Upcoming Opportunities & Deadlines

March 6, 2006: SEEDS Konza Prairie Field Trip Application Deadline
The June 2006 SEEDS Field Trip application deadline is March 6, 2006. The June 4-9 field trip, hosted by the Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program, will be an excellent opportunity for students to explore their interests in ecology, find out more about what ecologists do, and to network with students and professionals. The field trip will feature the research of the Konza Prairie LTER, a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program designed to address long-term research questions relevant to tallgrass prairie ecosystems, and the science of ecology in general. For more information and applications, please visit www.esa.org/seeds/activities/FieldtripsInfo.php.

 

March 13, 2006: 2006 ESA Annual Meeting SEEDS Travel Award Application Deadline
The SEEDS Program offers travel awards for students, faculty, and alumni to defray travel, lodging, meal, and registration expenses to attend the Ecological Society of America (ESA) Annual Meeting. The ESA Annual Meeting draws more than 4,000 professionals from around the world to participate in scientific presentations, symposia, workshops, field trips, and a trade show. It provides an excellent venue to engage students and faculty in one of the most important facets of science – communicating ideas and new knowledge with the scientific community. The 2006 ESA Annual Meeting will be held August 4-11 in Memphis, Tennessee. For more information and applications, http://www.esa.org/seeds/activities/AnnualMeetingInfo.php

 

March 1, 2006: 2006 ESA Annual Meeting Abstract Submission Deadline
Present your research at the ESA Annual Meeting. The ESA invites abstract submissions for: invited oral presentations as part of a symposium or organized oral session, or contributed oral or poster presentations at the 2006 ESA Annual Meeting. This is the 91st Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. The meeting will be held August 6-11, 2006 in Memphis, Tennessee at the Cook Convention Center. More information and online abstract submission at http://esa.org/memphis/callAbstract.php

SEEDS Highlights

2005-06 Undergraduate Research Fellow Profile: Jorge Ramos mentored by Myra Shulman (Cornell University)

Since I was a child, I have always been interested in science. Being born in the US and raised in Mexico has given me the opportunity to view things with a different perspective. My dad, a dentist, always wanted to be a naturalist. To read more go to: Jorge.

 

Campus Ecology Chapter Highlight: Livingstone College

A greenhouse has been built near the biology department of Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina, under the supervision of Ecology Club advisor, Dr. Sashi Sabaratnam, a faculty member in the Biology department and SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter advisor. The funds for this project were provided by the SEEDS Special Project Grant. To read more, go to: Livingstone.

 

SEEDS Updates

SEEDS Students: What Are You Up To?

If you are a SEEDS student, past or present, we'd love to hear what you're up to. Please send an update of what's new in your life, career, etc. to seeds@esa.org. With permission, we may highlight you in a future newsletter.

 

SEEDS Event Recaps

ESA International Conference, January 2006

The Ecological Society of America held an international conference, January 8-12, in Merida, Mexico and SEEDS sponsored sixteen students through travel awards. Lewis Reed, SEEDS travel awardee, shares his reflection: Upon returning from the International Conference in Merida, Mexico I am overwhelmed with a sense of success! The program was a great success in many ways but success can only be measured in the context of goals so I will share with you how the experience met my personal expectations. To read more, go to Mexico.

 

Staff Activities

Traditional Ecological Knowledge Education Workshop

Melissa Armstrong, SEEDS Coordinator, co-hosted a workshop with Robin Kimmerer at the ESA International Conference in Merida, Mexico on Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) education. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss and generate ideas from a community of people representing the Americas on how to include TEK into mainstream ecology education. To read more, go to TEK.

 

Council for Environmental Deans & Directors Reception

On January 28th, SEEDS Student Coordinator Jeramie Strickland attended the 3rd Annual Council for Environmental Deans & Directors Reception in Washington, D.C. The reception was sponsored by the National Council for Science & the Environment and the National Environmental Education & Training Foundation EnvironMentors Project. Jeramie presented with an ESA/SEEDS table top exhibit and met students, mentors, parents, deans, and directors of college degree programs throughout the U.S. He shared opportunities about the wide variety of undergraduate and graduate programs and various career opportunities that are available in Ecology.

Ecology Marketplace

These opportunities are shared with the mission of promoting ecology. Inclusion of announcements does not indicate endorsement by SEEDS. Please direct questions to each individual program.

• Humboldt State University REU
  Humboldt State University (HSU) will host 10 students this summer in a NSF-funded “Research Experience for Undergraduates” program. Students will design and conduct their own research projects in collaboration with 1 of 17 faculty mentors. The mentors’ expertise runs the full gamut of Ecology and Evolution, ranging from the diversity of microbial communities in hot springs at Lassen Volcanic National Park to the evolutionary ecology of songbirds, the physiological ecology of bats, and the systematics and biogeography of flying squirrels and other Pacific Northwest mammals. HSU's approach to undergraduate education is incredibly successful; among public, non-PhD granting institutions, HSU ranks 1st in the nation in the proportion of undergraduates that go on to attain a PhD in biology. The program offers each student a $3500 stipend, plus money for room and board and travel to/from HSU. For further information and application materials, please visit http://www.humboldt.edu/~hsureu/ or contact Dr. Sean Craig at sfc4@humboldt.edu or 707-826-3656. Applications are due March 1, 2006.

• Institute of Ecosystem Studies REU
  The Institute of Ecosystem Studies (IES) is pleased to announce its 19th summer of undergraduate research opportunities through our "Ecology in Context" program. In 2006, 10 students will join the unique IES research community to carry out cutting-edge investigations of their own design, working closely with a mentor scientist. The program emphasizes the community nature of the scientific enterprise. The twelve-week program for 2006 begins May 30 and runs through August 21. Undergraduate freshmen, sophomores, juniors or first semester seniors are eligible to apply. Participants receive a $4560 stipend for the twelve-week program, and free housing in an Institute dormitory. For more information and to apply (applications must be postmarked by 15 February 2006), see our website at: www.ecostudies.org/reu.html or contact Heather L. Dahl, Research Coordinator at  DahlH@ecostudies.org.

• Miami University Ecology and Environmental Science REU
  Miami University (MU) is pleased to be accepting applications for our Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site, funded by the National Science Foundation and MU. The REU site will provide support for 12 undergraduate students in summer 2006 to conduct research in ecology and environmental science. The site focuses on collaborative research on Ecology in Human-Dominated Landscapes. Thus, students will be immersed in research projects that relate to society's impact on ecosystems, and each student will conduct an individual research project within a team of other students and faculty. The program is based at MU's Ecology Research Center, located in the small college town of Oxford, Ohio, and within an hour's drive from downtown Cincinnati. Many habitats are available for research including old-growth and second-growth forest, old fields, agro-ecosystems, urban areas, lakes, ponds and streams. Each student will receive a competitive stipend, free housing, and funds to cover travel and research costs. In addition, each student will earn 12 credits, tuition-free, which are transferable to their home institution.  Students will conduct field research during a 10-week summer program, and analyze their data and participate in web-based research presentations during the following academic year. Students will have financial support to attend and present their research at a national scientific conference. Undergraduates with interests in ecology and environmental science from any institution are eligible for this program; prior course work in ecology and/or the environmental sciences is recommended.  Applications will be reviewed starting February 1, 2006.  For more information visit http://www.muohio.edu/ecoreu; email ecoreu@muohio.edu; call 513-529-3100; or write Ecology REU, Department of Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, OH.

• Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory REU & Courses
  Conducting independent research at the RMBL is a fabulous opportunity to learn how to conduct field research, meet a variety of scientists, and help you determine your future career path.  This 10-week Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, June 12 – August 20, 2006, funded by the National Science Foundation, is intended to give students experience in the design, analysis and presentation of an independent research project. All students will work closely with their research mentors in choosing a research topic, refining their questions, devising their methodology, analyzing their data, and presenting their findings in oral and written format. The awards provide $600 toward travel costs, pay a $3750 stipend, and cover all expenses at RMBL such as room, board, and tuition if the student wishes to receive credit for their research project. Students should have a sincere interest in a career in field biology research. Fieldwork is difficult, and often tedious. We are looking for students with the mental and intellectual maturity to commit to hard work. We will judge the application in part on financial need and on student motivation. We encourage participation by minorities currently underrepresented in biology. Any student who is a citizen and permanent resident of the United States and has not graduated from college is eligible. The REU program is for students who must work in the summer to pay for their education. Application deadline is February 15, 2006. For more information, visit http://www.rmbl.org/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=3. Taking classes is an excellent way to decide if a career in field biology is right for you.  RMBL’s summer coursework program offers intensive mountain field work and emphasize individual research projects.  You will interact with a variety of scientists and their research projects at RMBL.  Students may also earn up to $500 working in various jobs during the summer session.  This year we offer a regular 8-week session and two 4-week sessions, including conservation biology/ecosystem management, field ecology, and introduction to animal behavior. There are a substantial number of full and partial scholarships, so financial need should not stop students from applying. Applications for the coursework program are accepted at any time until the beginning of the session, but classes are often full before April 1. For more information, visit http://www.rmbl.org/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=2.

• Sevilleta LTER Summer 2006 Student Intern Positions
  The Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Project is an ecological research project funded by the National Science Foundation, where scientists and students are conducting long term studies of ecological pattern, processes and dynamics in riparian, grassland, shrubland and woodland ecosystems.  Our research site is located 80 km south of Albuquerque, NM, in and around the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge.  Intern duties will include but are not limited to: Data Collection in the field, setting up/taking down/repairing/monitoring field experiments, data entry, sample collection/sorting. Housing is provided AT NO COST at the Sevilleta Field Station; interns are expected to live at the Sevilleta Field Station.  Work weeks are typically 4 days a week, 10 hours each day with Friday, Saturday and Sunday off.  Rate of pay is $9.50/hr. Employment begins June 5, 2006 and ends August 11, 2006.  Applicants must be in excellent physical condition, willing to work long days in a hot and dry climate, and willing to live and work in close proximity with other interns.  Preference will be given to applicants with undergraduate course work in ecology or biology and some prior experience conducting field research with minimal supervision.  Applications are due by March 31, 2006 or until the positions are filled. To apply: Send a copy of resume, references and an unofficial transcript to: jjohnson@sevilleta.unm.edu or Jennifer E. Johnson, c/o U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 1248Socorro, NM, 87801. For more information about the Sevilleta LTER please visit our website sev.lternet.edu or contact Jennifer E. Johnson by email.

• University of Michigan Opportunities
  For students who are searching for a learning adventure this spring or summer, the UM Biological Station (UMBS), is just four hours north of Ann Arbor on Douglas Lake, in the wild splendor of the Northern Michigan woods. We'd like to remind you of what UMBS has to offer. First, we have four great new classes (full listing at www.lsa.umich.edu/umbs): Spring semester (May 14-June 10): Field Training Course in Archaeology (6 credits) taught by Meghan Howey and Prof. John O’Shea; Summer term (June 17-August 12 -10 credits in 8 weeks): Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands, Forest Ecosystems taught by Prof. Burton Barnes, and Environmental Writing & Great Lakes Literature taught by Keith Taylor (director of the UM Creative Writing Program and Bear River Writers’ Conference). UMBS has its own Scholarship and Financial Aid program, with monies allocated for both merit-based and need-based scholarships and grants (including non-MI residents). In addition to the pool of funds available through the UM Financial Aid office, students have the resources of UMBS’s generous alumni and supporters, who know how beneficial and enriching time spent learning at UMBS is.  We understand that students give up summer employment to participate in our program and therefore we do whatever we can to make it possible for any student to attend, regardless of financial limitations. The Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) Program is designed to provide "hands-on" experience and training in field biology and atmospheric science with all phases of research, from hypothesis formulation, through data gathering, to analysis, interpretation and communication of scientific studies.  Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program will run from June 17 to August 12th, 2006 at UMBS.  A stipend of $3,750 is paid to each student participant. Room and board expenses for the eight-week period are covered and an allowance for travel and research supplies is provided. Students may receive up to 3 semester hours credit for an independent study project (Biology 400: Advanced Research in Biology) by advance arrangement with a mentor/professor & the UMBS Office. Tuition expenses will be the responsibility of the individual student. Students must be at least of junior status at the start of the summer program and a permanent resident of the US.  Seniors with a graduation date before August are not eligible. For more information, visit www.lsa.umich.edu/umbs/umbs_detail/0,2529,11186%255Farticle%255F20657,00.html .

Help Support SEEDS

We invite you to contribute to ESA's SEEDS Program to help support and encourage greater diversity in the ecology profession. Contributions to the SEEDS program are tax deductible and are used to support special initiatives for underrepresented students. To contribute, visit www.esa.org/seeds/supportSEEDS.php