Post-Doc Position

[Songlin Fei]

The Department of Forestry at the University of Kentucky invites
applications for a post-doctoral scientist position in invasive species. The
incumbent will conduct field sampling and analysis for several invasive
species projects. 

 

Job Title: Post doctoral - invasive species modeling and spatial analysis

 

Location: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 

 

Closing Date: When filled 

 

Review Date: Review of application materials will begin on September 20,
2007 and continue until the position is filled. 

 

Date of Appointment: Preferred starting date is October 2007

 

Duration of Appointment: 12-24 months (dependent on availability of funds)

 

Description of Responsibilities: The postdoctoral scientist will collaborate
with other researchers in the area of landscape-level modeling of the
invasion of exotic species. The incumbent will conduct field sampling of
invasive species and use a combination of tools to map and predict the
invasion of exotic species at multiple temporal and spatial scales. The
post-doc will be responsible for the overall integration, modeling, and
scaling-up of field and laboratory data.

 

Required Qualifications: A PhD in ecology, biology, forestry, or related
discipline is required.  The incumbent should be able to conduct field work
independently. Experiences with GIS, spatial analysis, and other analytical
tools are highly desirable. Ability to work with researchers and managers
across a variety of disciplines is required.

 

To apply, please send statement of interest, curriculum vitae, and three
reference letters to:

SongLin Fei, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor 
Forest Biometrics & Spatial Analysis
University of Kentucky, Department of Forestry
204 T.P. Cooper Bldg., Lexington, KY 40546-0073
Phone: 859-257-9760; FAX:   859-323-1031
Email:   [EMAIL PROTECTED]

 

 

Conference of Interest--COMMUNITYMATTERS07

[Jocelyn Hittle]

PlaceMatters and the Orton Family Foundation are co-hosting a conference,
COMMUNITYMATTERS07, in Burlington, VT from October 23-25. The
COMMUNITYMATTERS07 conference may be of interest to you--this year's
conference has panels focusing on bridging the divide between ecosystem
based management and community planning in coastal regions as well as
discussions on local responses to climate change. 

Please see www.communitymatters.org for more information.  Great chance to
see the fall colors and join in an innovative and information gathering!

Re: Number of times cited in a CV?

[Wirt Atmar]

Bill asks:

> To put it another way, if Lindemann had survived, could he get a job in
> today's market?

Rick Grosberg (UC Davis) asked a very similar question during his American
Society of Naturalists presidential address in 2004 at the Evolution meetings.
The title of his talk was:

  "Natural History for the 21st Century: Would Darwin Make the Short List?"

The talk was recorded as an audio slideshow and is available in QCShow
(Windows-only) format at:

 http://aics-research.com/lectures/evolution/grosberg-04ev/grosberg-04ev.qcshow

You may have to download a player to view the lecture. The player is available
from:

 http://aics-research.com/qcshow/playerhome.html

Rick gave a funny and interesting talk. The first 20% of the talk (slides 1-15)
is devoted to precisely the questions that have come up in this discussion,
asking whether or not Darwin could have ever been hired by today's standards,
while the last 33% (slides 64-88) is a natural history quiz that Rick put
together, musically accompanied by David Hillis (UT Austin) and his lab band,
PhyloZydeco. Dan Simberloff gave the introduction.

Wirt Atmar

Species pages with video

[Timothy M. Jones]

The following species pages to the Carices contain video,  interactive 
maps (both Google Earth and Google maps) and imaging. 
The reason for the post is to get feedback on the project.  

http://utc.usu.edu/factsheets/CarexFSF/new/carex_squarrosa_species.htm

http://utc.usu.edu/factsheets/CarexFSF/new/carex_folliculata_species.htm

http://utc.usu.edu/factsheets/CarexFSF/new/carex_aurea_species.htm

http://utc.usu.edu/factsheets/CarexFSF/new/carex_eburnea_species.htm

Prost,
Tim

Re: Number of times cited in a CV?

[William Silvert]

As a former physicist I find this all quite bewildering. My thesis advisor 
got his Nobel prize for two papers, on just one of which he was first (and 
sole) author. The third author on the other paper also got a Nobel just for 
co-authoring that paper. Another chap I know got his Nobel prize for a 
single paper that he wrote while still a grad student which was published in 
a non-refereed journal. But that was back in the days when quality, 
creativity and importance of the research were the factors that mattered. 
Was that ever the case in ecology?

To put it another way, if Lindemann had survived, could he get a job in 
today's market?

Bill Silvert

- Original Message - 
From: "Chris MacQuarrie" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 6:08 PM
Subject: Re: Number of times cited in a CV?


> All,
>
> Nature published a news article related to this issue last week (with
> apologies to those without access); Achievement index climbs the ranks
> Nature 448, 737 (16 August 2007) | doi:10.1038/448737a .
>
> It discusses the rise of the Hirsch index or "h-index" as a measure of
> research productivity and its ability to predict a young researcher's
> future output.  This index is, quoting the article, "...the number n
> of a researcher's papers that have all received at least n citations".
>
> e.g.) if I have 5 first author papers each cited 5 times by other
> authors, my H-index would be 5,.. 

UT-Knoxville Position Announcement

[Matthew J Gray/FWF/EXP/UTIA]

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X19fX19fX19fXw0KDQo=

Re: Number of times cited in a CV?

[Chris MacQuarrie]

All,

Nature published a news article related to this issue last week (with
apologies to those without access); Achievement index climbs the ranks
Nature 448, 737 (16 August 2007) | doi:10.1038/448737a .

It discusses the rise of the Hirsch index or "h-index" as a measure of
research productivity and its ability to predict a young researcher's
future output.  This index is, quoting the article, "...the number n
of a researcher's papers that have all received at least n citations".

e.g.) if I have 5 first author papers each cited 5 times by other
authors, my H-index would be 5,

The index's algorithm accounts for self citations and author order
(here is a link to a software tool that calculates the index based on
google scholar searches
http://www.harzing.com/resources.htm#/pop.htm).  I also believe Web of
Science will now calculate this value as well using their database.

Hirsch is quoted in the article as having seen applicants citing their
personal H-index in CV's.  This seems like a interesting way to
measure a researcher's potential productivity as compared to a simple
"# of citations" count. Especially since such a measure is susceptible
to manipulation. The eithics or optics of providing any measure of
productivity to a search committee is another matter.

Cheers

Chris MacQuarrie
Phd Candidate
University of Alberta





On 8/23/07, Brian Todd <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Greetings all,
> Gary brings up an interesting topic that I would like to hear more
> about from other colleagues: the concept of single large versus several
> small (sounds like a Conservation Biology topic actually), or more
> accurately: single large verus several small + single large.
>
> All else being equal, if an applicant has 10 manuscripts in regional
> journals and 3 in top-tier journals, versus the same applicant with only
> 3 manuscripts in top-tier journals, would one be preferred in lieu of
> the other? I understand the "Selected Publications" trick where an
> applicant can avoid listing the smaller publications, but I reject the
> notion that an applicant must do that to remain competitive. It has been
> suggested to me that publishing in smaller journals is sometimes viewed
> negatively regardless of your other important publications.
>
> I hope it is not the case that publications in regional or
> organism-specific journals are automatically assumed to be of lower
> quality. It is more likely the case that the scope of the article and
> the intended audience is simply narrower. I've always been perplexed at
> how some people view publication in smaller journals to mean the science
> or research is less rigorous, or the quality of writing poorer. It is
> very likely true that most ecologists fit into a finer speciality
> beneath the broad topic of ecology and, correspondingly, have research
> and data on entomology, botany, ornithology, etc. that are equal in
> rigor to their "bigger picture" manuscripts but perhaps less deserving
> of publication before a broad audience. Should they be penalized for
> taking the initiative to publish their data? I have alternatively heard
> it argued that we have an obligation to treat all our data as important
> and to publish them with consideration and diligence, provided the data
> are accurate and the methods appropriate.
>
> In contrast, when I review a CV where a person has three major
> publications, each separated by 2- or 3-year intervals where they
> haven't published, I often wonder if they have trouble remaining focused
> and  productive or if they have had difficulty carrying their field
> research to fruition.
>
> Thanks for any additional perspective,
> Brian
>
> Brian D. Todd
> The University of Georgia
> Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
> Drawer E
> Aiken, SC 29802
> email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/staff/BTodd.htm
> office: 803.725.0422
> fax: 803.725.3309
>
>
> >>> "Dr. Gary Grossman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 8/23/2007 9:25 AM >>>
> I agree with everything that Susan Kephart said - it's the "meat and
> potatoes" of a vita that get you the interview.  The one exception
> would be
> if you're applying for jobs at small colleges where the open position
> may be
> the only ecologist in the dept.  However, in those cases it probably
> would
> be best to put the relevant info in your application letter.  Also
> your
> letters of reference should be commenting on the importance and
> relevance of
> your pubs.  Finally, I'll bring up my pet peeve the "In Preparation"
> section.  Frankly, I don't think that I've served on a search committee
> in
> which jokes weren't made about the vita's that had 1-2 publications and
> then
> a list of 5+ mss. "in preparation".  If you don't have it in ms. form
> so
> that you can send it to the search committee with your application,
> then
> don't put it on your vita.  By contrast, your application letter would
> be an
> appropriate place to describe your publication strategy for your
> dissertation work, but do it 

Assistant Professor

[Abraham Miller-Rushing]

*Quantitative Phylogenetics/Comparative Methods, UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA, DAVIS* -- The College of Biological Sciences, University of
California, Davis invites applications and nominations for a
tenure-track position in the Section of Evolution and Ecology at the
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR level.  Candidates must have a Ph.D. (or equivalent)
in the biological sciences or related fields.  Candidates should have a
strong record of research applying phylogenetics to problems in
evolution and/or ecology.  We will give particular attention to
applicants who are both developing and applying quantitative
phylogenetic methods. The successful candidate will be expected to teach
in the section's undergraduate program and the graduate program of the
Population Biology Graduate Group.  Applicants should submit materials
online at http://www2.eve.ucdavis.edu/jobs/. These should include:
curriculum vita, description of current and projected research, summary
of teaching interests and experience, and up to five publications.
Applicants should also arrange to have three referees submit supporting
letters online at the above website.  Closing Date:  Open until filled,
but all application materials, including letters of recommendation, must
be received by *October 15, 2007,* to assure full consideration.
Administrative contact:  Barbara Shaneyfelt ([EMAIL PROTECTED]
). Faculty contacts: Bradley Shaffer
and Peter Wainwright. /The University of California is an Equal
Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer/ /with a strong institutional
commitment to the development of a climate that supports equality of
opportunity and respect for differences./

Re: Number of times cited in a CV?

[Brian Todd]

Greetings all,
Gary brings up an interesting topic that I would like to hear more
about from other colleagues: the concept of single large versus several
small (sounds like a Conservation Biology topic actually), or more
accurately: single large verus several small + single large.

All else being equal, if an applicant has 10 manuscripts in regional
journals and 3 in top-tier journals, versus the same applicant with only
3 manuscripts in top-tier journals, would one be preferred in lieu of
the other? I understand the "Selected Publications" trick where an
applicant can avoid listing the smaller publications, but I reject the
notion that an applicant must do that to remain competitive. It has been
suggested to me that publishing in smaller journals is sometimes viewed
negatively regardless of your other important publications.

I hope it is not the case that publications in regional or
organism-specific journals are automatically assumed to be of lower
quality. It is more likely the case that the scope of the article and
the intended audience is simply narrower. I've always been perplexed at
how some people view publication in smaller journals to mean the science
or research is less rigorous, or the quality of writing poorer. It is
very likely true that most ecologists fit into a finer speciality
beneath the broad topic of ecology and, correspondingly, have research
and data on entomology, botany, ornithology, etc. that are equal in
rigor to their "bigger picture" manuscripts but perhaps less deserving
of publication before a broad audience. Should they be penalized for
taking the initiative to publish their data? I have alternatively heard
it argued that we have an obligation to treat all our data as important
and to publish them with consideration and diligence, provided the data
are accurate and the methods appropriate.

In contrast, when I review a CV where a person has three major
publications, each separated by 2- or 3-year intervals where they
haven't published, I often wonder if they have trouble remaining focused
and  productive or if they have had difficulty carrying their field
research to fruition.

Thanks for any additional perspective,
Brian

Brian D. Todd
The University of Georgia
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
Drawer E
Aiken, SC 29802
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/staff/BTodd.htm
office: 803.725.0422
fax: 803.725.3309


>>> "Dr. Gary Grossman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 8/23/2007 9:25 AM >>>
I agree with everything that Susan Kephart said - it's the "meat and
potatoes" of a vita that get you the interview.  The one exception
would be
if you're applying for jobs at small colleges where the open position
may be
the only ecologist in the dept.  However, in those cases it probably
would
be best to put the relevant info in your application letter.  Also
your
letters of reference should be commenting on the importance and
relevance of
your pubs.  Finally, I'll bring up my pet peeve the "In Preparation"
section.  Frankly, I don't think that I've served on a search committee
in
which jokes weren't made about the vita's that had 1-2 publications and
then
a list of 5+ mss. "in preparation".  If you don't have it in ms. form
so
that you can send it to the search committee with your application,
then
don't put it on your vita.  By contrast, your application letter would
be an
appropriate place to describe your publication strategy for your
dissertation work, but do it in a way that the committee can see that
you're
not bsing.  For example, a throwaway line like "these studies should
result
in 4 major publications in international journals" is meaningless in
comparison to several lines describing the content of each future paper
and
where you might send them.  The truth is most anything that appears to
be
"padding" on a vita will elicit a negative response from some members
of a
search committee, although what constitutes padding will vary among
members.  Finally, I would make one minor comment on Susan's post
regarding
having lots of small papers.  Although search committee's like to see
a
graduate student that publishes, if you have too many short papers then
it
may appear that you're more interested in numbers of publications
rather
than producing fewer high quality publications.  This would certainly
be a
negative impression to leave the search committee with. IMO, most R1
institutions would favor a candidate with three papers in major
journals
like Ecology, Oecologia, Am. Nat. etc. over someone with 10 small
papers all
in regional journals.  In conclusion, I would urge graduate students to
work
on their vita and application letter.  Those are the first things the
search
committee's see and typically get you from the  "pile" into the short
list.
Many searches don't ask for recommendations for applicants who don't
make it
on the short list, so you can't count on those to carry the day.  You'd
be
surprised how many applications we see with poorly organized vitas,
grammatical errors i

Re: Mosquito control, DDT etc. - boundaries and scales

[Paul Cherubini]

Yes, Boundaries & Scales, but also Impact Tolerance
Standards.

Ecologists cannot make a mathematically valid
case that using a coffe cup size amount of DDT on the 
inside surfaces of homes in malaria prone countries 
every 6-12 months could ever have more than a negligible 
adverse impact on the health of the humans and wildlife 
living outside of the homes. 

But by advocating a zero adverse impact standard, some
affluent ecologists and eco-activists from malaria free
countries can justify genocidal policies against poorer 
countries (deny them access to life saving DDT).

Paul Cherubini
El Dorado, Calif.

Re: Number of times cited in a CV?

[Malcolm McCallum]

Although we are currently forced to play this game, everyone should read
this article that was first brought to my attention by Ken Dodd.  If you
want a pdf copy, email me.  It is excellent reading for those in
administrative posts.  The article slams the issue of citation ratings
providing a solid arguement as to why they degrade the scientific process
rather than promote it.

Lawrence, P.A. The mismeasurement of science.  Current Biology 17(15):R584.

On Thu, August 23, 2007 7:25 am, William Silvert wrote:
> Alas, Susan is attacking one of the most prized strategies for achieving
> fame in science -- publish papers with errors, which will draw critical
> responses and generate tons of citations.
>
> Bill Silvert
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Susan Kephart" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: 
> Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 8:01 AM
> Subject: Re: Number of times cited in a CV?
>
>
>> Dear Jonathan:
>>
>> Below is my  quick response on "cited X time" in CV's. Others may
>> view this practice differently of course, depending on the
>> institution perhaps:
>>
>> I've been on search committees for many years, and have seen this
>> practice  increasingly in recent years in applications for tenure
>> track positions in liberal arts institutions that emphasize both
>> research and teaching. For our searches at least,  I consider it an
>> unnecessary use of the applicant's time and don't recall that topic
>> ever coming up as a positive  in a committee meeting.  At the pre-
>> interview stage, my colleagues and I tend to be much more interested
>> in the caliber of the paper, the rigor of peer review for the journal
>> it is published in, comments on that person's research from faculty
>> mentors/recommenders whose own work is highly regarded, and most
>> importantly , the ability of the author to write cogently about the
>> significance of his or her research, as well as how that research
>> might be continued and developed in the future.  A few strong papers
>> in excellent journals on a CV, and a pdf of an exemplar paper can go
>> a long way towards shifting someone's application up a notch than how
>> many times a paper is cited IMHO .  . Folks on the search committee
>> should be discriminating enough to recognize stellar contributions to
>> the literature without being alerted to citation frequency, or look
>> it up for themselves if they care.   Many citations can either mean
>> a top notch research effort that is well-respected or just a popular
>> topic too (which has some value at times in relation to funding).
>> Also, lots of  minor papers or ones where the author is rarely first
>> or second author are fine for folks who just completed a PhD and are
>> hunting short term sabbatical or post-doc positions but  not for
>> tenure track positions in general.
>


Malcolm L. McCallum
Assistant Professor of Biology
Editor Herpetological Conservationa and Biology
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Research Fellowship Opportunity Beginning Fall 2008

[Bernadette Hanlon]

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) seeks applicants for our
NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) program,
"Water in the Urban Environment." Solutions to complex problems associated
with the effect of urbanization on the water cycle require integrated
ecological, economic and engineering approaches, as well as innovations in
policy-making. This program is training a generation of graduate students to
understand these linkages and to be prepared to work in multidisciplinary
teams to improve understanding and management of urban environmental
systems. The program is centered on three interwoven themes: (1) urban
hydrology and contaminant transport; (2) urban biogeochemical cycles,
aquatic ecosystems, and human health; and (3) urban water policy,
management, and institutions.

The program takes advantage of the presence at UMBC of the field
headquarters of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (http://beslter.org), one of
two urban sites in the NSF Long-Term Ecological Research network;
partnerships with public agencies, nonprofits, and private consultants; and
proximity to the Chesapeake Bay, a coastal ecosystem severely affected by
urban land use change.

Applicants for IGERT Traineeships must be US citizens or permanent
residents.  Awardees accepted to one of nine participating PhD programs will
receive a stipend of $30,000 per year plus $10,500 cost-of-education
allowance. Applications for Fall 2008 are due February 1, 2008. For further
information see http://www.umbc.edu/cuere/igert or contact Bernadette
Hanlon, IGERT Coordinator at [EMAIL PROTECTED], or Prof. Claire Welty, IGERT
Program Director at [EMAIL PROTECTED]

The UMBC IGERT Program seeks the applications of minorities, women, and
individuals with disabilities.

Bernadette Hanlon
IGERT Program Coordinator
Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education University of
Maryland, Baltimore County
Tel: (410) 455-1762
www.umbc.edu/cuere

Re: Number of times cited in a CV?

[Dr. Gary Grossman]

I agree with everything that Susan Kephart said - it's the "meat and
potatoes" of a vita that get you the interview.  The one exception would be
if you're applying for jobs at small colleges where the open position may be
the only ecologist in the dept.  However, in those cases it probably would
be best to put the relevant info in your application letter.  Also your
letters of reference should be commenting on the importance and relevance of
your pubs.  Finally, I'll bring up my pet peeve the "In Preparation"
section.  Frankly, I don't think that I've served on a search committee in
which jokes weren't made about the vita's that had 1-2 publications and then
a list of 5+ mss. "in preparation".  If you don't have it in ms. form so
that you can send it to the search committee with your application, then
don't put it on your vita.  By contrast, your application letter would be an
appropriate place to describe your publication strategy for your
dissertation work, but do it in a way that the committee can see that you're
not bsing.  For example, a throwaway line like "these studies should result
in 4 major publications in international journals" is meaningless in
comparison to several lines describing the content of each future paper and
where you might send them.  The truth is most anything that appears to be
"padding" on a vita will elicit a negative response from some members of a
search committee, although what constitutes padding will vary among
members.  Finally, I would make one minor comment on Susan's post regarding
having lots of small papers.  Although search committee's like to see a
graduate student that publishes, if you have too many short papers then it
may appear that you're more interested in numbers of publications rather
than producing fewer high quality publications.  This would certainly be a
negative impression to leave the search committee with. IMO, most R1
institutions would favor a candidate with three papers in major journals
like Ecology, Oecologia, Am. Nat. etc. over someone with 10 small papers all
in regional journals.  In conclusion, I would urge graduate students to work
on their vita and application letter.  Those are the first things the search
committee's see and typically get you from the  "pile" into the short list.
Many searches don't ask for recommendations for applicants who don't make it
on the short list, so you can't count on those to carry the day.  You'd be
surprised how many applications we see with poorly organized vitas,
grammatical errors in application letters, etc. which result in low rankings
when evaluated.

cheers, g2


Gary D. Grossman


Distinguished Research Professor - Animal Ecology
Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources
University of Georgia
Athens, GA, USA 30602

http://www.arches.uga.edu/~grossman

Board of Editors - Animal Biodiversity and Conservation
Editorial Board - Freshwater Biology
Editorial Board - Ecology Freshwater Fish

Job - Environmental Science Position

[Helen Hull-Sanders]

I am posting this job as a favor for the Buffalo Science Museum.  Please do not 
respond to me.  Thank you.

Position title  Environmental Scientist 

Department  Science and Collections

Supervisor  Director of Science and Collections

Status  Full time

Salary  $35,000 to $45,000

Tifft Nature Preserve represents the Buffalo Museum of Science’s living 
collection of plants and animals in a unique urban ecology comprising a 
recovering Brownfield with an intact wetland. These ecological resources are 
used to expand public understanding and appreciation of how plants and animals 
sustain the environment and assist in the recovery of human impacted 
landscapes. The preserve is used for passive recreation, educational 
programming, and research. To maintain overall environmental integrity of the 
preserve, all recreational, research, and educational activities must be 
integrated within a scientifically informed management plan. The Environmental 
Scientist will be responsible for ensuring the environmental and management 
integrity of the preserve as a platform for environmental research and 
programming as well as develop research and research partners.

Specific Responsibilities:
• Assist the Director of Science and Collections in developing a preserve 
management plan
• Carry out preserve management, habitat protection and restoration, and 
other activities
• Conduct and lead environmental management or ecological research 
activities
• Develop research or management partnerships with universities, colleges 
and institutions to lead and coordinate an environmental research program
• Develop research and preserve management grants
• Develop public and volunteer participation in research
• Support and contribute to Center for Science Learning educational 
programming

Priorities
• Tifft preserve management
• Grant development to support research and management programs (such as 
habitat restoration)
• Research program to support education about ecological processes 
affecting environmental management
• Support and collaborate with educational programming

Qualifications
• At least Masters in environmental Science, ecology, or related field. 
PhD preferred.

Applicant qualities
• Self-motivator, ability to work independently
• Excellent communication skills – oral, written, group and individual 
of all ages
• Work well in a collaborative, team environment. 
• Committed to institutional success

Skills and Experience
• Field Ecology or environmental management
• Interest or background in aquatic ecology or landscape ecology 
desirable. 
• Experience with invasive species management desirable. 
• Able to work with ecology of both plants and animals. 
• GIS experience helpful. 

Please send application letter, names of two references, and cv or resume by 
email to:

Dr. John Grehan
Director of Science and Collections
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Buffalo Museum of Science
1020 Humboldt Parkway
Buffalo, NY 14211
Phone: (716) 8965200

Re: Mosquito control, DDT etc. - boundaries and scales

[Ashwani Vasishth]

Staying alive today trumps all other concerns, in most cases.  To that extent, 
a bias toward short-term thinking is both normal and natural.  The important 
point is that, while an excessive present-orientedness can jeopardize our long 
term prospects, short term thinking is not aberrant thinking.  This matters 
because it implies that we can never rest in our efforts to push folks to see 
the follies of an excessive present-orientedness.  Its a problem that we should 
not expect to see "solved", but rather should see as perpetual.

This is why ecologists are precious to society--there is a genuine value to 
thinking ecologically (paying attention to context and to consequence).  And 
people who are good at thinking ecologically will be necessary to each 
generation.  Throughout time.  This is one of those phenomena that we will 
never "solve", but rather are constrained to engage on an on-going basis.  If 
we do evolve to be superior creatures, it will be millennia from now. 

All this is in response to Bill's lament about the lack of a "solution to the 
problem of getting society to balance short-term benefits against long-term 
consequences."  The reason we had to invent adaptive management is because 
there is genuinely a class of problems that will never be "solved" but which 
must continuously be engaged.  (See, for instance, Rittel and Webber on "wicked 
problems" 
.)

People that propagate the use of DDT fall into two categories, it seems to me.  
There are those who are guilty of making incomplete descriptions, and there are 
those who are ideologically opposed to the regulatory framework that emerged 
out of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.  The former are, I suspect, blinkered by 
the manifest urgency of saving human lives that are being needlessly lost, and 
genuinely fail to see the long-term consequences of a renewed use of DDT.  The 
latter group, however, is likely not open to persuasion.  The best we can do is 
to act as a counter-weight in an effort to balance the whole.  That's the price 
for having learned to think ecologically.

Cheers,
-
  Ashwani
 Vasishth[EMAIL PROTECTED]  (818) 677-6137
http://www.csun.edu/~vasishth/
http://www.myspace.com/ashwanivasishth
   

At 12:41 PM +0100 8/23/07, William Silvert wrote:
>Ashwani raises a good and valid point, but one which also needs to be debated 
>on a broader scale. There are many things we do which will have long-term 
>consequences and we tend to ignore them. One clear and very long-term example 
>is the disposal of radioactive wastes, but what about PCBs and dioxins? Lead? 
>Mercury? Depletion of fossil fuels? Drug resistance fostered by heavy use of 
>antibiotics? Society tends not to take a long view, and I am not sure that 
>dealing with these issues on a chemical by chemical basis is the most 
>effective approach. Itis hard to see any solution to the problem of getting 
>society to balance short-term benefits against long-term consequences.
>
>Bill Silvert
>
>- Original Message - From: "Ashwani Vasishth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: 
>Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 11:18 PM
>Subject: Re: Mosquito control, DDT etc. - boundaries and scales
>
>>This on-going debate over the use of DDT to check the spread of malaria is 
>>really a debate over boundaries and scales.  Different spatial, temporal and 
>>organizational boundaries around what each side thinks is the proper "problem 
>>space" are what make two quite opposing conclusions valid.
>>
>>We can bound the problem space to the hut in question, at the time-scale of a 
>>mosquito's life span or to the life cycle of malarial infection, and in the 
>>limited context of "malaria control" that reduces the number of deaths from 
>>infection, and come to the conclusion that using DDT in specific cases (the 
>>so-called "indoor use" strategy--which assumes that DDT ceases to exist once 
>>it has been sprayed on walls and has done its job of repelling mosquitos) 
>>makes sense.
>>
>>We can alternatively bound the problem space to the level of the ecosphere, 
>>at the time scale of decades or centuries (which sees that DDT continues to 
>>work long after it has "done its job" of repelling mosquitos), and in the 
>>broader context of organisms other than mosquitos (such as women who develop 
>>breast cancer, or seabirds that lay eggs without shells, or sex reversal in 
>>fish, or the adverse impacts on polar bears or penguins), and come to the 
>>clear conclusion that this is not at all a good idea.
>>
>>Saying that using DDT is not a good idea is not at all the same thing as 
>>saying lets not be bothered about the horrific number of infants and adults 
>>who succumb to malaria each year.  We must indeed act forcefully to check 
>>this manageable disease, but we must act in a way that takes account of 
>>ecological context and ecospheric consequence.
>>
>>Ch

Re: Number of times cited in a CV?

[William Silvert]

Alas, Susan is attacking one of the most prized strategies for achieving 
fame in science -- publish papers with errors, which will draw critical 
responses and generate tons of citations.

Bill Silvert

- Original Message - 
From: "Susan Kephart" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 8:01 AM
Subject: Re: Number of times cited in a CV?


> Dear Jonathan:
>
> Below is my  quick response on "cited X time" in CV's. Others may
> view this practice differently of course, depending on the
> institution perhaps:
>
> I've been on search committees for many years, and have seen this
> practice  increasingly in recent years in applications for tenure
> track positions in liberal arts institutions that emphasize both
> research and teaching. For our searches at least,  I consider it an
> unnecessary use of the applicant's time and don't recall that topic
> ever coming up as a positive  in a committee meeting.  At the pre-
> interview stage, my colleagues and I tend to be much more interested
> in the caliber of the paper, the rigor of peer review for the journal
> it is published in, comments on that person's research from faculty
> mentors/recommenders whose own work is highly regarded, and most
> importantly , the ability of the author to write cogently about the
> significance of his or her research, as well as how that research
> might be continued and developed in the future.  A few strong papers
> in excellent journals on a CV, and a pdf of an exemplar paper can go
> a long way towards shifting someone's application up a notch than how
> many times a paper is cited IMHO .  . Folks on the search committee
> should be discriminating enough to recognize stellar contributions to
> the literature without being alerted to citation frequency, or look
> it up for themselves if they care.   Many citations can either mean
> a top notch research effort that is well-respected or just a popular
> topic too (which has some value at times in relation to funding).
> Also, lots of  minor papers or ones where the author is rarely first
> or second author are fine for folks who just completed a PhD and are
> hunting short term sabbatical or post-doc positions but  not for
> tenure track positions in general. 

Re: Mosquito control, DDT etc. - boundaries and scales

[William Silvert]

Ashwani raises a good and valid point, but one which also needs to be 
debated on a broader scale. There are many things we do which will have 
long-term consequences and we tend to ignore them. One clear and very 
long-term example is the disposal of radioactive wastes, but what about PCBs 
and dioxins? Lead? Mercury? Depletion of fossil fuels? Drug resistance 
fostered by heavy use of antibiotics? Society tends not to take a long view, 
and I am not sure that dealing with these issues on a chemical by chemical 
basis is the most effective approach. Itis hard to see any solution to the 
problem of getting society to balance short-term benefits against long-term 
consequences.

Bill Silvert

- Original Message - 
From: "Ashwani Vasishth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 11:18 PM
Subject: Re: Mosquito control, DDT etc. - boundaries and scales


> This on-going debate over the use of DDT to check the spread of malaria is 
> really a debate over boundaries and scales.  Different spatial, temporal 
> and organizational boundaries around what each side thinks is the proper 
> "problem space" are what make two quite opposing conclusions valid.
>
> We can bound the problem space to the hut in question, at the time-scale 
> of a mosquito's life span or to the life cycle of malarial infection, and 
> in the limited context of "malaria control" that reduces the number of 
> deaths from infection, and come to the conclusion that using DDT in 
> specific cases (the so-called "indoor use" strategy--which assumes that 
> DDT ceases to exist once it has been sprayed on walls and has done its job 
> of repelling mosquitos) makes sense.
>
> We can alternatively bound the problem space to the level of the 
> ecosphere, at the time scale of decades or centuries (which sees that DDT 
> continues to work long after it has "done its job" of repelling 
> mosquitos), and in the broader context of organisms other than mosquitos 
> (such as women who develop breast cancer, or seabirds that lay eggs 
> without shells, or sex reversal in fish, or the adverse impacts on polar 
> bears or penguins), and come to the clear conclusion that this is not at 
> all a good idea.
>
> Saying that using DDT is not a good idea is not at all the same thing as 
> saying lets not be bothered about the horrific number of infants and 
> adults who succumb to malaria each year.  We must indeed act forcefully to 
> check this manageable disease, but we must act in a way that takes account 
> of ecological context and ecospheric consequence.
>
> Cheers,
> -
>  Ashwani
> Vasishth[EMAIL PROTECTED]  (818) 677-6137
>http://www.csun.edu/~vasishth/
>http://www.myspace.com/ashwanivasishth
>
>
> At 10:36 PM -0400 8/21/07, Jane Shevtsov wrote:
>>Interesting. I just read about bednets with permethrin included in the 
>>fabric being very effective in malaria prevention. Unlike nets that are 
>>simply soaked in insecticide, or DDT sprayed in homes, these nets last 
>>several years without needing recharging or replacement.
>>
>>I realize that malaria is a much bigger health concern in Africa than 
>>persistent pesticides are, but have any measurements been made of DDT 
>>concentrations in the tissues of people who live in treated houses? I 
>>suspect this would be most important for women.
>>
>>Jane 

Re: WEB-SITE - writing a paper and authorship

[Joanne Isaac]

Hi,
Not sure if it is the same website, but it sounds like Bill Foley's website at 
Australian National University (Botany and Zoology), which lists those five 
criteria, of which co-authors should have contributed to at least two.
Cheers
jo


Dr. Joanne L. Isaac
Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change
School of Marine and Tropical Biology
James Cook University
Townsville
QLD Australia

Tel:(+61) 07 47814439
Fax:(+61) 07 47251570
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]



"Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, 
responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and 
immature." 
Tom Robbins


 Original message 
>Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 17:36:37 -0400
>From: Brian Todd <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>  
>Subject: Re: writing a paper and authorship  
>To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>
>A few years ago when looking for graduate programs, I found one
>researcher's website who had, in my opinion, a good idea regarding
>coauthorship. I have been unable to relocate who the professor was or
>where his/her website is located. If anyone recognizes his/her suggested
>guidelines and has seen his/her site, please remind us of who it was.
>
>The researcher said there are five stages to any published manuscript,
>and in his/her lab, involvement in two stages is neccessary for
>co-authorship. Lead authorship is determined by the amount of work put
>in to the finished product in all stages. The five suggested stages
>were:
>
>1) Identifying the study question and methods
>2) Funding the study
>3) Performing the study
>4) Analyzing the results
>5) Writing the manuscript and steering it through peer review
>
>Regards,
>Brian
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Brian D. Todd
>The University of Georgia
>Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
>Drawer E
>Aiken, SC 29802
>email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/staff/BTodd.htm
>office: 803.725.0422
>fax: 803.725.3309

Re: Number of times cited in a CV?

[Susan Kephart]

Dear Jonathan:

Below is my  quick response on "cited X time" in CV's. Others may  
view this practice differently of course, depending on the  
institution perhaps:

I've been on search committees for many years, and have seen this  
practice  increasingly in recent years in applications for tenure  
track positions in liberal arts institutions that emphasize both  
research and teaching. For our searches at least,  I consider it an  
unnecessary use of the applicant's time and don't recall that topic  
ever coming up as a positive  in a committee meeting.  At the pre- 
interview stage, my colleagues and I tend to be much more interested  
in the caliber of the paper, the rigor of peer review for the journal  
it is published in, comments on that person's research from faculty  
mentors/recommenders whose own work is highly regarded, and most  
importantly , the ability of the author to write cogently about the  
significance of his or her research, as well as how that research  
might be continued and developed in the future.  A few strong papers  
in excellent journals on a CV, and a pdf of an exemplar paper can go  
a long way towards shifting someone's application up a notch than how  
many times a paper is cited IMHO .  . Folks on the search committee  
should be discriminating enough to recognize stellar contributions to  
the literature without being alerted to citation frequency, or look  
it up for themselves if they care.   Many citations can either mean   
a top notch research effort that is well-respected or just a popular  
topic too (which has some value at times in relation to funding).   
Also, lots of  minor papers or ones where the author is rarely first  
or second author are fine for folks who just completed a PhD and are  
hunting short term sabbatical or post-doc positions but  not for  
tenure track positions in general.

Hope this helps and good luck with your future research endeavors

Susan

On Aug 22, 2007, at 1:44 PM, Jonathan Greenberg wrote:

> I was chatting with a colleague of mine who was having a bit of  
> trouble
> getting jobs because rather than having a lot of minor  
> publications, he has
> a few HEAVILY cited papers -- I was wondering if any of you either  
> put a
> "Cited X times" next to each article in your CV's publication  
> section, or
> have seen people doing this?  Would those of you who are reading  
> CVs for
> potential applicants be interested in seeing these sort of statistics
> (derived from google scholar or science citation)?  Thanks!
>
> --j
>
> -- 
> Jonathan A. Greenberg, PhD
> Postdoctoral Scholar
> Center for Spatial Technologies and Remote Sensing (CSTARS)
> University of California, Davis
> One Shields Avenue
> The Barn, Room 250N
> Davis, CA 95616
> Cell: 415-794-5043
> AIM: jgrn307
> MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Re: writing a paper and authorship

[Ritchie, Euan G.]

People may also like to consider the 2/6 rule as outlined on Bill
Foley's website: http://www.anu.edu.au/BoZo/BillsLab/people.html=20

=20

Dr Euan Ritchie

Postdoctoral Researcher, Herpetology

Museum Victoria

Department of Sciences

GPO Box 666

Melbourne, VIC 3001

Australia

PH: INT + 61 3 8341 7538

FAX: INT + 61 3 8341 7442=20

Website:http://researchdata.museum.vic.gov.au/herpetology/

=20

*** Victorian Councillor, Ecological Society of Australia ***
=20

museumvictoria.com.au
This e-mail is solely for the named addressee and may be =
confidential.You should only read, disclose, transmit, copy, distribute, =
act in relianceon or commercialise the contents if you are authorised to =
do so. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, please =
notify [EMAIL PROTECTED] by e-mail immediately, or notify the =
sender and then destroy any copy of this message. Views expressed in =
this e-mailare those of the individual sender, except where specifically =
stated to be those of an officer of Museum Victoria. Museum Victoria =
does not represent,warrant or guarantee that the integrity of this =
communication has been maintained nor that it is free from errors, virus =
or interference.

Gene Expression Book

[Jessie Knapp]

Hi all,

I've never posted before, but I find the discussions quite interesting.

I'm looking to examine gene expression in reproducing fish, but I know
virtually nothing about the subject.  There are no profs who do this here,
so I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for good books?

Thanks,
Jessie Knapp

-- 
*
JM Knapp
Ph.D. Pre-Candidate
Large Pelagics Research Center
University of New Hampshire
603-862-2897
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Re: Mosquito control, DDT etc. - boundaries and scales

[Ashwani Vasishth]

This on-going debate over the use of DDT to check the spread of malaria is 
really a debate over boundaries and scales.  Different spatial, temporal and 
organizational boundaries around what each side thinks is the proper "problem 
space" are what make two quite opposing conclusions valid. 

We can bound the problem space to the hut in question, at the time-scale of a 
mosquito's life span or to the life cycle of malarial infection, and in the 
limited context of "malaria control" that reduces the number of deaths from 
infection, and come to the conclusion that using DDT in specific cases (the 
so-called "indoor use" strategy--which assumes that DDT ceases to exist once it 
has been sprayed on walls and has done its job of repelling mosquitos) makes 
sense. 

We can alternatively bound the problem space to the level of the ecosphere, at 
the time scale of decades or centuries (which sees that DDT continues to work 
long after it has "done its job" of repelling mosquitos), and in the broader 
context of organisms other than mosquitos (such as women who develop breast 
cancer, or seabirds that lay eggs without shells, or sex reversal in fish, or 
the adverse impacts on polar bears or penguins), and come to the clear 
conclusion that this is not at all a good idea.

Saying that using DDT is not a good idea is not at all the same thing as saying 
lets not be bothered about the horrific number of infants and adults who 
succumb to malaria each year.  We must indeed act forcefully to check this 
manageable disease, but we must act in a way that takes account of ecological 
context and ecospheric consequence.

Cheers,
-
  Ashwani
 Vasishth[EMAIL PROTECTED]  (818) 677-6137
http://www.csun.edu/~vasishth/
http://www.myspace.com/ashwanivasishth
   

At 10:36 PM -0400 8/21/07, Jane Shevtsov wrote:
>Interesting. I just read about bednets with permethrin included in the fabric 
>being very effective in malaria prevention. Unlike nets that are simply soaked 
>in insecticide, or DDT sprayed in homes, these nets last several years without 
>needing recharging or replacement.
>
>I realize that malaria is a much bigger health concern in Africa than 
>persistent pesticides are, but have any measurements been made of DDT 
>concentrations in the tissues of people who live in treated houses? I suspect 
>this would be most important for women.
>
>Jane
>
>William Silvert wrote:
>>Given the past discussions of DDT on this list, I thought the following item 
>>from the NY Times might be interesting to many of you.
>>
>>Bill Silvert
>>
>>August 20, 2007
>>Op-Ed Contributor
>>A New Home for DDT
>>By DONALD ROBERTS
>>Bethesda, Md.
>>
>>DDT, the miracle insecticide turned environmental bogeyman, is once again 
>>playing an important role in public health. In the malaria-plagued regions of 
>>Africa, where mosquitoes are becoming resistant to other chemicals, DDT is 
>>now being used as an indoor repellent. Research that I and my colleagues 
>>recently conducted shows that DDT is the most effective pesticide for 
>>spraying on walls, because it can keep mosquitoes from even entering the room.
>>
>>The news may seem surprising, as some mosquitoes worldwide are already 
>>resistant to DDT. But we've learned that even mosquitoes that have developed 
>>an immunity to being directly poisoned by DDT are still repelled by it.
>>
>>Malaria accounts for nearly 90 percent of all deaths from vector-borne 
>>disease globally. And it is surging in Africa, surpassing AIDS as the biggest 
>>killer of African children under age 5.
>>>From the 1940s onward, DDT was used to kill agricultural pests and
>>disease-carrying insects because it was cheap and lasted longer than other 
>>insecticides. DDT helped much of the developed world, including the United 
>>States and Europe, eradicate malaria. Then in the 1970s, after the 
>>publication of Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," which raised concern over 
>>DDT's effects on wildlife and people, the chemical was banned in many 
>>countries. Birds, especially, were said to be vulnerable, and the chemical 
>>was blamed for reduced populations of bald eagles, falcons and pelicans. 
>>Scientific scrutiny has failed to find conclusive evidence that DDT causes 
>>cancer or other health problems in humans.
>>
>>Today, indoor DDT spraying to control malaria in Africa is supported by the 
>>World Health Organization; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and 
>>Malaria; and the United States Agency for International Development.
>>
>>The remaining concern has been that the greater use of DDT in Africa would 
>>only lead mosquitoes to develop resistance to it. Decades ago, such 
>>resistance developed wherever DDT crop spraying was common. After the DDT 
>>bans went into effect in the United States and elsewhere, it continued to be 
>>used extensively for agriculture in Africa, and this exerted a powerful 
>>pressure on mosquitoes there to develop resistance.