Community leaders and Drake faculty will discuss important environmental issues in a one-day conference, "Sustainability in Urban Environments." The conference, part of Drake University’s Engaged Citizen Experience, is free and open to the public and will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15 in the Olmsted Center’s Parents Hall.

The afternoon’s events will begin with several breakout sessions that address urban environmental issues and how they affect the Des Moines community. Topics of discussion will include: watershed and water quality, fracking, sustainable food policies, and urban planning. An informal reception and discussion will immediately follow the sessions.

The conference’s keynote panel, which will take place from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., features three national sustainability leaders: Lee Fisher, president and CEO of CEOS for Cities, a global partnership network; Cecil Scheib, director of advocacy at the Urban Green Council in New York City; and Guy Williams, principal and founder of G.O. Williams and Associates, an organization dedicated to providing sustainable community environmental programs.

All conference events are free, but attendees are encouraged to register in advance. Registration and detailed information on all sessions may be found at www.drake.edu/engaged

The Engaged Citizen Experience is part of the Drake Curriculum, which provides interdisciplinary and experiential learning opportunities for students through coursework, classroom, and community activities. The theme for the 2013 Engaged Citizen Experience is "Sustainability, Climate Change and the New Green Revolution.

For more information about the event, contact Katherine Grasso at 515-271-2405 or visit www.drake.edu/engaged.