovation,” said Scott Dawson, dean of the School of Business Administration and Vergil Miller professor. “The new CDIBS center will play a leading role by facilitating research on the newest approaches to sustainable design and innovation, and offering educational programs to increase the adoption of best practices by the industry.”

The conference will take place Thursday, November 1, and Friday, November 2, from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park Avenue) and the Portland Hilton Hotel (921 SW Sixth Avenue). To register visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/16084. Tickets are $200 for government, not-for-profit, and academic researchers, and $300 for industry practitioners (registration includes all meals). PSU students can register for free. For more information call the info line at 503-725-8556, visit www.bizandsustainability.org, or contact Elizabeth Minor at 503-725-8556 or minor@pdx.edu.

The conference’s innovative two-day format provides for in-depth dialogue from industry representatives and panel presentations on key issues regarding “sustainability in the supply chain”:
* Recovery and Reuse: Panelists from Kettle Foods, Rebuilding Center and Toyota Motor Corporation
* Innovation in Product and Process: Panelists from Nike, Inc. Green Building Services and Intel Corporation
* Building “Green” Markets: Panelists from Nau, Inc., The Holland, Inc. and Columbia Forest Products
* Trust and Accountability: Panelists from Keen Footwear, Tillamook County Creamery Assn. and Green Electronics Council

School of Business Administration
The School of Business Administration at Portland State University, the largest business school in the Pacific Northwest, offers top caliber programs and nationally recognized faculty to its more than 400 graduate students. Areas of study include the Management of Innovation and Technology, the Master of International Management, a Master of Science in Financial Analysis, and a certificate in Food Marketing and Logistics, along with an online eMBA. The school is also home to the new Center for Design and Innovation for Business and Sustainability, the Center for Professional Integrity and Accountability, the Food Industry Leadership Center and the Interdisciplinary Center for Law and Entrepreneurship. The School of Business’s MBA+ program is ranked 22nd on the Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2007-2008 list of the Global Top 100 Schools. For more information visit www.beyondgreypinstripes.org.

Source: Julie Raymond (503-725-3758)
PSU School of Business Administration