E-newsletter of the
Ecological Society of America's SEEDS program
www.esa.org/seeds
www.esa.org/seeds
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June/July 2008
Volume 9, Issue 3 E-newsletter of the
Ecological Society of America's SEEDS program
www.esa.org/seeds |
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In this issue:
SEEDS Dispersal is published online six times a year with additional special issues by the SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Development, and Sustainability) program. SEEDS promotes opportunities to diversify and advance the profession of ecology. |
Introduction Jui Shrestha |
Ecology on the
Edge: Alaska Field Trip
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AIBS Diversity Leadership Award The Ecological Society of America’s SEEDS program won this year’s Diversity Leadership Award, presented by the American Institute of Biological Sciences
AIBS President Rita Colwell and Executive Director Richard O’Grady praised ESA’s program, Strategies for Ecology Education, Development and Sustainability (SEEDS), for its “creativity, commitment, and effectiveness in promoting diversity in biology.” This is the second award SEEDS has garnered; the program was a recipient of the 2006 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, the highest award of its kind in the United States. With the goal of diversifying and advancing the profession of ecology, the SEEDS program provides a full spectrum of mentoring and learning opportunities to underrepresented undergraduate students. These include SEEDS ecology clubs and chapters, research fellowships, group field trips, and travel to the ESA Annual Meeting, where students are assigned a mentor for the duration of the meeting. SEEDS directly serves over 200 students and its chapters serve nearly 2,000 students. These students credit the program with enabling them to pursue a career in ecological science and to forge lasting relationships with both peers and mentors that help support their academic pursuits. In 1992, underrepresented minorities represented 5.7 percent of the Society’s membership. In 2006, that number had grown to 11 percent. The number of American Indian/Alaska Native members has more than doubled, and that of African American members nearly tripled, over that time. The Society has made a long-term commitment to continue the mentoring opportunities for students and members alike, particularly those organized and supported at the Society’s annual meetings. ESA’s SEEDS program was recognized during the 2008 AIBS Annual Meeting on May 12, in Arlington, Virginia. Melissa Armstrong, ESA Diversity Programs Manager, who has worked with SEEDS since 1999, accepted the award on the Society’s behalf. | |||
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SEEDS Extends Service to Supplemental Research Experiences for
Undergraduates Teresa Mourad, Jui Shrestha SEEDS has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support a referral and consulting service designed to attract applications from students from underrepresented groups to Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) supplemental awards associated with the NSF’s Division of Environmental Biology (DEB). These are opportunities associated with research projects across the nation available to undergraduate students. SEEDS will gather the information of research projects interested in this opportunity. As opportunities become available, we will advertise them to the SEEDS network and at events that we participate in. SEEDS will also guide students through the application process. Once selected, students are part of the SEEDS program. We hope the Principal Investigators (PIs) of the REU supplemental awards will be able to sponsor their students to the Annual Meeting to present their research next year.  The REU Supplementals will make it possible for more students with varying
degrees of experience to engage in meaningful research, beyond the students
selected for the SEEDs undergraduate research fellowships. We are very excited to introduce two students who have been selected to work on a research project this summer through this new service launched in May. Josue Sanchez Manzanillo and Melissa Melendez Oyola of UPR-Rio Piedras will work with PI Dave Eissenstat at Penn State University and will participate in a field campaign in July that includes visits to the Bousson Forest in northern Pennsylvania, the Harvard Forest in Massachusetts and the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine. They will be examining the effects of long-term N addition on root physiology in temperate trees. We look forward to serving more students through this new endeavor. |
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Undergraduate Research Fellowship The SEEDS Undergraduate Research Fellowship applications will be posted on the SEEDS website by July 15, 2008, and students will have until September 15, 2008, to apply. The SEEDS Fellowship allows undergraduate students to complete an independent research project. This project includes working with program staff to select a research site and mentor, writing a research proposal and budget, conducting research in the field and/or lab, analyzing results and writing a paper, and presenting research at an ESA Annual Meeting. Each Fellow has a research mentor - a PhD ecologist from the ESA membership - to provide support throughout the project. The SEEDS Fellowship is essentially a mini- thesis that prepares students for graduate school research. The SEEDS program also provides support through stipends, designated staff, networking with other Fellows, and leadership workshops. Undergraduate students with a graduation date later than spring 2010 are eligible to apply. |
Field Trip - Harvard Forest LTER, Oct 16 -19,
2008 The application for the fall SEEDS Field Trip will be
available online by July 25th, 2008. Applicants will have three weeks from then
to apply for the Field Trip. SEEDS Field Trips are designed to introduce
undergraduate students to the field of ecology and to provide an opportunity for
students already in an ecology/biology track to experience ecological research
in a field other than what they are accustomed to. During the Field Trip,
students will engage in field work, network with professional ecologists and
graduate students, and learn about the history/culture of the area. The research
focus of the Harvard Forest LTER focuses on ecological processes in the New
England area that includes wind and fire, past climate change, land- use and
management, atmospheric pollution, and projected increases in global
temperature. More information on SEEDS Field Trip can be found at
www.esa.org/seeds/fieldtrips/ and the Harvard Forest LTER at
harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/research/lter.html
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May 2008 Graduates!
A hearty congratulations on this major life milestone! Below is a sample of what some graduates are up to.
Graduate Students Joel Abraham completed his PhD in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley. He will be working with SimBiotic as an Education Assessment Coordinator.
Amber Finley received her Masters in Environmental Sciences from the University of San Francisco. She has been working as a substitute teacher for the Vallejo City Unified School District since January, 2008, and has been actively involved with the SEEDS SEOI Committee.
Lauren Mc Gee - I'm graduating with a MS degree in Environmental Science
from
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Undergraduate Students
Marla Striped-Face Collins graduated from Sitting Bull College with a
major in Environmental Science. Colleen Cooley graduated from Northern Arizona University with a major in Environmental Sciences. She is working with the Grand Canyon Wildlife Council for the summer.
Ashley Scioneaux - I graduated on May 10th from Xavier University of Louisiana. My major was Chemistry and my minor was Biology. I am now in graduate school at Miami University (Ohio) doing summer research for a Physical/Organic Chemist. I will begin classes in the fall, which will mark the beginning of my pursuit toward a Ph.D. in Chemistry (specifically Organic Chemistry). My ultimate goal is to do industrial research.
Carol Thomas graduated from SUNY-Syracuse with a major in Natural History and Interpretation. She is conducting research in Fairbanks for the summer and will hopefully work with a youth outreach program either in Fairbanks or Anchorage in the fall.
Jallah Rouse graduated from Johnson C Smith University with a Biology major and a Chemistry minor. He is going on to graduate school. |
The Expansion of SEEDS The network of SEEDS campus ecology chapters across the country has been an incredible success with 43 institutions, and growing. We have recently been looking at ways to expand the positive impact that SEEDS Chapters have on students. But where to next? The answer, which came in the form of student requests and suggestions, is to reach out to high school students. During the 2007 ESA Annual Meeting in San Jose, California, SEEDS students, as part of the SEEDS Education Outreach Initiative (SEOI), worked with local high school students and teachers to organize a field trip. Through last year’s field trip, a connection was made between SEEDS and two local high schools in California that continues today. SEEDS students are again planning a field trip with local high school students and teachers during the 2008 ESA Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This year’s field trip is entitled “Ecology Outreach Opportunities: ‘Bioblitz’ at the Proposed Milwaukee Center Park Riparian Corridor”. Working with high school students has made it increasingly apparent that the next step in SEEDS’ future would be to incorporate high school chapters. We have been working towards that goal and are now able to extend SEEDS chapters to include high schools! We would like to encourage high schools to join the SEEDS network. In order to become a SEEDS high school chapter, a school must have participated or will participate with SEEDS through: (1) the SEEDS Education Outreach Initiative (SEOI) during an ESA meeting, or (2) a SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter outreach project. Each new chapter will have to complete an application, similar to the SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter application. Upon acceptance as a SEEDS chapter, there are other SEEDS benefits to take advantage of, including funding. The ESA Office of Education and Diversity Programs Director, Teresa Mourad, has been working closely with Project Learning Tree (PLT) to secure grants for upcoming SEEDS high school chapters. The SEEDS High School Ecology Chapter Service Learning Grant is funded by Project Learning Tree through GreenWorks!, PLT’s service-learning, community action program. GreenWorks! projects address environmental issues and involve students from pre-school to high school in hands-on community action. This is a one-time grant of $500 available to new high school SEEDS chapters. SEEDS is honored to announce the very first SEEDS High School Chapter, the Wilcox Ecology & Research Club at Wilcox High School in Santa Clara, California. Students from the ecology club and its advisor, Dennis Downing, first worked with SEEDS during the 2007 Annual Meeting in San Jose, California. The overall purpose of their SEEDS chapter is to “promote scientific investigation of our environment through outdoor research and activities”. We welcome Wilcox High School to the SEEDS family and wish them all the best. Wilcox SEEDS – we are all here to support you whenever you need us! The promise of young ecologists joining the SEEDS network is exciting to all.
With this new branch of SEEDS comes opportunities for all SEEDS students and
advisors to work together to promote and nurture all interests in ecological
education, development, and sustainability! If you have any questions or would like to request a high school chapter application, please send an email to seeds@esa.org. | |
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The University of Maryland Baltimore County joins the SEEDS family SEEDS is very pleased to announce a new addition to the SEEDS network. The University of Maryland Baltimore County is the 44th SEEDS Chapter! Please join me in welcoming the newest member of our ever-growing family! The purpose of the UMBC SEEDS Chapter is to “stimulate interest in urban ecosystem ecology. The chapter aims to provide educational, research and mentoring opportunities for SEEDS students”. We wish them all the best in their bright future with SEEDS! |
SEEDS student receives Diversity Scholar Award
Melissa
Armstrong
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| Photo credit: Carroll Photography |
Antonio Cordero, Intern
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Jui Shrestha, Program Assistant
My interest in education programs and issues related to environmental justice program had attracted me to the position with SEEDS. With my last science class being ages ago in 12th grade, I was intimidated to join ESA. However, in my short eight month stay with SEEDS, I have found both the ESA staff and the students I have worked with to be very welcoming. The progress that SEEDS has made during my time here has shown me how gratifying working in a non-profit environment can be, and I plan to be involved in this sector upon completing my Masters in Public Administration from the University of Connecticut. I also had the wonderful opportunity of going on two Field Trips. They made me recall concepts learnt long ago in 12th grade Biology classes and reinforced my belief in experiential learning. I look forward to doing interdisciplinary work in the future, and am certain that my time at ESA will be invaluable for doing this kind of work. |
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Rui Zhang, Intern
1900 M Street | Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20036 | phone 202-833-8773 | fax 202-833-8775 | email seeds@esa.org
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19 students, 2 faculty and 2 SEEDS Staff took part in a SEEDS Field Trip to
Bonanza Creek LTER in Fairbanks, Alaska from May 24th -31st. The Bonanza Creek
LTER focuses on research on boreal forests. Within the context of the
International Polar Year, the activities and discussions during the field
trip centred around the effects of climate change in Alaska. Students got an opportunity to
engage with researchers and Native Alaskans through field work and formal
presentations. The students investigated the effect of fires in Alaska, learned
about Athabascan traditions. Additionally, artistic expression was incorporated into the field trip
to encourage creative thinking. Photos from the field trip can be found
Ohio State University. I conducted my research on nitrogen and methane
processing in low-head dam reservoirs within urban rivers and plan to present my
research findings at the 2008 ESA Annual Meeting. Starting June 9th, I will be
an environmental scientist for the USDA Rural Development in Washington, DC. I
currently don't know what my exact responsibilities will be, but I do look
forward to learning more about NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and the
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS) evaluation process.
Jeffrey Ross received a Master of Forest Science degree from Yale
University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (F&ES) on May 26,
2008. Jeffrey’s focal area in F&ES was centered on forestry, forest science, and
the management of forests for conservation and development. Dr. Julian Hadley,
Senior Research Scientist at Harvard Forest/Harvard University, supervised his
thesis research, which sought to estimate aboveground carbon storage in an oak
(Quercus spp.) dominated stand and to gain a better understanding of how natural
disturbance regimes disrupt the forest-to-atmosphere carbon cycle. This fall,
Jeffrey will join the Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group at the University
of Montana, where he will begin pursuing a PhD under the guidance of Dr. John
Kimball and continue his research on forest-to-atmosphere carbon cycling.
Jarrod Blue graduated from Davidson College with a major in Biology.
He will be starting a PhD program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the
University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
George Livingston
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I'll be graduating with a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. After graduation: I'll be entering the Phd
program in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Texas-Austin in
August to work on community ecology of tropical insects with Larry Gilbert and
Mathew Leibold. Also, I was awarded an NSF pre-doc, and my involvement with
SEEDS most likely helped me get the award.
Brenda I. Castro-Voltaggio
- I am from Puerto Rico and I finished
my Bachelors degree at the University of Puerto Rico- Rio Piedras. My major was
in Natural Sciences, where I specialized in the Environmental Sciences. I am
going to work with an environmental consulting firm to get some work
experience, and then attend graduate school to pursue a Masters in Environmental
Management. I like to thank the entire SEEDS group for giving me the
opportunity to be a little part of you and get some experience and see what I
can do in ecology. I hope to see all of you soon!!!!
When I first began my tenure as the ESA Education Intern, I was
not aware of the wonderful opportunity that I had become a part of. It has been
an honor working with a group of people who are genuine in their commitment to
ensuring the advancement of underrepresented students in science and education.
I have had the opportunity to travel and make valuable acquaintances, and in the
process realized the importance of providing mentorship to others. Most
importantly, I learned that there is a critical need to improve science
education, and encourage the proportional representation of all members of
society in scientific research and policy making. Promoting such goals is a
noble endeavor and you should all be proud in the roles you have taken to pursue
it. Not surprisingly, the SEEDS program has received two prestigious national
awards in recognition of the latter. With that said, I feel fortunate to have
been a part of the ESA Office of Education and Diversity Programs and look
forward to continuing my support of it.
Rui Zhang is ESA's Summer and Fall
2008 education intern. She is from mainland China and is currently a Master of
Public Administration candidate at Cornell University. Growing up by the Yangtze
River and witnessing the pollution increase dramatically year by year, she has
been interested in environmental protection programs since childhood. She is
very proud to have participated in the "Saving the Yangtze River" project and
helped arrange field trips for undergraduate students in 2004, which made a huge
impact on water pollution management in China. After working as a conservation
volunteer in Australia in 2006 and 2007, she was encouraged to learn more about
ecology and environmental science. She is very excited to join ESA and is ready
to combine her knowledge in public affairs and her strong interest in ecology
and diversity to help develop the SEEDS program.