The Natural Edge Project Cents and Sustainability Whole System Design The Natural Advantage of Nations Award Winner




"Janine Benyus has been instrumental in interpreting the principles of biomimicry to the designers and product developers at Patagonia. She has been inspirational, practical, and engaging in helping us incorporate our respect for the natural world into the creation of our products."
Yvon Chouinard, co-founder, Patagonia





 

 

 

Michael H. Smith - TNEP Research Director

Michael H. Smith is a co-author and co-editor of The Natural Advantage of Nations (Earthscan 2005) and is the Research Director for The Natural Edge Project (TNEP). Michael completed a double major Science degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from the University of Melbourne. In his honours year at the University of Sydney, he conducted research into alternatives to ozone layer destroying chemicals. He then moved to Canberra to research atmospheric chemistry with Professor Michael Collins at the Australian National University. After co-founding TNEP, Michael changed Ph.D topic and recently submitted to ANU on "Advancing and Resolving the Great Sustainability Debates" co supervised by ANU's Professor Steve Dovers.

Michael and the team from TNEP have developed a range of projects focused on education and training for sustainable development, including working with Universities, Professional Bodies, Government Agencies, Companies, Schools and touring international keynote speakers.

In 2005, TNEP was announced the winner of the prestigious Banksia Award for Environmental Leadership, Education and Training for The Natural Advantage of Nations, and the training program, Engineering Sustainable Solutions Program.

In 2006, Michael was seconded as a Departmental Visitor to ANU's Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies as a representative of TNEP to work on capacity building material, under funding from the CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship in collaboration with Griffith University, and other TNEP partners.

Michael represents TNEP on the editorial board for CSIRO ECOS magazine and Engineers Australia's Sustainability Committee.

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PhD Research Topic