This year's theme is "From Curiosity to Exploration: Linking Knowing and Doing." This theme incorporates the 2011/12 Freshmen Year Experience theme of Curiosity with the QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) of experiential learning. Our curious natures entice us to question and explore new ideas or to re-think and re-interpret established concepts or activities. Whether our knowledge sprouts from investigating new pathways or from reflecting on completed activities or projects, our inquisitive journeys and their results help us to expand and deepen our understanding. This year's theme encompasses any subject or activity that aroused our curiosity and in which we have explored and learned through knowledge and skills - knowing and doing.

"Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning." ~William Arthur Ward "A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle." ~Khalil Gibran

Changing from an annual event to biennial, the Celebration of Inquiry Conference continues to provide the opportunity for the entire campus community and external community to share their knowledge and successes as well as their insights from experiences. The conference offers many formats for expression: panel discussions, demonstrations, lectures, exhibits, poster sessions, performance, media and forums. Also, the Fourth Undergraduate Research Competition will be held concurrently with the Conference.

Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit. ~e. e. cummings

Each conference theme which is created by a committee is intended to be far-reaching enough to connect to topics in a variety of fields and disciplines and to be inspirational in cross-disciplinary approaches. For example, a sampling of potential topics for session proposals in 2012 may be:

Causes and Effects of Curiosity Project-based learning and outcomes Explorations with DNA Debates: understanding variant points of view Political change in tough economic times Investigating alternative energy sources Superbugs - fighting infection in the next century The use (and abuse) of social media Ethical decision-making in times of crises

Benefits of new fields of cross-disciplinary study, such as biochemistry Privacy issues: individual and global consequences New approaches to teaching K -12 for the next century Entrepreneurial natures - learning from mistakes and success criteria Lessons from history that help address today's concerns

A university's essential character is that of being a center of free inquiry… ~Richard Hofstadter