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gpotter

Why I left academia after getting my PhD

I am a community marine ecologist by training. My PhD consisted of me driving a boat to conduct fieldwork in a wetsuit in Moorea, French Polynesia. Now, I am a Research Staff Member at the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI), a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)….

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Early Career Events at ESA 2019

Early Career Ecologists Section list of relevant activities and presentations ESA Annual Meeting 2019 – Louisville, KY We will have a booth in the exhibit hall each day of the conference and we guarantee someone will be there for the first hour each day (4-5pm). Come on by to say hi, get some swag, and get a semi-professional photo taken!…

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2019-2020 Early Career Ecologists Officer Election Announcement

It’s the last week to vote in the ECE 2019-2020 elections for Vice-Chair and Secretary Treasurer. Cast your vote here. To be valid, votes must be cast by 11:59pm on July 21, 2019. Only current members of the ECE Section are eligible to vote. Limit one vote per eligible member. Candidates will be elected by a simple majority of valid ballots cast….

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Seeking mentors for the 2020 Early Career Mentorship Program

Call for ESA Mentors! Early Career Mentoring Program Ecological Society of America Virtual Meeting, 2020 If you are interested in becoming a potential ESA Mentor and are planning to register for the 2020 virtual meeting, please fill out our ECMP Google form. Description: Conferences provide unique opportunities for biologists to interact with others in their field; however, these opportunities are rarely structured…

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Early Career Ecology Events at #ESA2018

Early Career Ecology Events @ ESA New Orleans Meeting 2018 The following activities during the ESA annual meeting are either hosted/co-hosted by the Early Career Ecology section, or are likely to be of interest to early career members. **If you complete the “ESA 2018 To Do List” and give it to our booth by Wednesday afternoon, you could win a…

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Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Resources for Targets and their Allies

An ideal working environment involves a culture that expects and demonstrates civility and courtesy to all members of a professional community, regardless of identity and status. A culture of mutual respect will be free of abuse, and from retaliation against those who speak out against it. However, from Hollywood to Antarctica1, and from federal agencies2,3 to prestigious academic institutions4–6, the…

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Research site networks

USDA Forest Service Experimental Forests & Ranges and Research Natural Areas As an early career ecologist, securing funds for new, field-based studies can be challenging.  One strategy is to collaborate on existing studies.  This type of collaboration is cost efficient because study establishment is already completed, allowing collaboration to focus on continuing the original objectives (e.g., re-measuring) or developing new…

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Ecology Professional Development Webinar Series

Ecology Professional Development Webinar Series ESA – Early Career Ecologist Section presents a series of webinars for budding ecologists including late-stage graduate students, postdocs, early career faculty, non-academic ecologists, and beyond. “Authorship & collaboration” Dr. Stephanie Pau, Florida State University Monday, March 12th at 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM EST   “Advice for non-academic career paths for ecologists” Dr. Stephanie Yelenik,…

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Seeking mentors for the 2018 Early Career Mentorship Program

Call for ESA Mentors! Early Career Mentoring Program Ecological Society of America Meeting, New Orleans, 2018 If you are interested in becoming a potential ESA Mentor and will be attending the 2018 meeting in New Orleans, please fill out our Google form by April 16, 2018. Description: Conferences provide unique opportunities for biologists to interact with others in their field; however, these opportunities are…

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Team science techniques for highly effective teams

Ecology is becoming an increasingly collaborative science, as seen in part by the increasing number of authors on ecology publications. As an early career ecologist, you’ve probably already worked in at least a few, and maybe many, collaborative research teams, whether your collaborators came from within your lab group, or institutions around the world. You’ve probably also already realized that…

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Teaching as training for scientific communication

It is clear that the role of scientists in society has shifted over the past few decades. With the explosion of communication methods and accessible information/disinformation at one’s fingertips, dissemination of science is falling more and more on the shoulders of the scientists themselves. There is no longer one way for the public to acquire scientific findings (science journalists) and…

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ESA Certified Ecologists

There is an increasing nationwide demand for certification credentials in the environmental arena. More immediate climate issues, land-use concerns, and resource management challenges are all growing in presence. As a response, the Ecological Society of America (ESA) established its Professional Certification program which helps to identify and acknowledge ecologists who meet stringent standards in both scientific education and real world…

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