Upcoming Opportunities & Deadlines

November 2006 Field Trip Application
The application for the November 2006 SEEDS Field Trip to the Coweeta Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program is now available at http://esa.org/seeds/activities/FieldtripsInfo.php. The deadline to apply is August 25th. The field trip will take place November 2-5, 2006 at the Coweeta LTER based in the eastern deciduous forest of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Field trips are excellent opportunities for students to learn about the science of ecology, explore career options, see the practical applications of ecology, network with students from all over the country, and find out more about what ecologists do through hands-on experiences with professionals.

 

2007-08 Undergraduate Research Fellowship Application
The application for the 2007-08 Undergraduate Research Fellowship is now available at http://esa.org/seeds/activities/FellowshipsInfo.php. The deadline to apply is September 15th. The SEEDS Fellowship allows undergraduate students to complete an independent research project to advance their experience in ecology with financial and logistical support provided by the SEEDS program. This unique opportunity also allows selected Fellows to work with SEEDS staff to select their research site and mentor.

 

SEEDS Highlights

American Samoa Community College Campus Ecology Chapter
After months of fundraising and preparing, the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) SEEDS Environmental Club recently conducted an island ecology comparison between the islands of Tutuila and Upolu. Upolu has 403 km of coastline, with narrow coastal plains and volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in its interior, while Tutuila features 116 km of coastline with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains.   Tutuila does, however, have one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific, sheltered from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds.

An algae study was conducted on Upolu at the Palolo Deep Marine Reserve. This was the first time snorkeling for many of the participants. A terrestrial assessment was also completed along the coastal traol within the O Le Pupu-Pue National Park. Invasive and natives were identified, and the survey enabled the participants to gather baseline information on the biodiversity and environmental status of the area. The assessment was also intended to gather scientific evidence on whether coastal natural ecosystems have contributed to reducing the damage on inland landscapes, including human settlements and agricultural areas.

Upon arriving at Lalomanu, the group conducted a coral reef survey. Surveys such as these look at the health of not only the coral, but also the organisms that make the reef their home. These surveys also assist in the design, testing, and implementation of solutions to the problems facing coral reefs. As people learn more about coral reefs, they develop a sense of stewardship, and a desire to become involved in managing their local reefs. The group finished the week with a reef clean-up in Lalomanu as part of their community service project.

Della Tuamoheloa, Seeds Club President, reflected, “This trip has taught us more than we could ever imagine. We learned how to respect each other, and to socialize with our peers while working together to explore the environment around us. I hope the younger generation will gain an interest in learning about our terrestrial and marine environments. We need to take care of it so it will be here in the future.”

Although the Club is in its infancy stage, it consists of 19 very enthusiastic, energetic students who have made a commitment to learn and provide ecology education to the locals of American Samoa. The SEEDS Club kicked off the 2005-06 school year with ASCC’s first ever aluminum can recycling initiative. The Club has recycled over 150 pounds of cans. The SEEDS Club members also conducted outreach education programs within the elementary schools on the ecology of American Samoa. Members also conduct monthly stream clean-ups which started with the members participating in the 20th Anniversary International Coastal Clean-up Day. Over 150 bags of trash plus various metals and appliances were collected, equaling almost 1000 pounds.

Members participated in the 2006 Year of the Sea Turtle Campaign Launch, a collaborative effort by local government agencies to protect the sea turtles and their habitats. ASCC SEEDS members again partnered with a local government agency, Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and held a Coral Reef Discovery Day open to all ASCC students. Forty-three participants spent the day learning about coral reefs and gaining the hands-on experience to understand their importance to this island nation. Members assisted in the planning and attended the Ocean Forum 2006-2010: Balancing Ocean Uses with Conservation. The conference was attended by off-island and on-island government agencies, non-government agencies, and all interested stakeholders.

The ASCC SEEDS club recently partnered with Coalition of Reef Lovers (CORL) to work on a community-based coral farm project. Members will participate in education and awareness workshops, the construction and installation of trestles and cages, and collection, fragmentation, and attachment of the corals.

Two chapter members attended attend the Konza Prairie LTER Field Trip, and three members will be presenting at the 91st ESA Annual Meeting in Tennessee.

The Club also just received a SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter Special Project Grant to conduct an island ecology comparison between American Samoa and Savai'i, Western Samoa. The Special Project Grant will support travel costs for fifteen students and two instructors to engage in a service learning program designed to familiarize students with natural resources found in their island habitats; strengthen the understanding of the use of natural resources in a Samoan culture context; and, provide opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience and skills through participation in community fieldwork.

 

Dr. Eric Hanson, Chapter Advisor
Dr. Eric Hanson has been a Research Forester at the American Samoa Community College for four years. The forests of the South Pacific make quite a change from the conifer-dominated ones in Oregon where Eric did his Ph.D. work in Forest Science. His interests are artificial forest regeneration, vegetation management, and the study of invasive plant species. He is presently working on a project assessing the effects of canopy cover and weed management on survival and growth of native hardwood tree seedlings in an old-field plantation. In addition, he is working on interagency control projects for two invasive tree species, Psidium cattleianum and Paraserianthies falcataria.

Since coming to ASCC, Eric has renewed his love of teaching. He teaches four Natural Resources courses at the College: Forestry and Agroforestry, Natural Resources, Environmental Sciences, and Polynesian Culture and Natural Resources. These courses all have a mix of learning opportunities ranging from the traditional lecture and term papers to collecting medicinal plants and doing beach clean-ups. “The field experiences with the students are the best. I get to take them to places on the island to which they have never been before, despite the fact many of them were born here.”

It is this passion about education that led him to found a SEEDS Chapter in American Samoa with his colleague, Karolyn Braun, Chair of the College’s Marine Science Department, in 2005. “We are both very proud of our SEEDS members. They have become very involved in the group and are participating in numerous activities both on- and off-island.” Eric enjoys watching the students learn and mature. Hopefully one of them will take his place at the College in a few years.

 

Dr. Karolyn Braun, Chapter Co-Advisor
Dr. Karolyn Braun has been the Marine Science Program Chairperson and the Le Vai Moana Marine Science Center Director at the American Samoa Community College for four years, where she has built the solid foundation of research, education and student fellowship it has today. Recognizing the critical shortage of qualified Samoans in the marine science field, she has created a program which devotes a substantial effort to building capacity by offering her students opportunities to obtain invaluable hands-on experience and technical training through participation in internships, research projects, workshops, trainings programs offered by local and visiting resource managers and scientists, and with high quality marine science courses with complimenting laboratory and field work exercises. Braun instructs eight courses at the College: Oceanography, Marine Biology, Environmental Geology, Tropical Island Ecology, Fisheries Management, Natural Marine Resources, Swimming, and Environmental Sciences and Polynesian Culture and Natural Resources. Other activities she engages in include aquaculture extension services, education outreach at community events, science fair judging, and teacher training and curriculum development workshops for K-12 science teachers on the marine and island environment. Braun’s main goal is to prepare students for advanced studies at higher education institutions elsewhere and to produce a work force to supply the local market. A secondary goal is to develop an educated community that will contribute to conservation efforts in the territory through the demonstration of good stewardship practices.

Karolyn obtained her Masters in Environmental Education from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, and obtained her PhD from Madison University in Environmental Science. Her interests are marine mammal conservation, shark ecology and biology, and sharing her love for the marine environment with her students. It was through this passion for sharing with her students that led her to start the ASCC SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter with Dr. Hanson.

 

Alumni Mentors
The momentum is growing with SEEDS students that have gone through the program and are now pursuing ecology graduate degrees. These SEEDS alumni often make the best mentors to current SEEDS students, especially during a large and often intimidating Annual Meeting. We are proud to introduce our SEEDS alumni that will be attending this year’s Annual Meeting as mentors: Joel Abraham, UC Berkeley; Bruce Machona, Stephen F. Austin State University; Luanna Prevost, University of Georgia; Rafael Sierra, Hofstra University; Lucero Vasquez-Radonic, University of Arizona.

Joel Abraham – University of California, Berkeley
After completing my BS in Biology at Howard University, I participated in a number of international research programs before starting a graduate degree. I am now entering my sixth year of the Integrative Biology doctoral program at UC Berkeley. My research focuses on invasion dynamics in California grasslands, specifically relating to the timing of life history events and water use through the summer drought. I am hoping to finish in the next year, and move on to postdoctoral work integrating ecological research and scientific literacy in rural communities.

I have been fortunate enough to have been a part of SEEDS as both a mentee and mentor. My interest in ecology was focused by my first experience with SEEDS in Spokane, Washington; I am actually still in touch with my mentor from that time. Since then, I have served as a mentor for a number of meetings, and have watched former mentees move on to graduate school and continue with the program. I have also seen the same mentors return year after year to participate again. I think the continuity of participation by students and faculty is evidence of the positive impact SEEDS has had.



Bruce Machona - Stephen F. Austin State University
My name is Bruce Machona and originally I am from Zimbabwe. I came to the United States in 2001 as an undergraduate at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. As an undergraduate, I had the privilege to attend my first ESA Annual Meeting in Savanna, Georgia and had the opportunity to be mentored by one of the best ecologists in the country, Dr. Alan Berkowitz. My encounter with him made a great impact on my career pathway as an emerging ecologist. My past involvement with the SEEDS program includes field trips, the SEEDS Campus Chapter at Wiley, and the SEEDS Undergraduate Research Fellowship. I was then elected as the President of the Ecology Club at my school and during that time we were able to manage and help rejuvenate our nature trail. I feel that this helped reestablish one of the best nature trails in existence.

My involvement in ecology was further enhanced when I was offered the opportunity to participate in the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies (IES) in New York. This program not only benefited me financially, but academically, socially and most importantly, it opened more ecological opportunities for me. In 2004 I was awarded the SEEDS Undergraduate Research Rellowship, the most prestigious program for undergraduate students. This fellowship helped me understand many aspects of ecology such as research, how to publish, how to do science, and for the first time I realized there was no cultural boundary as far as achieving your goals is concerned. I am proud to be part of the ESA-SEEDS program because my success is attributed to the fundamental principles of the SEEDS program which encourages minorities to pursue higher education.

I graduated with my Bachelor’s of Education-Biology in May 2005 and currently I am working on a Master’s in Environmental Management and I am looking forward to pursuing a Ph.D. in applied Agro-ecology. I wish to be a source of inspiration to current and future minority SEEDS students, not only because of what I have achieved so far, but what I am to achieve and how SEEDS has played a major role in helping me achieve my goals. I always believe that nothing can stop you from achieving your goals, age is just a number, but commitment is everything. The SEEDS program is one of the best things that has ever happened in the history of ecology because the program focuses on grooming future ecologists and it is undeniable that the future depends on how ecosystems are managed. So my goal of attending the ESA Annual Meeting as a mentor is to share my personal experience with the current and future SEEDS students. It is also important for me as a SEEDS alumnus to understand that for this program to prosper it needs our support financially and I am determined to help achieve that.

Luanna Prevost - University of Georgia
I am currently completing my first year as a PhD student in Plant Biology at the University of Georgia. My research focuses on plant diversity in tropical premontane forest from the perspective of island biogeography. Since deforestation is prevalent in the Neotropics, much of the forests left are in the form of fragments. This may influence changes in forest dynamics, and I am particularly interested in impacts on herbaceous species in the forest understory. My research will take place in Costa Rica, and I will complete my first field season this summer. I hope to continue this research and extend it to other areas in the tropics in the future, including my home country.

I am from Dominica, a country in the Eastern Caribbean. Though agriculture is a major industry, the island remains heavily forested. I was fortunate to grow up during the period where conservation of our natural resources and protecting our forest became an important goal for the country. As a child, I always had been exposed to and interested in nature. However, when it was time to begin considering a career path, I never considered working with nature a real possibility.

During a biodiversity field trip at the Dominica Community College, I fully realized the diversity of natural communities on my island and wanted to learn more about them. I became aware of forestry and environmental science as possible career choices, and worked for a year with the Forestry and Wildlife Division in Dominica. As a research assistant, I participated in several projects including wildlife, lumber production surveys, and monitoring of populations of endemic parrots.

The following year, I enrolled at Tuskegee University to pursue my undergraduate degree, majoring in Biology and Environmental Science. It was during a presentation by the SEEDS Chapter to the freshman biology class that I was first exposed to the field of ecology. I was immediately enthralled. I began volunteering with the SEEDS Chapter at Tuskegee in my freshman year and have been participating in SEEDS events ever since. Attending SEEDS activities such as workshops held by the Chapter, field trips, and ESA Annual Meetings helped steer my career in the direction of plant ecology.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I obtained my Master's degree in Plant and Environmental Sciences from Clemson University. My research compared the taxonomy and ecology of a rare herbaceous plant and a common close relative. I developed a solid background in plant taxonomy, which has been very useful in my current research. While at Clemson, I served as a teaching assistant for Field Biology and Plant Ecology courses, which allowed me to learn more about interacting with students, leadership in the classroom and in the field, as well as introducing students to the topics of botany and ecology. I also enjoyed serving as a teaching assistant last summer for the Tropical Ecology program in Dominica. I hope to continue to help students learn more about ecology, and will have the opportunity to do so this summer as a co-mentor to student researchers during a Tropical Biology course at my field site this summer.

This summer I will serve as an alumni mentor at the ESA Annual Meeting. I am looking forward to this experience. My first ESA meeting was a bit overwhelming. The numerous talks and workshops were all very appealing, and deciding which to choose from was almost impossible. It was good to have a mentor to help me filter through all the information. I hope to make the meeting a more accessible and less overwhelming experience for the SEEDS students, and help the students navigate smoothly through the week. Additionally, I am eager to share my graduate school experience and provide help with how to apply to and what to expect upon entering a graduate program. I also view this upcoming meeting as a learning experience. I hope to find out more about the career paths and new projects and activities in which students are undertaking through SEEDS.

This opportunity to mentor is a way to give back to the SEEDS program. I am very grateful for the new perspectives and opportunities that I have discovered through SEEDS. I hope to share this experience with other students at the ESA meeting and to continue to participate in future SEEDS activities.

Rafael Sierra – Hofstra University
My name is Rafael Sierra and currently I am in my second year as a Biology graduate student at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, where I was granted the Public Service Leaders Scholarship by the USDA. I am specializing in the dietary study of diamondback terrapins in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Brooklyn, New York, under the mentorship of Dr. Russell Burke. This research work, which is being supported by the Hudson River Foundation, has been useful to learn new conservation and field techniques in view to preserve the role of the diamondback terrapins in salt marsh ecosystems. My areas of interest are wildlife conservation, bird, amphibian and reptile ecology, and environmental issues that have a significant impact on species diversity. In the future, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Wildlife Conservation with an emphasis on wetland ecosystems. Furthermore, I want to conduct research with a government agency in bird management and teach at a prestigious university in order to make a positive contribution to the science field.

Throughout my educational career, SEEDS has significantly contributed to my professional development by providing me with several opportunities to participate in different enriching activities. Through these activities, important scientists helped to answer all of my questions about how I can reach my goal to be a good researcher and I think, these kinds of opportunities are the base for my pursuit of a science career. In 2002, I participated in the SEEDS November field trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, where I expanded my knowledge about biodiversity in temperate forests (such as the Smoky Mountains National Park, where I learned new field techniques and statistical analyses used in ecological studies.) Also, SEEDS has granted me the opportunity to attend two different conferences, the 88th ESA Annual Meeting in Savannah, Georgia, and the Ecology in an Era of Globalization International Conference in Merida, Mexico. In the first meeting, my assigned mentor, Dr. Charles Nilon, helped me to solidify my interest in the ecology field, and discover the available options to conduct research, particularly in aquatic ecosystems. In the international conference, I attended international research presentations and seminars on population and ecosystem ecology, and I also was able to network with people from Brazil and Mexico who helped me modify my thesis design.

During the upcoming ESA Meeting, my goals as a mentor are to bring my ability to see the ecology study from a funny way, trying to think as a wildlife species and to communicate to undergraduate students the importance of working hard in this field. I will show them several alternatives that they have to enhance their scientific knowledge and I will bring out new ideas and positive comments with regard to the conservation of the environment - forests, rangelands and water resources, and particularly in the preservation of reptiles. Also, I will try to create new solutions to resolve environmental issues that are affecting our communities.

Lucero Vasquez-Radonic – University of Arizona
I remember as a child going to the beach with my mother and collecting every sea shell I could find. I loved spending the days outdoors – it was an escape from the material reality of the big city. My mom always inculcated me to respect nature and see it as a gift and a responsibility to human kind, and not as a commodity. Despite my mother’s teachings, it is kind of hard to assimilate that way of thinking when you grow up around the busy streets of Lima, Peru where the dark clouds have stolen the sky from the stars. I did not fully understand my mother’s concept of nature until as a high school student when I went on a trip to the Tambopata National Reserve in the Peruvian Amazon. At Tambopata I was taken away by the impressive natural resources of my country. Since then I have been taken away by the magnificence of nature, and the complexity of the local cultures who survive from the local resources. I started to realize the importance of maintaining human populations and local ecosystems in balance.

As an undergraduate Environmental Science student at The University of Texas at El Paso, I participated in a variety of research projects across disciplines. During my undergraduate years, Ms. Cindy Edgar, my advisor, was very influential and motivated me to get my hands on every opportunity that would cross my path. She let me know about the SEEDS field trip to the University of Calgary Kananaskis Field Station. This was an amazing experience. This place was breathtaking and it was wonderful to interact with inspired students from different regions who were also interested in ecology. Since then, I have participated in ESA Annual Meetings in Canada, USA, and Mexico – and every time I have enjoyed wonderful conversations with people who understand the delicate balance in which humans and the ecosystem coexist.

During my senior year I was awarded a SEEDS Undergraduate Research Fellowship, which gave me the opportunity of furthering my research experience in ecology while getting a taste of Polynesian culture. I studied the seed rain and the soil seed bank in a Hawaiian lowland wet forest to contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms by which introduced species are out-competing native species. This understanding is necessary so that these forests can remain as functioning systems where the native species survive competition by introduced species. This information may help us understand their competitive success, providing us the tools to develop alternative control methods that could be applied at the different life stages of the plant.

Thanks to SEEDS I had a wonderful undergraduate experience that prepared me for a Ph.D. in Anthropology with a focus on human-environmental relations. I would recommend fellow students to seek other SEEDS opportunities and to have the courage to take every opportunity they can. Get as much practice as you can, and do not be afraid of changing your mind and looking for new things! Everyone has a passion, find yours by looking around and trying everything you can!

After finishing my research in forest ecology, I started to focus on my other main interest: Ecological Anthropology. My graduate studies focus on cultural-environmental relationships. I intend to work on the implementation of sustainable development projects for Latin America that respect the integrity of the natural resources while also maintaining cultural diversity. To me these two fields are highly linked: These are my two passions and are the tools I have selected to contribute to save the world I inherited from my ancestors. The field of ecology is incredibly broad; it has multiple applications, which keep on increasing as we learn the value of cooperating across disciplines. Ecological anthropology has shown me that it is possible (and necessary) to bridge the life sciences with the social sciences. I think by integrating ecological strategies to cultural studies, we can create comprehensive sustainable development projects that would promote sound economic initiatives that respect the integrity of the natural resources while also maintaining cultural diversity.

 

Grad Updates
We have some more updates on our recent grads:

Lisa Garcia – graduate of University of Texas at El Paso. Lisa is working with a company that is contracted by a military base in El Paso. She was doing field work collecting soil and fauna data and is now cleaning up data from the field. Soon she will be working with GIS and creating range maps, in which she has great interest. In the near future, Lisa plans to enroll in a graduate program although she is not sure of the exact research focus. She is interested in wildlife and GIS/Remote Sensing technology and would like to apply it to wildlife management or habitat management. She is excited about this year’s ESA Annual Meeting because her mentor, Dr. Charlie Nilon, has expertise in wildlife ecology and she will be able to speak at length with him on graduate school options.

Damaris Núñez-Figueroa – graduate of Inter American University of Puerto Rico. Damaris graduated with Cum Laude honors from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico in May. She hopes to continue graduate studies in Environmental Sciences.

Francisco Soto – graduate of University of Puerto Rico, Humacao. Francisco is starting his M.S. in biology at the University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras) in August. He will be working on coral reef ecology. Francisco is close to fulfilling his AmeriCorps contract and is very excited to start graduate research.

 

SEEDS Event Recaps

Konza Prairie Field Trip
From June 4-9, 2006 SEEDS conducted a highly exciting and successful student field trip to Kansas, highlighting a very special place in Lawrence, KS, the Haskell/Wakarusa wetlands, and the research being conducted at the Konza Prairie Long Term Ecological Research site. Attendees included nineteen students from sixteen schools across the country, including the territories of American Samoa and Puerto Rico; one SEEDS faculty from Yale University; and three SEEDS staff from the Ecological Society of America. The main goal of the field trip was to provide students with a positive and stimulating experience with a slice of the ecology profession that is taking place in Lawrence and Manhattan, Kansas. The field trip was rounded out with cultural and artistic aspects of areas the group learned about, to give a rich perspective on Kansas places.

Many exciting and enriching activities took place during the field trip. Participants toured the Haskell/Wakarusa wetlands and learned of the fascinating and tragic history of the area, beginning when the now Haskell Indian Nations University was a boarding school trying to assimilate young American Indians into US culture. Participants then were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas, one of the best in the nation. The field trip then moved from Lawrence to Manhattan, KS, where students learned about the ecological research being done at Kansas State University and the Konza Prairie, including on grasslands, wetlands, and streams. Research included mammology, wetland ecology, entomology, avian ecology, biogeochemistry, herpetology, behavioral ecology, botany, grassland ecology, ecotoxicology, and fisheries ecology.

More information about the field trip along with the field trip report and photos will be posted on the SEEDS website soon.

 

SEEDS Updates

ESA Annual Meeting
We hope to see many of you in Memphis for the 2006 ESA Annual Meeting!

 

Research Fellowship
We are pleased to announce that three years of SEEDS Fellows completed their statement to the ESA membership. The fellows worked tirelessly and at distance to capture in writing the magic of the March, 2006 leadership meeting where they discussed what they wanted to communicate to the ecological community. Their statement will be published in the July ESA Bulletin, and can also be found online at http://www.esa.org/seeds/activities/FellowshipsInfo/statement.php.

 

Ecology Bulletin Board

Archbold Biological Station Internship
Location: Lake Placid, Florida
Participation Dates: Internships generally run for 4-6 months but are flexible in their starting dates and durations
Openings are available for research internships at Archbold Biological Station in south-central Florida. Research in the plant ecology laboratory of Eric Menges emphasizes conservation biology, plant demography, population viability assessment, fire ecology, landscape ecology, and fire management. We study many species of endemic vascular plants in endangered Florida scrub and related communities, at Archbold's 2000-ha preserve and other preserves on Florida's Lake Wales Ridge. Active fire management provides outstanding opportunities for short-term comparative studies in fire ecology. Our long-term (12-year) datasets on dozens of scrub plants gives context to short-term, focused, field projects. Archbold Biological Station is active in research, conservation, and education. Our facilities include an outstanding regional library and a GIS lab running ARCINFO. We have a staff of about 50 with many visiting scientists, an active seminar program, and a relaxed biological station atmosphere. Staff research is varied, with particular strengths in population biology, behavioral ecology, geographic ecology, systematics, landscape ecology, and conservation planning. Study organisms include plants, invertebrates, birds, mammals, and herptiles.
Benefits: Interns receive room, board, and a weekly stipend of $100.* They work 20 hours per week as research assistants and the remainder of the time on their independent research project. *Partial travel expenses may be available based on need.
Eligibility: Ideal for students with undergraduate degrees contemplating graduate school
Application & Deadline: www.archbold-station.org/abs/internvol/internrevres.htm
Contact: Dr. Eric S. Menges, Archbold Biological Station, P.O. Box 2057, Lake Placid, Florida 33862 USA, 863-465-2571, EMenges@archbold-station.org

 

Student Pugwash USA
Location: Nationwide (and globally through www.student-pugwash.org)
Participation Dates: Our programs and conferences run throughout the year
Student Pugwash USA enables students to think independently about how the development of cutting-edge science and technologies affect society—issues that range from international security to public health, from global warming to the development of U.S. science policy. With chapters on more than 25 campuses across the country, Student Pugwash USA hosts regional and national conferences throughout the school year, currently focused on the issue of scientific integrity. The best way to get involved in our programs is to join our email list, which offers weekly updates on science issues, upcoming events, exciting job and internship opportunities, and resources to help students take socially responsible steps on campus.
Benefits: There are no membership fees associated with Student Pugwash, and we offer free regional conferences nationwide on a number of provocative science and society issues. SPUSA enables students to organize a wide range of science and society events on their campuses. Student Pugwash USA presents issues from a variety of different viewpoints, acting as a catalyst for ethical debates on campuses nationwide. We also provide our members with information about upcoming events in the scientific community, such as professional conferences and science and ethics meetings, job and internship postings, and other student resources.
Eligibility: Our programs are for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. We also have opportunities available for young professionals and alumnae/i.
Application & Deadline: www.spusa.org/forms/listserv.html
Contact: Sharlissa Moore, Program Coordinator, smoore@spusa.org, 202-429-8900

 

If you're interested in posting an opportunity, please visit http://www.esa.org/seeds/activities/newsletter.php

 

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