Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[David Mellor]

Hello Kay,

My first job out of grad school (ecology and evolution) was advising
biology majors at a large public university. The vast majority were pre-med
or otherwise health focused. They had a requirement to take at least one
ecology course, and for those that were focused on health careers, this was
often their only ecology course. However, several of the ecology courses
did have a health-related course title (parasites, medicine, disease,
physiology, etc) and were often extremely popular among bio majors (some
would say too popular given the ratio of seats to students in many public
universities). This could suggest either a slight refocus of an existing
course, or perhaps a new ecology course that could very easily teach many
core ecology concepts with health related examples. I think many people on
this list serv would agree that knowledge of some core concepts in ecology
and evolution would be very useful among healthcare professionals, so I
think this is a reasonable action to consider. Good luck!

Best,
David

David Mellor 
Center for Open Science 
@EvoMellor 


On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 11:23 AM, Kay Shenoy 
wrote:

> Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology
> undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly
> focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology
> “unimportant” for their future careers, and it is not addressed in the
> MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase
> enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do not
> have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!
>

[ECOLOG-L] AASHE webinar: Biodiversity-friendly campuses

[Daita Serghi]

Dear All,

Please join us for the third webinar of the year, next Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 
3:00-4:30 p.m. ET. Speakers of "Biodiversity-friendly campuses" will explore 
different approaches to creating naturalized areas to protect and increase the 
local biodiversity including using long grasses, shrubs, and native trees to 
support pollinators, salmon, and other wildlife. 
Learn more and register here: 
http://www.aashe.org/events/webinars/2016/AASHE-2016-Award-Winner-Webinar-Series-3.
 AASHE webinars are free.

Missed a webinar? Video recordings and presentation materials are available for 
AASHE members in the webinar archive at any time. Not a member? Join AASHE 
today!

Daita

--
Daita Serghi, PhD
Programs Coordinator
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
www.aashe.org | daita.ser...@aashe.org | (888) 347-9997 ext. 124


-- 
Join us in Baltimore, Maryland from Oct. 9 - 12 for the AASHE 2016 
Conference & Expo, themed Beyond the Campus. Call for proposals and 
reviewers now open !

Connect with us:   Website  | Facebook 
 | Twitter 
 | LinkedIn 


--
Email Confidentiality Notice 

Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Steve Young]

Create an innovative and highly engaging course that combines the two
disciplines and then get support from an existing degree program at your
institution. Once it is approved by the curriculum committee, promote it
widely. After a couple of years, make it available online through your
institution¹s distance degree program. Although not as easy as it sounds,
most institutions are very interested in courses that are
cross-disciplinary and target a broader audience by relating the
fundamentals to topics of increasing societal interest. Just need to think
outside-the-box. 

Steve





On 2/1/16, 11:23 AM, "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on
behalf of Kay Shenoy"  wrote:

>Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology
>undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly
>focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology
>³unimportant² for their future careers, and it is not addressed in the
>MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase
>enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do not
>have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!

[ECOLOG-L] Volunteer Environmental Coordinator in Somaliland

[Stephen Johnson]

Hello ECOLOG community!

Candlelight for Environment, Education, and Health, a local Somaliland
nonprofit is looking for a volunteer environmental coordinator to help
expand our environment program!

*About:*

We are a non-profit organization based in Somaliland. We strive to bring
about positive changes in communities through an assortment of
interventions focusing on environmental conservation, provision of quality
education to women and youth, and awareness creation on health issues
including reproductive health.

Our vision is to be recognized and respected as a local organization that
continues to nurture Somaliland communities that environmentally conscious,
literate, healthy, economically self-reliant, and peaceful.

Somaliland ceded from the Union with Somalia in 1991. Since then, even
though the country did not receive international political recognition, it
has been enjoying in peace and stability for over two decades now.

Candlelight has been active in the field of environment since year 2000 and
is known for its dedication to the environmental work. Candlelight has also
a long track record in the natural resource management projects
implementation and has carried out a number of researches in this field.
Its unique way of working enabled it to forge good working relationship
with its stakeholders including the communities, the local authorities and
funding agencies. In addition, Candlelight effectively participated in a
number of initiatives in developing environmental policies and regulatory
frameworks such as acts at national level, most notably the National
Environment Policy and the National Environmental Act.

The livelihood of the vast majority of Somali people is intertwined and
mainly dependent on the access to, and use of terrestrial resources,
livestock being the dominant production system upon which the Somali
economy and culture are based. Ecological degradation and land misuse
or/and overuse leads to decreased productivity, which will, in turn, have a
negative social-economic impacts on the communities, directly affecting the
rural people.

*Volunteering:*

We are looking for a Volunteer to help the environment department of our
organization improve its service delivery. The team consists of a number of
project officers leading different projects in the areas of water, range
management, renewable energy, humanitarian work and disaster risk
management. Work varies but mostly you will be involved in leading the team
coordination in the environment department and polishing narrative reports.
We also want the volunteer to help in the grant writing initiatives of the
organisation, particularly in the areas of environment/agriculture and
livelihoods in general. We are looking for a volunteer for at least 3
months, and for longer if you are available.

While most of the time you will be based in the main office, you will
regularly do field travels with the company of the program staff – a good
chance to learn more about the country and its people, while at the same
time your will be offering your expertise.

Also, you will also be provided an opportunity to learn Somali language for
free.

Housing and a stipend are provided. The position is open until filled.


*How to Apply*
If you would like to participate send us a message and your CV to
fardusj...@candlelightsom.org or chat with us on skype fardus.awil059 or
whats app +252 63 4421059. For more information on the organization please
see our website www.candlelightsomal.org

[ECOLOG-L] Ecology Field Research Interns

[Artur Stefanski]

Positions Available: 

Ecology Field Research Interns
B4Warmed Overview:
Northern Minnesota is a focal point of potential climate warming impacts bec
because it sits at the transition between boreal and temperate forest bio
biomes.  B4WARMED (Boreal Forest Warming at an Ecotone in Danger) is a uni
unique manipulative experiment that warms plants and soil in the field to exa
examine tree seedling and germinant response to warming with respect to phy
physiology, phenology, growth, and survival. For more information: htt
http://forestecology.cfans.umn.edu/Research/B4WARMED/index.htm

Position overview:
We seek undergraduate or newly graduated students with a background or 
interest in biology, ecology, environmental science, forestry, or a related 
field for paid field research internships ($10/hr). Interns are needed prima
primarily from the middle/end of March through October/November. Work days are e
are eight hours Monday through Friday, however some tasks require early morni
morning, evening, or weekend work. A valid driver’s license is required. Perso
Personal vehicles helpful but not required. Variety of tasks to be compl
completed, though tree biometric measurements in the field will be the main 
focus
focus. Time will be split between data collection, site maintenance, and occas
occasional laboratory work.  

Responsibilities: 
•   Collect biotic and abiotic data in field and laboratory settings in ac
accordance with established protocols 
•   Measure plant growth, physiology, and phenology
•   Routine maintenance of field sites, field instruments, and research 
equipment, including a Licor 6400xt. 
•   Lab work includes data entry, biomass assessments and leaf area analys
analysis 
•   Aiding principle investigators and graduate students as needed.

Desired qualifications: 1) Eagerness to work hard in an outdoor setting. 2) Cap
Capacity to collect data following established protocols. 3) Familiarity wit
with plant and tree species of northern Minnesota. 4) Willingness to work wel
well and play well with others. 5) Curiosity and passion for the natural wor
world. 6) Flexibility to adapt to a frequently changing schedule. 

Research sites: 
Field work will be split between research sites at the Cloquet Forestry 
Center in Cloquet, MN (http://cfc.cfans.umn.edu/) and the Hubachek Wi
Wilderness Research Center near Ely, MN.  Both research sites are in be
beautiful forested settings and provide access to the natural areas of no
northern Minnesota including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Tr
Travel between sites will be necessary. An individual’s home base may be at ei
either of these locations and will be determined by the site management and wo
workload. On-site housing with cooking facilities is available for a small fe
fee.
 

Application:
Applications are due February 29, after which they will be reviewed and potenti
potential candidates will be contacted for a phone interview. Hiring decisio
decisions will be made by the end of March. Please send cover letter (includ
(including available working dates), one-page resume, and contact informa
information for two references electronically to:

Artur Stefanski
stefa...@umn.edu 
Department of Forest Resources
University of Minnesota 
St Paul, MN 55108 USA

Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Ryan McEwan]

One idea for engaging students who are more medically oriented is to
leverage current events.  If you can flex enough in your class, you can
"ride the waves" of current events to good effect in most semesters.  Sadly
enough, there are enough ongoing crises with Ecological underpinnings that
material is plentiful.

As an example, the current global concern over Zika virus provides a real
natural bridge for medically oriented students into Ecology.  Zika is
vectored by mosquitoes, which have an aquatic life phase, so the disease
dynamics are linked to basic ecology: population dynamics, symbiosis,
terrestrial-aquatic linkages and subsidies, land-use change, and really a
whole suite of aquatic biology issues related to macroinvertebrate
populations.  Start a lecture with Zika and end up talking about aquatic
food webs, or even River Continuum Concept, etc.

Good luck,
Ryan




*​Ryan W. McEwan, PhD*

*Associate Professor of Ecology*

*Environmental Biology Program Director*



*Department of Biology University of Dayton 300 College Park, Dayton,
OH  45469-2320 *



*Lab: mcewanlab.org
Email:  ryan.mce...@udayton.edu
*

*Office phone: 1.937.229.2558**Office Location:  Science Center 223D*





On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 11:23 AM, Kay Shenoy 
wrote:

> Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology
> undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly
> focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology
> “unimportant” for their future careers, and it is not addressed in the
> MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase
> enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do not
> have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!
>

Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[David Inouye]

I tried to address your point in an editorial I wrote in Science a 
few months ago, mentioning


"Early ecologists who thought about principles governing plant and 
animal communities never imagined that their ideas would provide the 
foundation for understanding the human microbiome, affecting our 
nutrition, immune system, and even psychological state. The new field 
of synthetic ecology, in which ecologists and medical professionals 
design beneficial microbial communities, has its origins in 
century-old ecological field studies. These examples foretell how the 
roles of ecologists and the applications of ecological principles are 
likely to change in the next century, and why medical students and 
practitioners need to understand ecology."


Gut, mouth, and skin microbiomes and their ecology are relevant to 
health professions. Population biology and demography are important 
components too, and understanding how lead, mercury, environmental 
estrogens, and endocrine disruptors get into the environment and then 
affect consumers (and patients) is highly relevant.


http://science.sciencemag.org/content/349/6248/565.full

You wrote:
Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology
undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly
focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology
"unimportant" for their future careers, and it is not addressed in the
MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase
enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do not
have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!

[ECOLOG-L] TAships at U. Nevada Reno: geography, ecology, and more...

[Thomas P Albright]

The Department of Geography at the University of Nevada, Reno
(http://www.unr.edu/geography) invites applications for Masters and PhD degree 
programs and teaching assistantships beginning in Fall 2016. Teaching 
assistantships include a competitive stipend, tuition remission, and health and 
other benefits. The application deadline has been extended to February 15th, 
2016. Applications can be submitted online here: 
http://www.unr.edu/grad/admissions.

UNR Geography supports research in human geography, and bio- & physical 
geography, human-environment geography, and geospatial technologies. Faculty 
and students work in an interdisciplinary setting with scholars across the 
department and beyond, including Colleges of Science, College Liberal Arts, 
College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources, Division of 
Health Sciences, the Desert Research Institute, and various agencies.

Reno is a dynamic and culturally-rich mid-sized city located at the edge of the 
Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains and the 100s of mountain ranges and basins that 
comprise the Great Basin. We enjoy easy access to Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, and 
numerous wilderness areas, wildlife refuges, national parks, and ski areas. 
http://www.unr.edu/about/reno-and-lake-tahoe

The following faculty are currently accepting applications. Please contact them.

Scott Bassett: Urban-wildland interactions, urban ecology, arid conservation 
biology, environmental planning, GIS; sbass...@unr.edu

Kate Berry: Water law and intergovernmental relations in water conflict, 
cultural politics of water, indigenous geographies, ethnic geographies 
(particularly interested in student applicants from Indigenous communities, 
including the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and Nevada tribal members); 
kbe...@unr.edu

Douglas Boyle: Climate and water resources modeling, Paleoclimate watershed 
modeling, lake and glacial systems, snow hydrology field observations and 
modeling; dougl...@unr.edu

Jessie Clark: Political geography and geopolitics, feminist theory, security, 
experiences of statelessness, Middle East; 
jessiecl...@unr.edu

Adam Csank: Palaeoclimatology; dendrochronology; biogeochemistry; Arctic 
climate and global change (past and present); 
adam.cs...@dri.edu

Jill Heaton: Biogeography, Africa, Mojave Desert, arid environments, 
herpetology (lizards and tortoises), GIS, spatial statistics; 
jhea...@unr.edu

Stephanie McAfee: Applied climatology, downscaling, high-latitude climate; 
smca...@unr.edu

Kerri-Jean Ormerod: Political ecology, hazards and risk perception, water 
supply, water recycling, sanitation, common sense, and Q Methodology; 
korme...@unr.edu



Thomas P. Albright
Assistant Professor

Laboratory for Conservation Biogeography
Department of Geography
& Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology

University of Nevada, Reno
104A (office)/209 (lab) Mackay Science Hall - Mailstop 0154
Reno, NV 89557-0154

office: +1 775-784-6673 | lab: +1 775-784-6671 | fax: +1 775-784-1058

e-mail: talbri...@unr.edu | Twitter: @AlbrightLCB
http://wolfweb.unr.edu/~talbright/LCB

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Special Issue: "Land and Food Policy"

[BEATTY Craig]

Hi Ecologers.

After passing long this note it has been suggested by some colleagues not to 
submit articles to journals published by MDPI. They directed me to the 
following reviews, which question MDPI's business practices.

http://scholarlyoa.com/2014/02/18/chinese-publishner-mdpi-added-to-list-of-questionable-publishers/
http://scholarlyoa.com/2015/01/02/bealls-list-of-predatory-publishers-2015/


That said, I'm sure many of you have read and/or published great work in MDPI 
publications.

Cheers,

Craig R. Beatty
Programme Officer
International Union for Conservation of Nature
1630 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 300
Washington DC 20009
+1 (202) 518-2078
IUCN





From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news 
[mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Hossein Azadi
Sent: Monday, February 1, 2016 9:07 AM
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Special Issue: "Land and Food Policy"

Dear colleagues,

Hope you are doing well.

I would be grateful if you could take a look at, and forward the following link 
(http://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/food_policy) to your 
network.

Kind regards,
Hossein
--
Hossein Azadi, PhD
Senior researcher
Department of Geography
Ghent University, Belgium
Email: hossein.az...@ugent.be
Tel: +32 (0)9 264 45 70
http://geoweb.ugent.be/seg/people/hazadina
Skype: hossein-azadi




This communication, together with any attachment, may contain confidential 
information and/or copyright material and is intended only for the person(s) to 
whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this 
communication, or if you received it in error, you are asked to kindly delete 
it and promptly notify us. Any review, copying, use, disclosure or distribution 
of any part of this communication, unless duly authorized by or on behalf of 
IUCN, is strictly forbidden.

[ECOLOG-L] Seeking Mentors for Early Career Mentoring Program, ESA 2016

[Sarah Supp]

The Early Career Ecologist Section is now accepting nominations mentors to
potentially work 1-on-1 with early career mentees in the Early Career
Mentoring Program to take place during the ESA 2016 Annual Meeting. If you
are interested and excited about mentoring, please consider volunteering!
Mentors wanted representing diverse career paths: academic, government,
non-profit, industry, and others. More information below and on our website:
http://esa.org/earlycareer/early-career-mentoring/

Time and Place:
7-12 August 2016, Ecological Society of America (ESA) Annual Meeting, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL, USA

Description:
Conferences provide unique opportunities for biologists to interact with
others in their field; however, these opportunities are rarely structured to
promote meaningful interactions between the next generation of integrative
ecologists and more senior scientists. Access to strong mentors both within
and outside of their main institution is critical for early career ecologist
support and for gaining the necessary skills to become a good mentor and to
move towards the next career stages. Our semi-formal mentoring program pairs
early career ecologists – advanced graduate students (within 1 year of
graduating) and recent post-graduates (within 3 years of obtaining their
degree) – with established ecologists (across career pathways) for the week
of the 2016 ESA Annual Meeting. 

Specifically, 10 early career ecologists who apply for the program will
receive funding to partially cover the cost of registration and will receive
one-on-one mentoring during the ESA Annual Meeting. Selected participants
will choose a mentor from our “Mentor Pool”: a diverse group of established
ecologists, across career paths, who will be attending ESA, have reputations
as strong mentors, and have volunteered for the opportunity to meet with
early career ecologists.

Mentors Needed:
Volunteer mentors across career pathways (e.g., research, teaching,
government, nonprofit) will be asked to interact with early career
ecologists seeking mentorship in professional development and work-life
challenges. Mentors will be placed in a “Mentor Pool” for the potential to
mentor one of the 10 early career participants. If paired with a specific
mentee, mentors will be asked to:

1) attend a mentee’s ESA talk and to provide positive, but critical,
evaluation and advice on presentation and communication, 
2) designate quality time (at least one hour) for one-on-one interactions
with the mentee, 
3) be open-minded towards discussing broader work-life issues, if the mentee
wishes, and to 
4) be open towards continuing to provide the mentee with opportunities to
expand their mentoring or collaboration networks after the meeting has ended. 

All mentors must commit to attending at least 3 full days of the ESA meeting
and are strongly encouraged to participate in one or more events aimed at
the broader early career ecologist group (e.g., informal mixers, workshops
or discussions on professional development; specific events TBA).

How to become a Mentor!
If you are interested in becoming a potential ESA Mentor and will be
attending the 2016 meeting, or would like to nominate a colleague, please
contact the Early Career Ecologist Section at earlycar...@esa.org, stating
your interest and motivations, no later than 8 pm PST on April 22, 2016.
Please include “2016 Early Career Mentor” in the email subject line. 

For more information:
Email: Early Career Ecologist Section (earlycar...@esa.org)
Twitter: @ESA_EarlyCareer
Website: http://esa.org/earlycareer/

[ECOLOG-L] 3 postdoc positions in ecology/ biodiversity research

[Matthias C. Rillig]

These positions are advertised within the framework of the BMBF-funded
project “Bridging in Biodiversity Science” (BIBS), a joint project at the
Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB;
www.bbib.org), more details on which can be found online at
http://www.bbib.org/bridging-in-biodiversity-science.html

Three postdoc positions (end date 28.2.2019) are available in the Rillig lab
(rilliglab.wordpress.com). See complete details at: https://t.co/yWeykSmTCC

Please send all application materials as one pdf per email to Matthias
Rillig (matthias.ril...@fu-berlin.de), indicating in the subject line the
position code (e.g., “Rillig-empirical”).

Position 1: RILLIG-empirical. Postdoc Aboveground-belowground trait
interactions; this is for empirical work on a greenhouse experiment.
Deadline forthcoming.

Positon 2: RILLIG-synthesis. The postdoc will be chiefly responsible for
carrying out a major synthesis/ conceptual task on “Synthesis of trait-based
approaches and plant-soil interactions in the context of rapid transitions”.
DEADLINE February 22, 2016.

Position 3: RILLIG-data. Postdoc for central data management and data-driven
synthesis. Deadline forthcoming.

Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Cochran-Stafira, D. Liane]

Hi Kay,
We have requirements for several categories of courses.  Two options for 
Genetics, several for organismal, for example, and 4 courses that meet the 
population, evolution requirement.  Ecology is one of the latter.  The students 
have a choice of Ecology, Evolution, Natural History of the Great Lakes Region 
or a course called Interactions in the Environment.  The last two are 
majors/non-majors courses with majors taking the required lab component.  This 
way, all students end up taking some sort of E course.  BTW, I teach all but 
the Interactions course.  That is taught by our Animal Behavioral person.  It 
seems to be a strategy that is working.  In fact, I typically have students who 
took Ecology or Natural History deciding to take another of the courses in E 
 Often, these are the very pre-health students who thought E was so useless - 
great attitude change!

Liane

*
Liane Cochran-Stafira, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Saint Xavier University
Department of Biological Sciences
3700 West 103rd Street
Chicago, IL  60655

Ph:773-298-3514
Fax:  773-298-3536
coch...@sxu.edu
http://faculty.sxu.edu/dlc1

-Original Message-
From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news 
[mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Kay Shenoy
Sent: Monday, February 01, 2016 10:24 AM
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology undergraduates? 
We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly focused on health-care 
fields; many students consider Ecology "unimportant" for their future careers, 
and it is not addressed in the MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How 
does one increase enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools 
that do not have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!

[ECOLOG-L] Accepting Applications for Early Career Mentoring Program, ESA 2016

[Sarah Supp]

The Early Career Ecologist Section is now accepting applications for the
Early Career Mentoring Program to take place during the ESA 2016 Annual
Meeting. If you are an advanced graduate student or within 3 years
post-grad, please consider applying! More information below and on our
website: http://esa.org/earlycareer/early-career-mentoring/

Time and Place:
7-12 August 2016, Ecological Society of America (ESA) Annual Meeting, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL, USA

Description:
Conferences provide unique opportunities for biologists to interact with
others in their field; however, these opportunities are rarely structured to
promote meaningful interactions between the next generation of integrative
ecologists and more senior scientists. Access to strong mentors both within
and outside of their main institution is critical for early career ecologist
support and for gaining the necessary skills to become a good mentor and to
move towards the next career stages. Our semi-formal mentoring program pairs
early career ecologists – advanced graduate students (within 1 year of
graduating) and recent post-graduates (within 3 years of obtaining their
degree) – with established ecologists in their desired career pathway, for
the week of the 2016 ESA Annual Meeting. 

Specifically, 10 early career ecologists who apply for the program will
receive funding to partially cover the cost of registration and will receive
one-on-one mentoring during the ESA Annual Meeting. Selected participants
will choose a mentor from our “Mentor Pool”: a diverse group of established
ecologists, across career paths, who will be attending ESA, have reputations
as strong mentors, and have volunteered for the opportunity to meet with
early career ecologists.

Mentoring Program:
The ESA Early Career Ecologist Section will support a mentoring program
aimed at advanced graduate students and recent postgrads to take place at
ESA 2016. This program will provide participants with the following benefits: 

1) an opportunity to receive evaluation and advice from their mentor on
their oral presentation (on any topic or in any session) at ESA, 
2) one-on-one interactions with a more senior scientist who will serve as a
career mentor, 
3) broad exposure of their professional profiles on the ESA (or other
hosted) webpage, and 
4) a continuing opportunity to expand their mentoring, and potentially
collaboration, networks after the meeting has ended. 

Applicants must commit to attending at least 3 full days of the ESA meeting
and to giving an oral presentation.

Financial Support:
Applicants accepted into the program will receive $200 reimbursement to
defray the cost of ESA registration fees and meeting-related expenses (e.g.,
travel and lodging). 

How to Apply:
Recent postgraduates or advanced graduate students applying for the Early
Career Mentoring Program should send 1 paragraph ( 300 words) on their
career aspirations and why they would specifically benefit from a mentoring
program, a copy of their oral presentation abstract submitted for ESA 2016,
and their current curriculum vitae to the Early Career Ecologist Section at
earlycar...@esa.org, combined into a single PDF file. Applicants must also
be members of the Early Career Ecologist Section
(http://esa.org/earlycareer/join-us/). Emailed applications should have
“2016 Mentoring Application” in the email subject line.

Deadline: 8 pm PST on March 4, 2016

For more information:
Email: Early Career Ecologist Section (earlycar...@esa.org)
Twitter: @ESA_EarlyCareer
Website: http://esa.org/earlycareer/

Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Emily Moran]

If the question is “how do we get more students to see ecology as an 
interesting career path” rather than “how to we get premeds to take ecology 
classes”, the key seems to be to expose them to interesting uses of ecology and 
interesting ecological careers as early as possible.
In most schools, the kids who come in wanting to major in biology tend to say 
they are pre-med, in part because that is the only biology-related career they 
are aware of.  

One thing we’re trying at UCM is to have ladder-rank faculty give guest 
lectures in the intro bio class - along with delivering the basic material, we 
get the chance to tell students a little about our research and have the option 
of talking about how they can get involved in research, other classes they 
might consider if they like the ecology/evolution section of bio 1, or career 
paths.  It is too early yet to see if it is having much effect in recruiting 
students to the EEB track or environmental sciences major, but I know I got 
some good questions from students about options for including plant-related 
stuff in their educational and career trajectory.

Involving students in research and hands on projects in their freshman or 
sophomore year can also be a great way to stoke their interest in biology 
outside of a clinical setting.

Emily Moran
UC Merced

> 
> 
> On 2/1/16, 11:23 AM, "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on
> behalf of Kay Shenoy"  kay.yellowt...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology
>> undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly
>> focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology
>> ³unimportant² for their future careers, and it is not addressed in the
>> MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase
>> enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do not
>> have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!

[ECOLOG-L] Registration now open for MEEC 2016

[Amber Rock]

Dear colleagues,


MEEC 2016 will be held at Miami University in Oxford, OH on March 19-20.
Registration and abstract submission for the conference are now open and
can be completed here . Please note that
you must fill out two forms in order for your registration to be complete.
The first form will collect your presentation information and will direct
you to the second form (with payment portal) when completed.


We are also excited to offer some new events at MEEC 2016 - a mixer on
Friday evening and field trips on Sunday afternoon. Please check our website
 for more information, and be sure to sign
up for these events during registration.


Finally, information for reserving hotel rooms is available on our website and
on the registration page. Rooms have been reserved at three local hotels
and some great group rates are available. Be aware that these group rates
expire on *February 20th*, which is before registration closes, so be sure
to book soon!


MEEC registration closes February 29th. If you have questions about the
conference or have difficulty registering, please contact us at
meec2...@gmail.com.


We look forward to seeing you in Oxford!


Best,

- MEEC 2016 committee

[ECOLOG-L] Job opening: Research Assistant Professor (ecohydrological modeler)

[Jin Yao]

Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program (Jornada LTER) at New 
Mexico State University (NMSU) is hiring a Research Assistant Professor as an 
ecohydrological modeler. Jornada LTER (http://jornada.nmsu.edu/lter) is an 
interdisciplinary team of investigators from seven major universities and three 
federal agencies conducting research at the USDA Jornada Experimental Range and 
the NMSU Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center near Las Cruces, NM, USA. 
The goals of the Jornada LTER are to understand and quantify the mechanisms 
that generate alternative states in dryland ecosystems, and to predict future 
states and their consequences for the provisioning of ecosystem services.

A brief description of the two-year position is below - for more details, and 
to apply, see the web links below. Please forward this information to 
interested applicants. Dr. Debra Peters 
(debpe...@nmsu.edu), Lead Principal Investigator of 
the Jornada Basin LTER, can be contacted for more information.

https://jobs.nmsu.edu/postings/24372

Position job title: Research Assistant Professor
Rank: Assistant Professor
Tenure status: Non-Tenure Track
Appointment status: Regular, Full-time
Appoint base: Annual
Posting date: 2/1/2016
Closing date: 3/15/2016

Position summary: This is a two-year appointment (starting fall 2016). New 
Mexico State University and the Jornada Basin Long-Term Ecological Research 
(LTER) project invite applications for a research faculty position in 
ecohydrological modeling. We seek highly qualified individuals with research 
experience and interest in coupling ecosystem and hydrological models, 
distributed ecohydrological modeling, and semiarid ecohydrological processes 
involving vegetation transitions and state changes.

Required Qualifications:

* Ph.D. in ecology, hydrology, earth and environmental science or 
closely related field is required at the time of appointment.

* Experience in:

1)  using ecohydrologic models, including code development,

2)  calibration and testing techniques with observations, and

3)  scenario analyses.

* Strong written and oral communication skills required, as evidenced 
by peer-reviewed publications and presentations at professional meetings.

Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Derek Woller]

Having taught an Ecology lab that was the companion to an Ecology lecture
for majors and non-majors, I can tell you that the two most engaging things
we did were:

1) undertook multiple field trips to learn about different habitats - I
have found that most undergrads have rarely been on such trips and really
enjoy them

2) engaged in a field project that gathered data and used basic statistics
(useful for all science fields) to reach a goal - they may not have enjoyed
every step of the process, but the majority appreciated applying what they
were learning to a real world issue, something lacking in most classes
(and, usually, I do understand why)x

Regards,

Derek A. Woller

Ph.D. Candidate in Entomology, and Lab Manager
The Song Laboratory of Insect Systematics and Evolution
http://schistocerca.org/SongLab/
Dept. of Entomology, Texas A University


On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 10:57 AM, David Mellor 
wrote:

> Hello Kay,
>
> My first job out of grad school (ecology and evolution) was advising
> biology majors at a large public university. The vast majority were pre-med
> or otherwise health focused. They had a requirement to take at least one
> ecology course, and for those that were focused on health careers, this was
> often their only ecology course. However, several of the ecology courses
> did have a health-related course title (parasites, medicine, disease,
> physiology, etc) and were often extremely popular among bio majors (some
> would say too popular given the ratio of seats to students in many public
> universities). This could suggest either a slight refocus of an existing
> course, or perhaps a new ecology course that could very easily teach many
> core ecology concepts with health related examples. I think many people on
> this list serv would agree that knowledge of some core concepts in ecology
> and evolution would be very useful among healthcare professionals, so I
> think this is a reasonable action to consider. Good luck!
>
> Best,
> David
>
> David Mellor 
> Center for Open Science 
> @EvoMellor 
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 11:23 AM, Kay Shenoy 
> wrote:
>
>> Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology
>> undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly
>> focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology
>> “unimportant” for their future careers, and it is not addressed in the
>> MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase
>> enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do not
>> have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!
>>
>
>

[ECOLOG-L] summer job: crew leader Biological Science Technician (Forest Ecology)

[David Inouye]

Summer Employment Opportunity!

Come backpacking in the Southern Sierra!



 Sequoia-Kings Canyon Field Station (USGS) is currently searching 
for interested applicants for a summer crew leader Biological Science 
Technician (Forest Ecology) position.


 Pay: GG-6 (approx. $17.26/hour)

Location: Three Rivers, California

 Examples of Duties:

Backpack in a variety of conditions across many regions of the 
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Organize logistics for 
backcountry trips. Sample forestry plots in remote areas from 
4,000-11,000 feet for white pine blister rust and other pests and 
pathogens; also measure and evaluate tree mortality. Gain knowledge 
and experience in ecological research, identifying white pine blister 
rust, Sierran trees, and forest pests.


 Position is full-time, starts approximately May 31st, and lasts 
about 3 months. Interested applicants need a bachelor's degree or 
equivalent education and experience. Some past field work experience 
required. Ideal candidate will have backpacking experience, a 
background in ecology or biology, enjoy working with small teams, 
feel comfortable spending up to 10 days in the backcountry, and have 
strong interpersonal skills. Previous crew leader experience is a 
plus. Housing available for rent. Must be a US Citizen in order to qualify.


For more information, call Anne at (559) 565-3172 or e:mail at 
ahpf...@usgs.gov.


 If interested: e:mail a cover letter, resume, list of references, 
and unofficial transcripts to:Anne Pfaff at 
ahpf...@usgs.gov



To be considered, please send materials by February 19th.

--
Anne Pfaff
Ecologist
USGS Sequoia-Kings Canyon Field Station
47050 Generals Highway #4
Three Rivers, California 93271
(559) 565-3172
(559) 565-3177 (fax)

[ECOLOG-L] PhD OPPORTUNITY: nitrogen cycling in Australian forest under elevated CO2

[Yolima Carrillo]

The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (HIE) is one of four institutes 
within Western Sydney University. HIE is a research leader in ecosystem 
function and environmental responses to changing climate. HIE 
holds a unique suite of world-class research facilities and houses a team of 
over 50 scientists: www.westernsydney.edu.au/hie

A scholarship is available for a highly motivated PhD student to contribute 
to a new Australian Research Council Discovery project on the responses of 
mature native Eucalypt forests to elevated CO2. This multidisciplinary 
project asks how changes in ecosystem N balance occur, by investigating if 
leaf N declines under enriched CO2 directly due to the balance of plant 
activity versus changes in soil N availability. The research will utilise 
the EucFACE (Eucalypt Free Air CO2 Enrichment) experiment. EucFACE is the 
world's only Free Air CO2 Enrichment experiment in mature native forest: 
www.westernsydney.edu.au/hie/facilities/EucFACE. 

The aim of the PhD project is to investigate the processes involved in 
changing soil N availability. Various concurrent mechanisms can change 
ecosystem N availability in under elevated CO2, with feedbacks for primary 
productivity. This diversity of mechanisms has prevented clear explanation 
of long-term patterns of N availability responses. Also, the study of these 
processes has taken place in systems where trees are still in growing phase, 
limiting the scope of the findings. 

The PhD student will be based at HIE, in Sydney,  and will be expected to 
conduct a combination of field and controlled environment studies utilizing 
stable isotope tracing and modeling. The student will join a large and 
diverse cohort of scientists at all career levels currently working at 
EucFACE.

Applicants should discuss their eligibility and interests with Dr Yolima 
Carrillo +61 (02) 4570 1494 or via email at y.carri...@westernsydney.edu.au

More details on the position and how to apply are included in the official 
flyer: 
www.westernsydney.edu.au/hie/opportunities/advertisements/hdr_scholarship_in
_nitrogen_under_elevated_co2


Yolima Carrillo
Researcher
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Western Sydney University

[ECOLOG-L] Postdoc Ecological Modelling at IGB Berlin, Germany

[Mark Gessner]

The Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) is part 
of the Forschungsverbund Berlin (FVB) and the German Leibniz Association. IGB 
and its partners in the Berlin-Brandenburg Institute for Advanced Biodiversity 
Research have formed a consortium to implement a major interdisciplinary 
research initiative funded by the Federal Ministry of Research and Education 
(BMBF; http://www.bbib.org/bridging-in-biodiversity-science.html). Within the 
work package "Aquatic-terrestrial coupling," we offer a:
Postdoc Position in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Modelling
Background: The overall project aims to bridge disciplines, scales and systems 
in biodiversity research and to provide a proof-of-principle for this bridging 
approach. The work package on aquatic-terrestrial coupling uses surveys, field 
experiments in kettle holes and a large mesocosm experiment in IGB's LakeLab 
(www.lake-lab.de) to establish relationships between 
land-use characteristics and effects of terrestrial carbon subsidies on 
plankton biodiversity and processes.
Tasks: The specific tasks of the biodiversity and ecosystem modeller are to 
develop a conceptual framework and to elaborate and apply food-web, 
meta-community and/or ecosystem models to describe direct and indirect effects 
of terrestrial DOC, nutrient and pesticide inputs on aquatic biodiversity and 
ecosystem processes.
Requirements: We seek to recruit a dedicated postdoc with demonstrated 
expertise in ecological modelling. The ideal candidate has a strong 
mathematical background and a solid understanding of biodiversity and 
ecological concepts, combining experience in aquatic food-web, meta-community 
and/or ecosystem modelling with an interest in collaborating with empiricists 
to confront ecological theory and models with data. Research experience in 
biodiversity and the ecology of aquatic ecosystems is particularly useful, 
although not a strict requirement. Applicants must hold a doctoral degree, have 
proven publication skills and work equally well independently as in a team.
Working environment: We offer a stimulating research environment within an 
interdisciplinary collaborative context. Funding for the position is currently 
available for 3 years. Salary is according to the standard rates of German 
federal government employees. This includes full fringe benefits. The position 
is primarily based at IGB's Department of Experimental Limnology located on 
Lake Stechlin 80 km north of Berlin. However, effective exchange with the 
project partners requires regular stays in Berlin. The working language is 
English.
Application: Please upload your complete application (CV, motivation letter, 
statement of research interests, copies of qualification documents, list of 
published or submitted papers, contact details of 3 references) at 
http://www.igb-berlin.de/job-offers.html. Review of applications will start 
immediately and continue until the position has been filled. However, for full 
consideration, applications should be received by 29 Feb 2016. The preferred 
starting date is 1 April, but a later start is possible. For informal 
enquiries, please contact Mark Gessner 
(gess...@igb-berlin.de) or Hans-Peter Grossart 
(hgross...@igb-berlin.de).
The IGB and FVB are equal opportunity employers and specifically welcome 
applications by female scientists. Preference will be given to applicants with 
disabilities when qualifications are equivalent.
Mark O. Gessner
Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
Alte Fischerhuette 2, 16775 Stechlin, Germany
Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin)
Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, 10587 Berlin, Germany

Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB)
14195 Berlin, Germany

[ECOLOG-L] PhD positions on Global Biogeochemical Cycles in Jena, Germany

[Steffi Rothhardt]

Dear all,

The IMPRS for Global Biogeochemical Cycles offers open PhD positions in Jena, 
Germany. We are looking for well-motivated and highly-qualified students from 
all countries. Please see further information on the webpage.

Online application will be possible until March 4, 2016.

We would greatly appreciate if you could spread this information to potential 
candidates.

Kind regards,
Steffi Rothhardt

---

coordinator
International Max Planck Research 
School for Global Biogeochemical Cycles
MPI for Biogeochemistry
Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany

phone: +49 3641 576260
e-mail: steffi.rothha...@bgc-jena.mpg.de

http://www.imprs-gbgc.de
https://www.facebook.com/imprs.gbgc

[ECOLOG-L] Postdoc Molecular Ecology/Bioinformatics at IGB Berlin, Germany

[Mark Gessner]

The Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) is part 
of the Forschungsverbund Berlin (FVB) and the German Leibniz Association. IGB 
and its partners in the Berlin-Brandenburg Institute for Advanced Biodiversity 
Research have formed a consortium to implement a major new interdisciplinary 
research initiative funded by the Federal Ministry of Research and Education 
(BMBF; http://www.bbib.org/bridging-in-biodiversity-science.html). Within the 
work package "Aquatic-terrestrial coupling", we offer a:
Postdoc Position in Molecular Ecology and Bioinformatics
Background: The overall project aims to bridge disciplines, scales and systems 
in biodiversity research and to provide a proof-of-principle for the bridging 
approach. The work package on aquatic-terrestrial coupling uses surveys, field 
experiments in kettle holes and a large mesocosm experiment in IGB's LakeLab 
(www.lake-lab.de) to establish relationships between 
land-use characteristics and effects of terrestrial carbon subsidies on 
plankton biodiversity and processes.
Tasks: A molecular ecological approach will be used to assess a broad range of 
biodiversity components in kettle holes and mesocosm experiments. The specific 
tasks include (1) molecular studies of plankton and sediment microbes (algae, 
metazoans, bacteria, archaea, fungi and protists) using metabarcoding and/or 
metagenomics; (2) elaboration of protocols to analyse free environmental DNA 
(eDNA); (3) participation in field surveys and experiments to explore effects 
of land use and terrestrial subsidies on aquatic biodiversity and microbial 
processes. Field data will be collected in close collaboration with other 
members of the team.
Requirements: We are seeking to recruit a dedicated postdoc with demonstrated 
expertise in molecular ecology and bioinformatics, particularly of large 
sequence data sets. The ideal candidate has a strong background in molecular 
biological analyses and bioinformatics. A solid understanding of, and research 
experience in, aquatic biodiversity, ecology and biogeochemistry will be 
particularly useful, although these qualifications are not a strict requirement.
Working environment: We offer a stimulating research environment within an 
interdisciplinary collaborative context. Funding of the position is currently 
available for 3 years. Salary is according to the standard rates of German 
federal government employees. This includes full fringe benefits. The position 
is primarily based at IGB's Department of Experimental Limnology located on 
Lake Stechlin 80 km north of Berlin. However, effective exchange with the 
project partners requires regular stays in Berlin. The working language is 
English.
Application: Please upload your complete application (CV, motivation letter, 
statement of research interests, copies of qualification documents, list of 
published or submitted papers, contact details of 3 references) at 
http://www.igb-berlin.de/job-offers.html. Review of applications will start 
immediately and continue until the position has been filled. However, for full 
consideration applications should be received by 29 February 2016. The 
preferred starting date is 1 April, but a later start is possible. For informal 
enquiries, please contact Hans-Peter Grossart 
(hgross...@igb-berlin.de) or Mark Gessner 
(gess...@igb-berlin.de)
The IGB and FVB are equal opportunity employers and specifically welcome 
applications by female scientists. Preference will be given to applicants with 
disabilities when qualifications are equivalent.

Mark O. Gessner
Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
Alte Fischerhuette 2, 16775 Stechlin, Germany
Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin)
Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, 10587 Berlin, Germany

Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB)
14195 Berlin, Germany

[ECOLOG-L] MS and PhD opportunities in ecology at Wright State

[Katie Hossler]

I am seeking one MS student and one PhD student to join my laboratory in 
the Department of Biological Sciences at Wright State University. The 
general research focus of my lab is anthropogenic impacts on 
biogeochemical cycling at the aquatic-terrestrial interface, 
particularly within wetland ecosystems. Potential research areas include 
production/export of dissolved organic matter in created and natural 
wetlands and impacts of artificial lighting at night on carbon and 
nutrient cycling across aquatic-terrestrial boundaries; however, the 
focus of the dissertation research is negotiable. 

Funding is available through a combination of graduate research and 
teaching assistantships, and the student may start as early as Fall 
semester 2016. For the MS, the student will be enrolled in Wright 
State's Masters of Science Program in Biological Sciences: 
http://science-math.wright.edu/biology/programs/graduate/master-of-
science-in-biological-sciences. For the PhD, the student will be 
enrolled in Wright State’s Interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences PhD 
program: http://science-math.wright.edu/environmental-sciences-phd.

Qualifications include: Bachelors degree in Biology, Ecology, or related 
discipline; GRE scores within the last 5 y; minimum GPA of 3.0; minimum 
IBT TOEFL score of 100 and ability to pass a verbal English test 
(foreign students only). Preferred qualifications include: Masters 
degree or equivalent experience (for the PhD student); interest and/or 
experience in field and laboratory research; strong written and oral 
communication skills; strong quantitative skills.  

If interested, please send (1) a letter of intent describing your 
research interests and relevant work/educational experience, (2) 
curriculum vitae or resume, (3) university transcripts, and (4) GRE 
scores (unofficial copies ok for transcripts and GRE scores) to Dr. 
Katie Hossler at katie.hoss...@wright.edu.

[ECOLOG-L] OPEN: Abstract Submission and Registration for 2016 MA-ESA Conference

[Habeck, Christopher]

Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the ESA Conference: April 8-10, 2016
Boehm Science Building 
Kutztown University
Kutztown, PA

Registration and abstract submission is now open for the Mid-Atlantic Chapter 
of the ESA Conference. To register and/or submit abstracts, please navigate to 
the MA-ESA website: http://www.esa.org/midatlantic2
 
The MA-ESA Conference is a great venue for all ecologists regardless of region 
or affiliation. Also, we typically have a large contingent of graduate and 
undergraduate students that present their research and network at this 
conference. Please consider attending!
 
If you have any questions, please contact Chris Habeck, Chapter Chair 
(hab...@kutztown.edu) or Steve Sheffield, Chapter Secretary 
(srsheffi...@comcast.net). Information related to the conference and the 
chapter is available on the MA-ESA website: http://www.esa.org/midatlantic2/
 
 
Best,


Chris Habeck, Ph.D
Chair, Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Ecological Society of America 
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology 
Kutztown University
Kutztown, PA 19530 
hab...@kutztown.edu
610.683.4318

[ECOLOG-L] New journal - Limnology and Oceanography Letters

[Jill Baron]

The Association of the Sciences for Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) 
proudly presents its newest journal: Limnology and Oceanography Letters. 
With Dr. Patricia Sorrano as the editor-in-Chief, LOL will publish 
letters, essays, and current evidence articles on any aquatic systems 
scaling from molecules to global cycles. Studies integrating 
cross-disciplinary perspectives, boundaries, scales of space or time, or 
aquatic system types are encouraged. Articles including applications of 
science to management or policy that are broadly applicable to other 
aquatic systems are welcome. Send your paper to us! For more 
information, visit the website:


http://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002(issn)2378-2242/index.html 



--

Jill S. Baron, jill.ba...@colostate.edu 
John Wesley Powell Center for
Earth System Analysis and Synthesis, Co-Director
Director, North American Nitrogen Center
US Geological Survey, jill_ba...@usgs.gov
Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory
Colorado State University
Fort Collins CO 80523-1499
office 970-491-1968
cell 970-217-8949
_

Tell me, O Swami of the Waters,in a word, what is
the essence of life? Saith he, Borrowed. — William
Least Heat-Moon 1991.

[ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Kay Shenoy]

Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology 
undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly 
focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology 
“unimportant” for their future careers, and it is not addressed in the 
MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase 
enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do not 
have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!

Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Malcolm McCallum]

I will play contrary here.
maybe you should ask if these people need or desire to take this class.
If not, why and how can you make the class attractive to them?
Maybe, like has been done with math in many schools, you need to
design a course on ecology that focuses on pre-med students and the
interface between the environment and human health.

I sent you a bit more info in a private email.

Malcolm

On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 7:03 PM, Emily Moran  wrote:
> If the question is “how do we get more students to see ecology as an 
> interesting career path” rather than “how to we get premeds to take ecology 
> classes”, the key seems to be to expose them to interesting uses of ecology 
> and interesting ecological careers as early as possible.
> In most schools, the kids who come in wanting to major in biology tend to say 
> they are pre-med, in part because that is the only biology-related career 
> they are aware of.
>
> One thing we’re trying at UCM is to have ladder-rank faculty give guest 
> lectures in the intro bio class - along with delivering the basic material, 
> we get the chance to tell students a little about our research and have the 
> option of talking about how they can get involved in research, other classes 
> they might consider if they like the ecology/evolution section of bio 1, or 
> career paths.  It is too early yet to see if it is having much effect in 
> recruiting students to the EEB track or environmental sciences major, but I 
> know I got some good questions from students about options for including 
> plant-related stuff in their educational and career trajectory.
>
> Involving students in research and hands on projects in their freshman or 
> sophomore year can also be a great way to stoke their interest in biology 
> outside of a clinical setting.
>
> Emily Moran
> UC Merced
>
>>
>>
>> On 2/1/16, 11:23 AM, "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news on
>> behalf of Kay Shenoy" > kay.yellowt...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology
>>> undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly
>>> focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology
>>> ³unimportant² for their future careers, and it is not addressed in the
>>> MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase
>>> enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do not
>>> have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!



-- 
Malcolm L. McCallum, PHD, REP
Link to online CV and portfolio :
https://www.visualcv.com/malcolm-mc-callum?access=18A9RYkDGxO

 “Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich
array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a
many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature
lovers alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share
as Americans.”
-President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of
1973 into law.

"Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" -
Allan Nation

1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea"  W.S. Gilbert
1990's:  Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
and pollution.
2000:  Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
  MAY help restore populations.
2022: Soylent Green is People!

The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi)
Wealth w/o work
Pleasure w/o conscience
Knowledge w/o character
Commerce w/o morality
Science w/o humanity
Worship w/o sacrifice
Politics w/o principle

Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any
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review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited.  If you are not
the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and
destroy all copies of the original message.

[ECOLOG-L] Postdoc: Biology Centre of Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic - Ant-plant interactions and tropical habitat change

[Tom Fayle]

A highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher is sought to join a project 
exploring the shifts that occur in a mutualistic ant-plant network when 
tropical rain forest is logged, fragmented, and converted to oil palm 
plantation in Malaysian Borneo. The successful candidate will lead a 
team conducting field surveys for ant-inhabited trees, measuring ant and 
plant fitness correlates, and performing experimental manipulations of 
the mutualistic communities, in particular in relation to forest 
regeneration. They will also conduct analyses and write papers on the 
main project findings. The project will provide the opportunity to 
collaborate with two cutting-edge large-scale manipulations of tropical 
forests: 1. The Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems project (SAFE), 
the world’s largest rain forest fragmentation experiment. 2. The Sabah 
Biodiversity Experiment (SBE), a project assessing the impacts of 
different diversities of tree planting on ecosystem functioning. There 
will also be opportunities to develop the project in a direction of the 
postdoc’s own choosing. Duties will include spending extensive periods 
of time in the field in Malaysian Borneo.


The successful applicant will join the Ant Research Group 
(http://antscience.com/) at the Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre 
Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, employed on a 
grant held by Tom Fayle (http://www.tomfayle.com/index.htm). The group 
is a dynamic, multinational group studying ant ecology, evolution and 
biogeography, and is embedded within the Department of Ecology and 
Conservation Biology, a world-class centre for interaction network 
research with regular publications in Science, Nature and other leading 
journals. The position allows the successful candidate to apply for 
standard research grants from the main Czech grant agency (GACR) to 
expand the project. The deadline for applications is February 29th 2016, 
with a start date of May 1st 2016, and the appointment lasting until Dec 
2018. Applicants from all countries are eligible. Salary for this full 
time position is CZK 40,000 per month (approx. EUR 1500). Note that 
living costs in Czech Republic are substantially lower than in many 
other European countries (e.g. http://bit.ly/1NCkQKJ) and living costs 
in Malaysia are fully covered.


Required
•A PhD degree in either entomology or plant ecology.
•Experience and enthusiasm for working in the field for extended 
periods of time in challenging conditions in tropical rain forest, 
including ability to lead field teams.

•Good publication record for career stage.
•Experience in the use of ecological statistical analyses.

Desirable
•Previous work on insect plant interactions.
•Experience of molecular laboratory work, specifically DNA barcoding 
for species identifications.
•Experience in use of methods for statistical analysis of 
interaction networks.


To apply please send a CV, contact details for three references, and 
cover letter stating qualifications, previous work and motivation to Tom 
Fayle (tmfa...@gmail.com).

[ECOLOG-L] Ninth Australasian Conference of Grassland Invertebrate Ecology - Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia - 4-7 April 2016

[David Thompson]

Join us in Sydney this April for a great value grasslands conference at 
the historic Hawkesbury campus of Western Sydney University.

The Ninth Australasian Conference of Grassland Invertebrate Ecology 
focuses on the biology, ecology and management of both pest and 
beneficial invertebrates in native and introduced grasslands including 
pastures, pasture/crop rotations and turf.

Established in 1974, the Australasian Conference on Grassland 
Invertebrate Ecology aims to bring together researchers, practitioners 
and industry representatives from Australia and New Zealand to explore 
the latest research in the field. 

The Conference will be hosted by the Hawkesbury Institute for the 
Environment at the historic Hawkesbury campus of Western Sydney 
University. 

The campus is nestled at the foot of the Blue Mountains and has been a 
hub of agricultural research and training since 1891. 

Grassland research, in particular, has featured prominently at the site 
with modern Australian grasses first used and developed on the 
Hawkesbury campus in the 1920s. 

The Conference will be held over three days including a half day field 
trip to the Royal Botanic Gardens in the Blue Mountains. 

The conference will comprise oral and poster presentations which will 
form the basis of a published journal issue.

Please visit http://grassbugs.com.au/ for all the details or download 
the Conference Flier at http://grassbugs.com.au/flier.pdf

[ECOLOG-L] Graduate position: University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic - Ant-plant interactions and tropical habitat change

[Tom Fayle]

A highly motivated postgraduate student is sought to join a project 
exploring the shifts that occur in a mutualistic ant-plant network when 
tropical rain forest is logged, fragmented, and converted to oil palm 
plantation in Malaysian Borneo. The student will conduct field surveys 
for ant-inhabited trees, measure ant and plant fitness correlates, and 
perform experimental manipulations of the mutualistic communities, in 
particular in relation to forest regeneration. The studentship will 
provide the opportunity to collaborate with two cutting-edge large-scale 
manipulations of tropical forests: 1. The Stability of Altered Forest 
Ecosystems project (SAFE), the world’s largest rain forest fragmentation 
experiment. 2. The Sabah Biodiversity Experiment (SBE), a project 
assessing the impacts of different diversities of tree planting on 
ecosystem functioning. There will also be opportunities to develop the 
project in a direction of the student’s own choosing. Duties will 
include spending extensive periods of time in the field in Malaysian Borneo.


The successful applicant will join the Ant Research Group 
(http://antscience.com/) at the Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre 
Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, under the 
supervision of Tom Fayle (http://www.tomfayle.com/index.htm). The 
laboratory is a dynamic, multinational group studying ant ecology, 
evolution and biogeography, and is embedded within the Department of 
Ecology and Conservation Biology, a world-class centre for interaction 
network research with regular publications in Science, Nature and other 
leading journals. The deadline for applications is February 29th 2016, 
with a start date of May 1st 2016. The student will receive a 
scholarship from the University of South Bohemia and employment on an 
ongoing grant for three years, sufficient to cover living expenses in 
Czech Republic. Applicants from all countries are eligible.


Required
•A master’s degree (non-negotiable requirement for PhD study in 
Czech Republic).

•Interest in the ecology of insects or plants.
•1st or 2.1 undergraduate degree in ecology or related subject (or 
equivalent).
•Enthusiasm for working in the field for extended periods of time in 
challenging conditions in tropical rain forest.

•Ability to work independently.
•Experience in the use of ecological statistical analyses.

Desirable
•Previous experience of tropical field work.
•Research experience with plant or insect ecology.
•Experience of molecular laboratory work, specifically DNA barcoding 
for species identifications.


To apply please send a CV, contact details for three references, and 
cover letter stating qualifications, previous work and motivation to Tom 
Fayle (tmfa...@gmail.com).

Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Russell L. Burke]

Don't you all think it is high time we had a text book for a course like this 
called why pre-health students should study ecology and evolution?  We could 
cover every major topic taught in intro ecology and evolution courses using 
medical examples--human microbiome, evolution of resistance, biodiversity and 
human public health...why hasn't anyone written this book?

Lyme disease and malaria would be great case studies for such a book

RBurke

-Original Message-
From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news 
[mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Emily Moran
Sent: Monday, February 1, 2016 8:03 PM
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

If the question is "how do we get more students to see ecology as an 
interesting career path" rather than "how to we get premeds to take ecology 
classes", the key seems to be to expose them to interesting uses of ecology and 
interesting ecological careers as early as possible.
In most schools, the kids who come in wanting to major in biology tend to say 
they are pre-med, in part because that is the only biology-related career they 
are aware of.  

One thing we're trying at UCM is to have ladder-rank faculty give guest 
lectures in the intro bio class - along with delivering the basic material, we 
get the chance to tell students a little about our research and have the option 
of talking about how they can get involved in research, other classes they 
might consider if they like the ecology/evolution section of bio 1, or career 
paths.  It is too early yet to see if it is having much effect in recruiting 
students to the EEB track or environmental sciences major, but I know I got 
some good questions from students about options for including plant-related 
stuff in their educational and career trajectory.

Involving students in research and hands on projects in their freshman or 
sophomore year can also be a great way to stoke their interest in biology 
outside of a clinical setting.

Emily Moran
UC Merced

> 
> 
> On 2/1/16, 11:23 AM, "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, 
> news on behalf of Kay Shenoy"  kay.yellowt...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology 
>> undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly 
>> focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology 
>> ³unimportant² for their future careers, and it is not addressed in 
>> the MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase 
>> enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do 
>> not have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!

[ECOLOG-L] Postdoctoral Scholar Position in Stream Ecology

[Brad Taylor]

Postdoctoral Scholar Position in Stream Ecology

Candidates are invited to apply for a postdoctoral scholar position in stream 
ecology at 
North Carolina State University (NCSU).  The postdoctoral scholar will have the 
opportunity to work on a project studying the causes and consequences of 
Didymosphenia 
geminata blooms in rivers with Dr. Brad Taylor.  The position will require 
conducting 
fieldwork in the mountains of western North Carolina and/or at the Rocky 
Mountain 
Biological Laboratory in western Colorado.  Experience in one or more of the 
following 
areas is desired: nutrient cycling, organic matter dynamics, food webs, disease 
ecology, 
ecohydrology, biogeochemistry, algal-nutrient interactions, or modeling.  The 
postdoctoral 
scholar will have opportunities to interact with a vibrant group of ecologists 
at NCSU 
(http://appliedecology.cals.ncsu.edu/), other institutions in the Research 
Triangle, and the 
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (www.rmbl.org).  

The position is for one year with the possibility for up to two more years.  
Review of 
applications will begin on 1 March 2016 and applications will be accepted until 
the position 
is filled.  The target start date is flexible but preferably 1 May 2016.

Applicants: Apply at http://jobs.ncsu.edu. Under keywords enter “PG150323PD”. A 
complete CV, contact information for 3-4 references, and a two-page statement 
of 
research and career interests.  Position will remain open until filled; 
applicant review will 
begin 1 March 2016.

North Carolina State University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action 
employer.

Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Tam Stage]

I've been thinking for a long time now that we need an "Ecology for
Citizens" type class in high school and for non-science majors in college.
It could replace the current biology topics that people forget after the
test is done and never use again unless it comes up in a trivia game.  It
would cover the basics, such as the Three Laws of Ecology, overview of
various cycles, the difference between weather and climate, different
pollution types, sustainability. etc.  The intent is offer students what
they need to know in order to realize how human actions impact the
environment, regardless of career.  I think something akin to this could be
tailored to the biology students in question.  It they have an
understanding of topics like pollution vectors, bio-magnification, how
biodiversity loss leads to disease outbreaks, etc.  they might be a in a
better position to advise on policy and recognize oppurtunites to prevent
problems in there communities.

This
email has been sent from a virus-free computer protected by Avast.
www.avast.com

<#DDB4FAA8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 7:03 PM, Emily Moran  wrote:

> If the question is “how do we get more students to see ecology as an
> interesting career path” rather than “how to we get premeds to take ecology
> classes”, the key seems to be to expose them to interesting uses of ecology
> and interesting ecological careers as early as possible.
> In most schools, the kids who come in wanting to major in biology tend to
> say they are pre-med, in part because that is the only biology-related
> career they are aware of.
>
> One thing we’re trying at UCM is to have ladder-rank faculty give guest
> lectures in the intro bio class - along with delivering the basic material,
> we get the chance to tell students a little about our research and have the
> option of talking about how they can get involved in research, other
> classes they might consider if they like the ecology/evolution section of
> bio 1, or career paths.  It is too early yet to see if it is having much
> effect in recruiting students to the EEB track or environmental sciences
> major, but I know I got some good questions from students about options for
> including plant-related stuff in their educational and career trajectory.
>
> Involving students in research and hands on projects in their freshman or
> sophomore year can also be a great way to stoke their interest in biology
> outside of a clinical setting.
>
> Emily Moran
> UC Merced
>
> >
> >
> > On 2/1/16, 11:23 AM, "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> on
> > behalf of Kay Shenoy"  > kay.yellowt...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology
> >> undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly
> >> focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology
> >> ³unimportant² for their future careers, and it is not addressed in the
> >> MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase
> >> enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do not
> >> have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!
>



-- 
Tamathy Stage
Master's Candidate
Antioch University New England

[ECOLOG-L] Special Issue: "Land and Food Policy"

[Hossein Azadi]

Dear colleagues,

Hope you are doing well.

I would be grateful if you could take a look at, and forward the following link 
(http://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/food_policy) to your 
network.

Kind regards,
Hossein
--
Hossein Azadi, PhD
Senior researcher
Department of Geography
Ghent University, Belgium
Email: hossein.az...@ugent.be
Tel: +32 (0)9 264 45 70
http://geoweb.ugent.be/seg/people/hazadina
Skype: hossein-azadi

[ECOLOG-L] Scientific/Professional Writing

[Angela Trenkle]

Hello everyone,
   I have been looking into getting a 2nd job and one idea I had was
scientific journalism/writing in general for freelance where I could get
paid. Does anyone know of any website/organizations I could look into for
this? I would prefer paid options, but I would also like to know some
volunteer options. Thanks!
-Angela

[ECOLOG-L] Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program Seeks Applicants

[David Inouye]

Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program Seeks Applicants
By Erika Zavaleta and Justin Cummings

A huge opportunity for conservation is to better harness the passion, 
creativity and values of an increasingly diverse society. To address 
the challenge of the diversity gap in conservation and to serve 
up-and-coming leaders in the field, 2001 Smith Fellow Erika Zavaleta 
and Dr. Justin Cummings have initiated the Doris Duke Conservation 
Scholars Program at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC). 
The Program, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, will 
provide two paid summers of training and internship to early-career 
undergraduates with potential to diversify the field, from any U.S. 
four-year institution. Current freshmen and sophomores can apply to 
the program until February 15, 2016 at 
http://conservationscholars.ucsc.edu/, 
and faculty and staff can nominate students directly. 
More 
about the program.

[ECOLOG-L] Stable Isotopes in Zooarch WG Meeting Program Now Available

[Suzanne Pilaar Birch]

Dear all,

The Stable Isotopes in Zooarchaeology Working Group Meeting is just a
little over a month away!

This is a reminder that the program is now available on our new website at
https://zooarchisotopes.wordpress.com/about/program-and-abstracts/.  Please
note that there is a block of rooms reserved at the Georgia Center Hotel
and Conference Center which will be held until only until this
*Wednesday,* *February
3, 2016.*

The meeting itself will take place at the University of Georgia, in Athens,
Georgia, USA, from *3-5 March, 2016.*

Advance registration (
https://zooarchisotopes.wordpress.com/about/registration/) for the meeting
closes *March 1st *and includes meeting attendance, all coffee breaks,
lunches, lab tours, and a reception.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the
group coordinators, Suzanne Pilaar Birch  [sepbi...@uga.edu] or Catherine
West [cfw...@bu.edu].

We have a great program lined up and I look forward to seeing some of you
there!

Best wishes,

Suzanne

--
Dr. Suzanne E. Pilaar Birch

Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
Department of Geography
University of Georgia
Athens, GA, USA

Director, Quaternary Isotope Paleoecology Lab

Website: uga.academia.edu/SuzannePilaarBirch
Twitter:  @suzie_birch 

Editor, Open Quaternary