August 6, 2020 ~ Harnessing the data revolution. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in live discussions centered on this year’s meeting theme. Discussions may focus on the wealth of data that are available and continue to be generated from observatory and research networks (e.g., NEON, LTER, etc.) and from remotely sensed instruments (e.g., NASA products, among others). Participants are encouraged to share their knowledge of various networks relevant to ecology-related research, challenges and opportunities created by such large data sources, and promising methods for leveraging and synthesizing information from such networks or other large data sources.
August 6, 2020 ~Engaging with Indigenous People. If you are interested in learning more about working with Indigenous Peoples or about Indigenous science (TEK, “Traditional Ecological Knowledge”), join us for a live conversation with Indigenous scientists and Tribal liaisons to learn about their perspectives on developing respectful and mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborative research. Other ecologists that have experience or interests in TEK and/or in collaborating with Indigenous Peoples are also encouraged to share their perspectives.
August 3, 2020 ~ ESA Safe Space for Diverse Scientists: Welcome, Meeting Tips and Networking. ESA welcomes all Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and others who need a safe space to network and share experiences, questions, and resources. Come learn more, or share about how to navigate the meeting, ways to get involved in ESA or share ideas to enrich your ESA experience.
August 4, 2020 ~ Microaggressions in the scientific community: experiencing, identifying, and addressing them. We can encounter microaggressions in many different environments, personally and professionally. They can target any aspect or part of our identity, such as our race or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religious beliefs, and/or ability. The scientific community is not immune to microaggressions. This networking session is an opportunity to connect, share experiences, and think about ways to help each other identify and address common microaggressions as a community. Please come with an open mind, ready to share experiences and ideas. To prepare for this session, you are invited to watch this 18-minute video. While set in the classroom, the video will give you an overview of types of microaggressions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZahtlxW2CIQ
August 5, 2020 ~ Adopting Inclusive Pedagogies in the Classroom With college classrooms becoming increasingly diverse, instructors find themselves needing to create environments where all students feel welcome, valued and ready to learn. Are there ways to approach ecological concepts, ideas and practices that are more relevant and engaging to diverse students? How can instructors tap the cultural knowledge and diverse experiences among students to inform teaching? How might exercises or assessments look different with the inclusive pedagogy lens on?
August 6, 2020 ~ Building inclusive field experiences and career development programs. It can be bewildering to think about so many possible dimensions that may pose as barriers to inclusion including financial, physical, cultural, social or technological. What does an inclusive field experience or program look like? What program elements need to be in place to motivate diverse students to pursue a career in ecology? How can we recognize or anticipate, and therefore, mitigate, the threats to inclusive experience? Come share ideas that have worked – or not – and what it takes to design inclusive experiences and programs.
August 3, 2020 ~ COVID: impacts on science. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in live discussions about how the COVID pandemic has impacted their ongoing research, from impacts on fieldwork to lab work to collaborative research, and from the perspective of early career scientists, including students, to established researchers leading large research programs. Participants are encouraged to share their strategies for adapting their research in the face of the pandemic.
August 3, 2020 ~ COVID: impacts on education (from a student perspective). This session will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in live discussions about how the COVID pandemic has impacted education, primarily from the perspective of students and mentees. Discussions may focus on how students have adapted their approaches to completing coursework, to conducting their thesis research, to engaging with their mentors and peers, and to completing their degree programs. Students are encouraged to attend to share their experiences and advice, and supervisors/mentors are encouraged to attend to share their experiences from mentoring and interacting with their own students.
August 5, 2020 ~ COVID: opportunities in science. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in live discussions about how the COVID pandemic has impacted ecological systems and potentially created new areas of research and funding opportunities. Examples range from novel research studying COVID dynamics from an ecological perspective, to the impact of COVID mitigation strategies on emissions and ecosystem function. Discussions are not limited to these specific examples; participants are encouraged to share their ideas about potential research opportunities, which may lead to future collaborations.
August 6, 2020 ~ COVID: impacts on teaching (with a focus on lab courses). This session will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in live discussions about how the COVID pandemic has impacted education, primarily from the teaching perspective. With the move to on-line or hybrid/flexible delivery of courses, how can educators successfully deliver content and achieve learning objectives, especially for field- or lab-based courses that have traditionally required in-person participation and hands-on activities? Participants are encouraged to share their experiences, including exchanging ideas about successful approaches, and brainstorming novel solutions.
August 3, 2020 ~ Careers in ecology: academia. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in live discussions related to pursuing a career in academia, and it is part of a series of sessions that are coupled to the panel discussion on “exploring career pathways in ecology.” Early career ecologists are encouraged to attend, and to bring questions and insights on a variety of issues related to their career goals. Established ecologists are also encouraged to attend, and to bring perspectives that will benefit early career ecologists.
August 4, 2020 ~ Careers in ecology: government. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in live discussions related to pursuing a career in government, spanning research agencies to more policy oriented careers. The session is part of a series of sessions that are coupled to the panel discussion on “exploring career pathways in ecology.” Early career ecologists are encouraged to attend, and to bring questions and insights on a variety of issues related to their career goals. Established ecologists are also encouraged to attend, and to bring perspectives that will benefit early career ecologists.
August 5, 2020 ~- Careers in ecology: non-profit / foundations. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in live discussions related to pursuing a career with non-profit agencies or foundations, spanning research to management to conservation focused careers. The session is part of a series of sessions that are coupled to the panel discussion on “exploring career pathways in ecology.” Early career ecologists are encouraged to attend, and to bring questions and insights on a variety of issues related to their career goals. Established ecologists are also encouraged to attend, and to bring perspectives that will benefit early career ecologists.
August 6, 2020 ~ Careers in ecology: consulting and nontraditional careers. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in live discussions related to pursuing a nontraditional career pathway, including, but not limited to, environmental / ecological consulting. The session is part of a series of sessions that are coupled to the panel discussion on “exploring career pathways in ecology.” Early career ecologists are encouraged to attend, and to bring questions and insights on a variety of issues related to their career goals. Established ecologists are also encouraged to attend, and to bring perspectives that will benefit early career ecologists.