Banquet and Luncheon Speakers

Dr. Marcelo Alonso

Dr. Marcelo Alonso is serving as Chairman of the World Conference on Preservation and Sustainable Development in the Pantanal. Dr. Alonso is the Chairman of the Academic Advisory Board for the World University Federation, as well as a trustee of the University of Bridgeport. His distinguished career includes a number of significant posts in the academic world and in international organizations. Among the positions held by Dr. Alonso were Director of Science and Technology for the Organization of American States (OAS),  Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Nuclear Energy Commission, and Principal Research Scientist at the Florida Institute of Technology. In addition, he has taught at Georgetown University, was UNESCO Visiting Professor in Central America and, from 1956-1960, was Chairman of the Department of Physics at the University of Havana, Cuba. For a number of years, Dr. Alonso also served as Editor of the International Journal on the Unity of the Sciences. Dr. Alonso received his Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Havana, and completed additional graduate education in the United States at Yale University. His works have been translated into 13 different languages, with more than one million copies in print.
 

Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak

Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak holds and has held a number of prominent positions in the worlds of academia and media, as well as in non-profit and religious organizations. In academia, Rev. Kwak serves as Chairman of the Board for the World University Federation, and for Sun Moon University in South Korea, as well as Chairman of the Professors World Peace Academy, an international association of university and college scholars. Previous to these positions, he served as Secretary-General of the Professors World Peace Academy. In addition, Rev. Kwak is the former Publisher and President of the daily newspaper Segye Times of Seoul, Korea. He is also former Chairman of the Segye Times daily of New York City, and former Publisher of The New York City Tribune. More recently, he became Chairman of The Washington Times Foundation. His current responsibilities include holding the positions of Chairman of the Citizen’s Federation for the Unification of North and South Korea, President of the Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace, and Chairman of the Board for both the International Cultural Foundation and for the International Religious Foundation. Since 1978,he has served as President of the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity. Rev. Kwak completed his B.S. in Law from Kyungbuk University and Sangui University in Korea, and his M.A. in Western Philosophy at Kungook University in Korea. He has been widely recognized for his distinguished career and charitable work, receiving a number of Honorary Doctorates from universities in the United States and Asia.
 

Dr. Bill Phillips

Dr. Bill Phillips is Deputy Secretary General of the Ramsar Bureau, the administrative secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. The Convention entered into force in 1975 and now comprises 114 Contracting Parties (member states) in all parts of the world. UNESCO serves as Depositary for the Convention, with the Ramsar Bureau entrusted with its administration. Over 950 wetlands have been designated for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance, covering more than 70 million hectares. Dr. Bill Phillips received his Ph.D. in Zoology from the Australian National University in Canberra in 1984. From 1985 to 1998, he held positions with the  Federal Environment Department in Australia, where he worked on a range of conservation and natural resource policy issues and hands-on programs, including the National Wetlands Program, Migratory Bird Conservation, Koala Conservation Program, and community programs such as Waterwatch Australia. In 1996, Dr. Phillips served as chair for the organizing committee for the Sixth Ramsar Conference of the Contracting Parties, which was held in Brisbane, Australia. In September 1998, Dr. Phillips received the post of Deputy Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands, based in Switzerland.
 

Dr. John Redwood

Dr. John Redwood is presently the World Bank’s Lead Specialist for the Environment in the Latin America and Caribbean Region. Previously, he worked in the Environment Department and the Operations Evaluation Department at the World Bank. He has also served as an urban development specialist for the Inter-American Development Bank, and coordinated a technical cooperation project for rural development in Northeast Brazil for the Organization of American States (OAS). In addition, Dr. Redwood has been a Visiting Professor of Urban and Regional Planning and Economics at two Brazilian federal universities, and a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Brazil.  He holds a Master and Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning and Economic Development from the University of California, Berkeley.
 

Dr. Richard L. Rubenstein

Dr. Richard Rubenstein is President of the University of Bridgeport (CT), having previously served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. From 1970-1995, Dr. Rubenstein was on the faculty of Florida State University, serving since 1977 as Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Religion. In 1977, Florida State University named him “Distinguished Professor of the Year,” its highest academic honor, and in 1994 sponsored a scholar’s conference on his work. From 1981-1994, Dr. Rubenstein served as President of the Washington Institute for Values in Public Policy, a public policy research institute. He received his Master of Hebrew Literature and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary, Master of Theology from Harvard Divinity School, and Ph.D. from Harvard University. He was a Fellow of Yale’s Humanities Institute and, in 1987, the Jewish Theological Seminary conferred the degree of Doctor of Hebrew Letters, honoris cause, upon him. His books have appeared in numerous languages, and several doctoral dissertations, in diverse countries, have been devoted to his work.
 

Ambassador Phillip V. Sanchez

Phillip Sanchez is Publisher of Tiempos del Mundo, an international weekly newspaper published in most nations of North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, with the goal of becoming a hemispheric daily newspaper. Ambassador Sanchez also serves as Vice President of the Washington Times Corporation, the parent company of Tiempos del Mundo, and is Chairman of the Board of Nostalgia Television. Ambassador Sanchez also holds various high-level positions in academia and business and has held key diplomatic and government posts. He serves as Chairman of the Board of National Hispanic University (San Jose CA), as a trustee of the University of Bridgeport (CT), and as a member of the Board of Directors for the University of the Americas Foundation (San Antonio, TX). In 1971, he received the first of four presidential appointments, being named as Assistant Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). Later, his appointment as National Director of OEO (War on Poverty) made him the highest- ranking Hispanic appointee in the history of the U.S. government. He was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Colombia in 1973 and to Honduras in 1976. Ambassador Sanchez has been recognized with numerous honorary doctorates and awards, including being chosen “Man of the Year” in 1975 by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, and being elected to the prestigious Congressional Awards Board.
 

Mr. Ricardo Sánchez Sosa

Mr. Ricardo Sánchez Sosa is Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP)  Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC).  Previous to this position, Mr. Sánchez Sosa served as Cuba’s Vice-Minister of Science, Technology and Environment. He has also served as President of the Environment Agency of the Ministry for Science and Technology, and as Professor of Hydrology, Water Resources and the Environment at the University of Havana, Cuba. In his previous roles as Head of the Cuban Delegation to the Governing Council and the High-Level Committee of Ministers and Senior Officials of UNEP, and through his involvement in the Forum of Ministers of the Environment in Latin America and the Caribbean, he has substantially contributed to the development of UNEP’s programs and the setting of priorities for the region.
 

Dr. Frederick A. Swarts

Dr. Frederick Swarts served as Secretary-General of the World Conference on Preservation and Sustainable Development in the Pantanal. Dr. Swarts is Senior Research Scientist for Aquatic Ecology with the Waterland Research Institute; in this capacity he is responsible for the Institute’s water resources projects in the Pantanal area of Brazil. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bucknell University, with a B.S. in Biology, Dr. Swarts received his M.S. in Zoology from Pennsylvania State University. He completed his doctoral studies at Columbia University Teacher’s College and the Graduate School of the Union Institute, graduating with a Ph.D. in Biology and Education. Dr. Swarts has published widely in the fields of aquatic ecology, education,and environmental biology. His environmental research endeavors include an extensive field study of brook trout in streams affected by acid-mine drainage in Pennsylvania and an exceptional tolerance of some tropical blackwater fish to low pH. His professional credentials include serving as Book Review Editor for the International Journal on the Unity of the Sciences, and serving on the board of directors of several non-profit organizations. Dr. Swarts also serves as Vice President of the American Leadership Conference, a think-tank and educational organization, which works together with prominent governmental and private-sector leaders to examine issues of national and global import.
 

Douglas B. Trent  (Slide presentation on the Pantanal)

Mr. Douglas Trent is a respected conservationist, tropical ecologist, tour guide, author, photographer, environmental consultant, speaker and teacher.  In 1980, Douglas Trent visited Brazil, and was so moved by the natural beauty and richness of her vast tropical habitats that he decided to move there.  Soon after his arrival, he saw the other side of the coin: vast areas of deforestation and habitat destruction. In response to what he witnessed, he set up Focus Tours, a nature tour company with goals of using tourism for environmental education and to raise funds for conservation work in the tropics.  His conservation work was quickly endorsed by the National Audubon Society's International Program, Friends of the Earth, the noted authors Dr. Norman Myers and Catherine Caufield, and the Director of Kew Garden in London, Dr. Ghiliean Prance. His efforts have supplied binoculars to guards in the Pantanal wetlands, helped support the Caratinga Biological Station, provided data on wildlife populations to the Brazilian national parks department, and other significant projects.  Mr. Trent is also a founding member of the Rainforest Action Network, and is recognized as one of the pioneers in the field of ecotourism.  He has authored chapters in The Mother Earth Handbook and The Piracy in America, and delivered presentations to conservation organizations and universities in Brazil and the USA.  Mr. Trent holds an Honors Degree in Environmental Sciences and Interpersonal Communications from the University of Kansas.

Dr. Noel Brown

Dr. Noel Brown is the former Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), North American regional office. He currently serves as President of the Friends of the United Nations. Dr. Brown is a fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences, Chairman of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism, and Chairman of the Rene Dubos Center for Human Environments. He is also a founding member of the Aspen Global Change Institute and of the International Council for Local Environment Issues. He serves as well on the Board of Directors of the Global Rivers Environmental Educational Network, the Climate Institute, the Earth Communications Office, the Rainforest Alliance, Global Education Associates, Trust for the Americas, and other environmental and educational organizations. Over the past two decades, Dr. Brown has represented UNEP at a number of major international conferences and negotiations on environment and development issues and on international law, including the historic Earth Summit in Rio, 1992. Dr. Brown holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Seattle University, a M.A. in International Law and Organization from Georgetown University, and a Ph.D. in International Law and Relations from Yale University. He has been a Visiting Professor at both U.S. and foreign universities, and has a number of publications to his credit, including editing a recent volume titled Ethics and Agenda 21: Moral Implications of a Global Consensus. Among the numerous awards acknowledging Dr. Brown’s service to the environment is his being honored with the 1998 World Academy of Arts and Science for Distinguished Public Service.
 

Ms. Janet N. Abramovitz

Ms. Janet Abramovitz is Senior Researcher at the Worldwatch Institute, a nonprofit public policy research organization dedicated to informing policy makers and the public about emerging global problems and trends and the complex links between the world economy and its environment support systems.  At the Worldwatch Institute, Ms. Abramovitz focuses on biodiversity, natural resources management, sustainable development, water resources, and social equity. She is co-author of the Institute’s well-publicized annual reports, State of the World and Vital Signs, and writes regularly for its magazine, World Watch. She has published extensively on biodiversity and gender issues. Among her publications are Imperiled Waters, Impoverished Future: The Decline of Freshwater Ecosystems, and Taking a Stand: Cultivating a New Relationship with the World’s Forests. Prior to joining Worldwatch, Ms. Abramovitz worked at World Resources Institute and other governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
 

Mr. Jorge Rucks

Mr. Jorge Rucks is Division Chief of the Latin American Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment of the Organization of American States (OAS), the world’s oldest regional organization. The Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment is the principal entity within the General Secretariat responsible for matters directly related to sustainable development and the environment and for providing technical and administrative support to OAS efforts to become the leading inter-American forum for formulating regional policy in this field.  Mr. Rucks, originally from Uruguay, has more than 20 years of experience in technical cooperation projects in Central and South America.  During those years, he has worked as an independent consultant, coordinator and director of numerous projects in integrated regional development, sustainable development and environment.  Mr. Rucks directed the National Environmental Study of Uruguay prepared by the GS/OAS and the Inter-American Development Bank. He graduated from the Universidad de la Republica in Uruguay with a degree in architecture and received a Master degree in Regional Planning from the University of Rome in Italy.
 
 

Professor Carlos B. Aguirre

Professor Carlos Aguirre is President of the National Academy of Sciences of Bolivia. He also serves as Vice President of the League for the Defense of the Environment. Dr. Aguirre is a Member of the Board of the Bolivian Ecology Foundation and a member of the National Council for Science and Technology. Trained as a physicist,  he serves as Professor of Science and Technology Management and Policy at the Universidad Mayor de San Andres in La Paz. Professor Aguirre’s distinguished career also includes service as Executive Secretary of the National Council for Science and Technology, Project Director of the Andean University, National Director of Science and Technology of the Bolivian Ministry of Planning, President of the National Committee for the Man and Biosphere Program, Director of the Physical Research Institute and the Research Planning Office of the University of La Paz, and other distinguished positions in national and international organizations. He has published more than 200 papers, books and monographs in the fields of environment, physics, science technology, innovation energy and higher education.

Dr. Juan Maria Carron

Dr. Juan Maria Carron is Director of the Center for Conservation and Environmental Education in Asunción, Paraguay. He has also served as a Senator for the Republic of Paraguay, as well as  Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Population and Ecology. Dr. Carron holds a Ph.D. in Sociology, with special emphasis on issues of population and sustainable development. He has served as a technical advisor and consultant for a number of years for UNESCO and CEPAL. Dr. Carron is also the former director of the Paraguayan team that studied the social and environmental impact of proposed damming projects.

Ms. Ana Lucia Lima Barros Dolabella

Ms. Ana Lucia Dolabella served from 1994 through 1996 as the Coordinator of the Pantanal Project—National Environmental Program (PNMA). She has been involved in the coordination of the project since its inception in 1990. This multi-million dollar project to protect the Pantanal ecosystem, coordinate state environmental agencies and develop a conservation plan in cooperation with professionals from several institutions is carried out under the auspices of Brazil’s Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Legal Amazon. Currently, Ms. Dolabella serves on the consultant team to elaborate Phase II of the National Environmental Program and is the representative of the Ministry of Environment to the Upper Paraguay—  Pantanal Hydrological Basin Committee. This later committee, created as an indirect result of the Pantanal Project—National Environmental Program, involves representation by diverse governmental and non-governmental sectors of the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, and the Federal Government. Prior to serving in the Ministry of the Environment, Ms. Dolabella held positions with the Brazilian Environmental and Natural Resources Institute (IBAMA), where she coordinated the initial stages of the Pantanal Project, and with the Special Secretariat for the Environment (SEMA). Among other responsibilities, Ms. Dolabella has served on the consultant teams regarding environmental impact studies of the Paraguay-Parana Water-Way, and the Bolivia-Brazil Pipeline. Ms. Dolabella was trained as a Forest Engineer at the University of Viçosa and the University of Brasilia.

Dr. Thomas J. Ward (moderator)

Dr. Thomas Ward is Visiting Professor of International Studies at the University of Bridgeport, and Special Assistant to the Provost. Dr. Ward has formulated and conducted symposia on comparative political economy for legislators in all six of the member and associate member states of MERCOSUR and he writes for and serves on the editorial board of Universario, a new Latin American journal of social thought. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Dr. Ward earned his Master degree in the Humanities at the California State University, and did his doctoral studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris and De La Salle University in the Philippines. He has worked as an economic and political analyst for several public and private institutions, and has been a guest lecturer at a number of institutions of higher learning in Latin America and Asia.  He currently serves on the board of several non-profit organizations.  Dr. Ward also served as Conference Rapporteur.

Dr. Richard J. McNeil

Dr Richard McNeil is Professor of Natural Resources at Cornell University. He earned his Ph.D. in ecology and wildlife management at the University of Michigan. Dr. McNeil has been a Fulbright Scholar to New Zealand, a Visiting Scientist with the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya, and a Visiting Professor of Anthropology at Venezuela’s Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas. He includes studies of Indians in the Colombian Amazon and Inuits in the Canadian Arctic, among his many foreign and international experiences. His current research and teaching interests include international resources and environmental development issues, national park policies, rights of tribal peoples, sustainable development and ecotourism, environmental ethics, and environmental education. Dr. McNeil has worked in more than 30 countries, served on two Commissions for IUCN (World Conservation Union), and advised graduate students from developing regions, foreign governments, USAID and the U.S. Peace Corps. He has experience with developing regions, foreign governments and international institutions, and has had many successful interdisciplinary teaching and research activities, combining physical and biological sciences, economics, ethics and values.
 

Mr. Reinaldo Francisco Ferreira Lourival

Mr. Reinaldo Lourival is the Pantanal Coordinator for Conservation International of Brazil. He is also coordinator of Projeto OCE (Oficinas de Capacitacão em Ecoturismo), developed by the Conservation International Institute, and is a consultant for the Organization of American States with respect to Ecotourism in the Pantanal Mato-Grossense. Mr. Lourival holds a Bachelor in Biological Sciences from the Universidade Santa Ursula, and a Master in Ecology, Conservation and Wildlife Management from the Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso. He has also studied Primatology, Conservation and Wildlife Management at the University of Brasilia. Mr. Lourival was Guest Researcher for the Center of Ethnobiology for the Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, part of Project Kayapo sponsored by the Ford Foundation and World Wildlife Fund, and Guest Researcher in the Operacão Muriaquitã animal rescue. He has served as a consultant for the World Wildlife Fund, as well as for the Secretary of the Environment of Brazil in order to elaborate a national policy for the management of wildlife. Mr. Lourival is a member of a group of specialists involved in examining the Sustainable Use of Wild Species for the Commission on Species Survival of the World Conservation Union.
 

Dr. Kwi-Gun Kim

Dr. Kwi-Gun Kim is Professor of Environmental Planning and Landscape Architecture with Seoul National University, South Korea. He also serves as President of the Korean Society of Environmental Education and Vice-President of the Korean Society of Environmental Impact Assessment. Furthermore, Dr. Kim is Vice-Chairman of the Korean MAD Committee for UNESCO and a member of the Board of Directors of the Environmental Policy and Impact Assessment Institute for the Ministry of the Environment. In 1998, he was appointed by the President of the Republic of Korea as a member of the Central Environmental Dispute Mediation Committee. He has served as a Senior Research Fellow with the Environmental Policy Institute in the United States, and in various projects with UNDP and UNESCO. Dr. Kim received his Ph.D. in Planning Studies from the University of England and his M.Sc. in Regional and Urban Planning Studies from the University of Reading in England. He also attended universities in New Zealand, Korea and Berlin. Dr. Kim has recently undertaken studies on sustainable tourism development with particular emphasis on the impact of tourism on the environment.
 

Dr. Ginger Smith  (moderator)

Dr. Ginger Smith is Visiting Associate Professor for Tourism Studies in the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management at George Washington University, where she teaches courses on ecotourism, sustainable tourism development and tourism policy and planning. She also serves as Senior Policy and Sustainable Tourism Advisor at Hagler Bailly Services, an international energy management consulting firm. Dr. Smith has held the posts of founding Dean of the International School of Tourism and Hotel Management for Colegio Universitario del Este in Puerto Rico, and Senior International Policy Analyst for the Office of Policy and Planning with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Travel and Tourism Administration. Her distinguished professional and academic career includes extensive experience in natural resource protection and sustainable tourism development in natural areas. Dr. Smith received her Ph.D. in International Relations and International Communication from American University. She holds degrees from the University of Delaware and Cornell University, and has studied at Stanford University, Georgetown University and the Catholic University of Milan, Italy. Dr. Smith has published numerous scholarly articles in areas related to tourism, and received a number of awards for her accomplishments. Dr. Smith also has received widespread recognition as an outstanding track and field star, won election to the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, and received the “Outstanding Athlete Award” from Cornell University Women’s Athletic Association, and served as President of Stanford University Women’s Athletic Association.
 
 

Mr. Ernest Barnett

Mr. Ernest Barnett is Director of Ecosystem Planning and Coordination with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. In this position, Mr. Barnett is responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of department-wide ecosystem management policies and strategies and coordinating the department’s efforts in South Florida ecosystem restoration. He is also a Working Group Member of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force. Prior to these positions, Mr. Barnett served as a shellfish biologist, aquatic preserve manager, Environmental Administrator and Water Management Administrator. He has authored or co-authored 31 publications on issues of ecosystem management, natural resource damage assessment, shellfish management and sea turtle nesting. Mr. Barnett received his B.S. in Environmental Resource Management and Planning and his M.S. in Biology from the University of West Florida.

Dr. Soo Young Park

Dr. Soo Young Park is Professor of Urban Studies and Environmental Planning at Sun Moon University.  He also serves as President of the Korea Wetlands Conservation Society, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Regional and Municipal Research Institutes, and President of the Kyeongnam Development Institute. Dr. Park received his Ph.D. in Urban Administration from New York University, and he also holds degrees from Kansas State University and Kyunghee University. He has been a Visiting Scholar in the United States (University of Illinois), Germany (University of Dortmund) and the United Kingdom (University of Sheffield). Furthermore, Dr. Park has served as Director and Senior Research Fellow for the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, as a consultant for the Twentieth Century Fund, as a project director for the New Jersey Department of Transportation and as a consultant to the United Nations. He serves or has served in numerous government advisory positions and on the board of a number of institutions. In 1995, Michigan State University conferred upon him its “Distinguished Leadership Award in Global Affairs.” He is the author of numerous scholarly books and articles.
 

Dr. Chan-Won Lee   (Co-author of paper presented by Dr. Soo Young Park)

Dr. Chan-Won Lee is Professor of Environment Protection at Kyungnam University in South Korea. He is also Vice-Chairman of the Wetland Conservation Research Group in Korea, Director of the Center for Instrumental Analysis, and the former Director of the Environmental Research Institute. In addition, Dr. Lee serves as a member of the International Association on Water Quality Association. He is the Korean delegate to the APEC Marine Resource Conservation Working Group and was Chairman of the Coastal Waters Conservation Research Group. Dr. Lee received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and Sciences from the University of Florida, where he also received his M.Ag degree. He holds a B.S. and M.S. degree in Food Science and Technology from Seoul National University. Dr. Lee has published widely in the fields of biophysical chemistry, water science, environmental protection, toxicity assessment and wastewater treatment.
 

Dr. Antonio V. Segovia

Dr. Antonio Segovia is Professor of Geology at the University of Maryland, with specializations in environmental and engineering geology, ground water and soil geology, and structural geology. A native of Paraguay, he has been involved extensively in environmental engineering studies in Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and the United States, and a considerable number of other countries. Among his basic and applied research projects in engineering and environmental geology were numerous ones on floodplains and watershed environments. These include a review of the environmental impacts of proposed engineering works along the Paraguay River in Asuncion, as well as geologic factors in Third World development, and the evolution of the floodplains of the Paraguay River and its impact on international conflicts between Paraguay and Argentina. Dr. Segovia received his Ph.D. in Geology from Pennsylvania State University. He also holds degrees from the Colorado School of Mines and from the Universidad Nacional de Paraguay, and he has served as Visiting Research Professor with the Universidad Central de Venezuela. Dr. Segovia has numerous publications in the field of environmental geology.
 

Mr. Gregory Breland   (moderator)

Mr. Gregory Breland is Secretary-General of the World University Federation, where he coordinates the conferences and various activities of this international association of colleges and universities and network of scholars. Since 1984, he has also worked with the International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences (ICUS), presently serving as the Executive Director. ICUS provides a forum for scientists from around the world to reflect on the direction of science and how its various disciplines and specialities can be better integrated to improve human welfare. The conference and its publications deal not only with issues related to science but also to the values related to specific issues. Mr. Breland also served as an Associate Editor, under Dr. Marcelo Alonso, of the International Journal on the Unity of the Sciences, a quarterly interdisciplinary journal, which published original manuscripts dealing with the various branches of knowledge and related ethics questions. Mr. Breland holds a Master degree in Environmental Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia).
 

Dr. Nelson da Franca Ribeiro dos Anjos

Dr. Nelson da Franca is the Principal Water Resources Specialist in the Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment of the Organization of American States. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Strasbourg in France. Before he joined the OAS in 1992, Dr. da Franca worked in the Division of Water Sciences of the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) in Paris from 1984 to 1990. He served as head of the International Branch of ELETROBAS—Centrais Eléctricas Brasileiras S.A.—in Rio de Janeiro from 1990 to 1992, and as head of the Water Resources Division of ELECTROBAS from 1975 to 1983.  Dr. da Franca is the author and co-author of more than 50 publications on Water Resources in the Americas.
 

Mr. Adalberto Eberhard

Mr. Adalberto Eberhard is Founder and President of Ecotrópica, a non-profit, non-governmental organization working toward preservation of the Pantanal. Based in Cuiabá, the capital of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, Ecotrópica now has the largest private preserves in the Pantanal, and received the 1998 Henry Ford Conservation Award. Mr. Eberhard has established a strong reputation as a conservationist in the Pantanal. He has played an important role in the creation and implementation of many state-level government organizations and projects dealing with environmental protection and nature in the State of Mato Grosso. A wildlife veterinarian, in 1989 Mr. Eberhard received the German Culture Award in recognition of his work in the conservation of the Pantanal. He has also received the Veterinary of the Year Award and the Pantanal Merit Order. See Ecotrópica 
 

Dr. Robert L. Singletary   (moderator)

Dr. Robert Singletary earned his Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the University of Miami. In 1970, he joined the faculty of the University of Bridgeport as an Assistant Professor of Biology. Currently, Dr. Singletary is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Biology, where he teaches courses in ecology, general biology, invertebrate zoology and marine sciences. He has also conducted courses at the Bermuda Biological Station in the Bermudas and the Hummingbird Cay Research Station in the Bahamas. His research involves the study of the dynamics of marine benthic communities. Dr. Singletary is a member of the Advisory Board of the Bridgeport Regional Vocational Aquaculture School, the Advisory Board of the University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine, and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Standing Committee on Marine Research.
 
 

Mr. Isaias Bernardini

Mr. Isaias Bernardini is Vice-President of the Federation of Industries of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul (FIEMS), and President of the State Council of the Environment for the State of Mato Grosso do Sul (COEMA). He is also a Representative of the State Council for Environmental Control, and the Council for Industrial Development. In addition, Mr. Bernardini serves as Director of SINDÁICOOL, the Syndicate for Sugar and Alcohol Businesses in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, and is coordinator of the Project “Biodiesel.” Furthermore, he serves on a committee for the Fundaçâo Biotica that is elaborating an Environmental Code for the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Since 1989, Mr. Bernardini has directed a number of large industries in the areas of sugar and alcohol production. He also has held the position of Senior Analyst for the Development Bank of the State of Sâo Paulo and been active in providing environmental consulting for diverse industries.
 

Dr. Jose Imana Encinas

Dr. Jose Imana Encinas is Chair of the Department of Forestry at the University of Brasilia, a position in which he has served since 1994. Dr. Imana has been a professor with the department since 1977. Previous to this, he served as Visiting Professor with the Forest Biometric Department of the University of Freiburg, Germany, an FAO international consultant, and as a technical expert with OEA. A native of Bolivia, Dr. Imana received his Ph.D. in Forestry from Freiburg University in Germany. He received his M.Sc. degree in Forest Management from the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center in Costa Rica. He also holds degrees from Göttingen University in Germany.
 

Dr. Jong-Choon Woo

Dr. Jong-Chong Woo is a Professor in the Department of Forest Management of the College of Forest Sciences at Kangwon National University, South Korea. He has held the positions of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor with the University since 1988, and he served as head of the Department of Forest Management for two years. He is also currently Director of the University’s Experimental Forests with the College of Forest Sciences. Dr. Woo serves as well as Director of the Korean Forest Economics Society, Director of the Korean Forestry Society and is a Concurrent Office Researcher with the Forestry Research Institute of Korea. In addition, he holds the position of Senior Research Fellow with the Waterland Research Institute in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. In this capacity, he is developing and oversees a 12,000-hectare research facility on forestry, the Jangada Experimental Research Center, near Jardim, Brazil. Dr. Woo received his Ph.D. from the University of Freiburg in Germany, and completed doctoral studies at the Graduate School of Kangwon National University in Korea. He has served as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Freiburg, as well as a Visiting Professor at the University of Brasilia in Brazil. Dr. Woo has published four books on forestry-related issues, and innumerable scholarly articles.
 

Dr. Jeddeo Paul   (moderator)

Dr. Juddeo Paul is Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Bridgeport, with particular research specialization in chemistry of flooded soils, analytical biochemistry and selected aspects of nutrition. Dr. Paul received his Ph.D. from Birmingham University in England, and he holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from London University. Dr. Paul is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in England and a member of the American Chemical Society. He has also served as a Senior Visiting Fulbright Professor at the State University of Campinas, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.