Gregor Mendel Symposium

Welcome to the Gregor Mendel Symposium

A multidisciplinary discussion of Gregor Mendel’s plant hybridization research and the food supply challenges confronting our planet today.

The symposium brings together several of the world’s leading minds to discuss the lasting impact of Mendel’s work across many disciplines, from law and medicine to sustainability and ethics.

Villanova University, founded by the Augustinian Order in 1842, is a proud custodian of Gregor Mendel’s legacy. The Mendel Symposium was established in 2015 to further the discussion of Gregor Mendel, the 19th-century Augustinian friar, as an innovator whose work continues to be relevant and enlightening in today’s world.

Villanova University, which was founded by the Augustinian Order in 1842, plays a key role in sustaining Mendel’s legacy and caring for the planet in the face of global challenges. The University’s science center is named for Mendel, and, since 1929, prominent scientists, including several Nobel Prize recipients, have been honored with the Mendel Medal, given in recognition of outstanding scientific achievement accompanied by religious conviction.