Plenarists

Introductions

 Arnold Berleant is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Long Island, USA. He has published several works in the field of environmental aesthetics, including Art and Engagement (1991), The Aesthetics of Environment (1992), Living in the Landscape – Toward an Aesthetics of Environment (1997) and Aesthetics and Environment – Theme and Variations on Art and Culture (2005), in addition to editing anthologies both independently and with Allen Carlson. Professor Berleant has worked as the Secretary-General and the President of the International Association for Aesthetics. In 2003, he founded the on-line journal Contemporary Aesthetics, and continues to work as its Editor. www.autograff.com/berleant/pages/vitae.html 

Eugene C. Hargrove is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Texas, USA, and is an influential environmental philosopher. He has published the book Foundations of Environmental Ethics (1989) and has edited a collection of articles Beyond Spaceship Earth: Environmental Ethics and the Solar System (1986), based on the Environmental Ethics and the Solar System conference that he organised in 1985. Professor Hargrove founded the Environmental Ethics journal in 1978 and continues to work as its Editor. He is the President of the publisher of the journal, Center for Environmental Philosophy, which initiated another space-inspired conference Space, Science, Environmental Ethics, and Policy in 2007 (a book based on this conference is in the planning). www.phil.unt.edu/faculty/bios/HargroveCV.pdf 

We are very sorry to have to inform that Ronald Hepburn (Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland) died on 23rd December 2008. His presentation will be read at the Conference. He has published the following collections of essays: ’Wonder’ and Other Essays. Eight Studies in Aesthetics and Neighbouring Fields (1984) and The Reach of the Aesthetic: Collected Essays on Nature and Art (2001). His influential article ”Contemporary Aesthetics and the Neglect of Natural Beauty” (1966) was particularly important for environmental aesthetics, and restored environmental questions to its fore. 

Kaia Lehari is an Associate Professor of the Estonian Academy of Arts (Eesti Kunstiakadeemia) and a researcher at the University of Tallinn in Estonia. She lectures on aesthetics and the history of design. Associate Professor Lehari has published the book Ruum. Keskkond. Koht / Space. Place. Environment and has edited compilations for the Koht ja paik – Place and Location series, together with Virve Sarapik, based on seminars organised by her. 
 

Tapio Markkanen is a Docent in Astronomy at the Universities of Helsinki and Joensuu in Finland. Docent Markkanen has published The Magnetic Pocket (1977) study, edited the Tähtien ja galaksien maailma [The world of stars and galaxies] (1980) book, together with Mr Seppo Linnaluoto, and written textbooks in astronomy. Mr Markkanen has worked as the Executive Director of the Finnish Science Center, Heureka, and has participated in numerous projects to popularize science.

Professor Tapio Markkanen (b. 1942) is an astronomer. He has published research on the structure of the Milky Way, the birth of stars, and the history of astronomy in international journals. He has also been active in Finnish and European university and science politics, notably as Secretary General of the Finnish Council of University Rectors for fourteen years. He has participated in many projects to disseminate the results of science, such as the planning and setting up of the Finnish Science Centre Heureka. He has given numerous public lectures and been a frequent guest on radio and TV. He has designed many exhibitions and written hundreds of articles for anthologies and journals and dozens of TV programmes.

Tapio Markkanen is currently serving as the Chair of the Finnish National Commission for Unesco, the Chair of the Ursa Astronomical Association and the Chair of the Finnish Working Group for the International Year of Astronomy 2009.

Mara Miller is a philosopher, who has discussed gardens and parks in her book Garden as an Art (1993). She is a consultant on questions related to philosophy, Japanese art, gender studies and environmental issues. Ms Miller has worked in several universities.http://maramiller.home.att.net/ 

Juha Pentikäinen is Professor Emeritus in Comparative Religion at the University of Helsinki in Finland, and has even touched upon cultural anthropology and folklorism. Professor Pentikäinen’s extensive literary output includes the works Marina Takalon uskonto: uskontoantropologinen tutkimus [Marina Takalo’s religion: study in religious anthropology] (1971), Kalevalan mytologia [The mythology of Kalevala] (1987) and Golden King of the Forest: The Lore of the Northern Bear (2007), together with many publications on shamanism. 

Holmes Rolston, III is a University Distinguished Professor at the Department of Philosophy of the Colorado State University, USA. He is known as the founder of academic environmental aesthetics. His extensive publications include the works Philosophy Gone Wild: Essays in Environmental Ethics (1986) and Genes, Genesis and God: Values and their Origins in Natural and Human History (1999). Professor Rolston has been the Chair of the International Society for Environmental Ethics and is still the Associate Editor of the Environmental Ethics journal.http://lamar.colostate.edu/~rolston/ 

Yuriko Saito is a Professor of Philosophy at the Division of Liberal Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, USA. Professor Saito has studied the questions of comparative aesthetics and has published the Everyday Aesthetics (2007) book, in addition to several scholarly articles in the journals of the field.http://departments.risd.edu/depts/hpss/Yuriko/Saito%20CV.pdf 

Cherie Sampson  is an environmental performance and video artist, and an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. Professor Sampson has implemented several projects in co-operation with her Finnish artist colleagues. She has held exhibitions, installations and video screenings in the U.S, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy and other countries over the past decade. www.cheriesampson.net/

Barbara Sandrisser is an environmental artist, architect and researcher of aesthetics, who is based in New York, USA. In the field of environmental aesthetics, she has focused on the comparisons of Western and Eastern (Japanese and Chinese) environmental attitudes and valuations. Mrs Sandrisser has published numerous essays on these topics, and lectures at international meetings of the field. 

Serafim Seppälä is a Professor in Systematic Theology and Patristics in Orthodox Theology at the University of Joensuu in Finland. Professor Seppälä has published the study In Speechless Ecstasy: Expression and Interpretation of Mystical Experience in Classical Syriac and Sufi Literature (2003) and has translated Hymns on Paradise by St. Ephrem the Syrian into Finnish (2004). 

Jyrki Siukonen is a visual artist. He teaches at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, where he has also been a professor. Mr Siukonen has published the works Lentämisen haave / Dream of Flying (2000), Uplifted Spirits, Earthbound Machines: Studies on Artists and the Dream of Flight 1900–1935 (2001), Tutkiva taiteilija [Researching artist] (2002) and Muissa maailmoissa: maapallon ulkopuolisten olentojen kulttuurihistoriaa [In other worlds: cultural history of extraterrestrial beings] (2003), in addition to translating philosophical literature and fiction into Finnish. Mr Siukonen has also worked as the Editor of the Taide magazine.