Re: [ECOLOG-L] audacity of graduate school--follow-up

[Matt Bakker]

One additional point that prospective graduate students should keep in mind
regarding future prospects is the very high likelihood of gainful
employment requiring substantial geographic mobility. For an academic
position, you really need to be open to a national or international search
process. I didn't think this would be a problem when I started my PhD
program - - - but the world (or at least your own priorities) changes quite
a bit when children enter the picture. If geographical constraints are
important (or may be in the future), an MS degree may leave you with more
opportunities within a particular area than a PhD would.


Matt

-- 
Matthew Bakker
Postdoctoral Fellow
Center for Rhizosphere Biology
311 Shepardson
Department of Horticulture
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1173

http://matthewbakker.wordpress.com/


On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 5:15 PM, malcolm McCallum <
malcolm.mccal...@herpconbio.org> wrote:

> I got a private email from someone who wishes to remain anonymous, but
> I am posting some of their comments with some possible help for those
> trying to make it through.
>
> > 1. grad students are used as grunt labour, we are teaching assistants.
>  One
> > class I was a teaching assistant form began with TA's writing quizzes.
>  Now
> > everything has been reformatted so that it is cookie cutter.  The quizzes
> > are premade and there is limited opportunity for innovation.  This is
> > especially true in lower level courses.
>
> Yes, you are correct.  That is why if you can get some of those things
> done you will be so attractive.  No one is Superman. I did the TA
> rought for my PHD.  I am WELL aware that the workload is immense.  I
> think I slept on average 5 hrs a night, often less during my PHD.
> IDEALLY, you can devote 100% of your time to school, lab
> responsiblities and research.  Throw in a spouse and child and you
> just dragged your degree another 2 years realistically. This is
> because a doctorate requires certain benchmarks be made, quickly or
> not. Just do the absolute best you can.
>
>
> > 2. The peer-review process can be tediously long and this idea reinforces
> > the notion to publish or perish irrespective of the quality of the work.
> > We've all read papers that should never have been but persons must
> publish.
>
> A grad student needs to protect him/herself from being overly choosy
> about submissions.
> Early in your career PUBLICATIONS of ANY KIND are important.  After
> you get about 5-10
> minor things then your dissertation work shoudl be in the process of
> submission.  Also,
> talk to your advisor.  Often, they have some minor stuff sitting
> around that has not been
> published due to time or loss of interest.  Finally, learn how to do
> the "cook book" paper.
> Set up a quick experiment that will take a week and have findings that
> are largely predictable.
> Then send it in to a small time journal.  It will be published in
> months to a year if you did not
> stretch the implications of your study and you stick to the facts.
> The more you write, the
> better you get at it.  The more you think about it, the less you get
> done.  Sometimes DONE
> IS BETTER THAN PERFECT.  We strive for perfection, but we get
> somethign less.  Its important
> to remember this FACT. Setting up studies that are simple and quick
> give you practice evaluating
> when your big study is really done enough too.  Again, the more you
> do, the better you get at it.
>
> > 3. It is impossible for every student to be successful writing such
> grants.
> > There is only so much money available.
>
> I agree that it is difficult.  I disagree that it is impossible.  Try
> submitting small grants with realistic budgets.  Using one of those
> pilot/short studies above mentioned to collect data to support a small
> grant will go a long way to success. I was a grant proposal writer for
> a not for profit.  I know that most proposals go unfunded, and you
> typically must resubmit multiple times.  Last I heard, the average
> first submission is rejected, many second submissions are later
> funded, if you go beyond three there might be something more serious
> wrong with your delivery. But I am talking to ONE AGENCY.  You submit
> to NSF now, then again in the next cycle.  GRANTS ARE THE HARD PART.
>
>
> > 6. Wonderful concept but we are trying to figure out how long it takes to
> > complete tasks and some deadlines may flag.
>
> The deadlines set in front of you are the realistic ones.  Stop trying
> to figure them out, the folks who put them in place have already found
> them to be tried and tested.  Few make all deadlines, but at least you
> can make it a habit to make most deadlines, and that will be
> impressive to your advisor, committee members, and prospective
> employers when your references say such in their letters or in phone
> calls and emails.
>
> > 7. I strongly believe this.  I had a professor that refused to let his
> PhD
> > students stay beyond 5 years.O
> It is ver

Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -training grad students in teaching and outreach

[Aaron T. Dossey]

Although I agree that experience teaching can give one a competitive 
edge in the ever more tiny faculty job market, and provide other 
benefits as helping guide one's career priorities, stay fresh with the 
basics etc BUT:


I fear that this emerging trend to "give more teaching 'opportunities' 
to students and postdocs" is a thinly veiled method to, like has been 
done with research, grantwriting and many other things, farm out or pass 
along undesirable workloads to students and postdocs (ie: distill the 
faculty job description down to pullet points, keep those with a career 
benefit and have students and postdocs do those which are left).  In 
fact I generally cringe (literally, often physically) when I see the 
word "opportunity" in titles of emails in this list associated with 
graduate school "positions" (jobs? really?) and postdoc positions.


Funding agencies, accreditation entities, institutions, etc. must watch 
this VERY CAREFULLY lest it devolve into a pyramid scheme like research 
has been for some time.




On 10/22/2012 7:29 PM, Christa Mulder wrote:

Hi All,

I would like to comment on the need for training in teaching mentioned 
in earlier posts in this thread, and the comment below that students 
often have little opportunity to gain such training or experience. 
Things are changing rapidly: many universities now offer programs that 
provide training specifically aimed at graduate students who expect to 
have teaching (or outreach) be a significant part of their career. 
This follows from an increasing awareness that providing rigorous 
training in one aspect (research) and none in another (teaching or 
generally communicating science) when both are likely to be crucial 
components of future careers makes as much sense as training pianists 
to play with their right hand and expect the left hand to follow along 
at the first concert (this analogy was first provided by Jo Handelsman 
in her 2003 article "Teaching scientists to teach", HHMI bulletin 
12:31). For example, at my university we have just submitted the 
paperwork to have a 12-credit Certificate in Teaching and Outreach 
aimed at graduate students in the sciences. Students who complete this 
will have practical training in course development, active learning 
techniques, evaluative techniques etc., they will have completed an 
internship (with a mentor faculty member in a college classroom, in a 
K-12 classroom, or in an informal educational setting such as a museum 
or visitor's center), and they will have a teaching portfolio, 
including a teaching philosophy statement based on experience rather 
than just ideas, that should help them obtain employment. Of course 
this takes more time initially - but in the long run it probably saves 
time as the level of frustration in teaching is reduced. And of course 
it should increase the quality of teaching that undergraduates are 
exposed to in the next generation.


With respect to training in budget management and similar skills: I 
would strongly encourage graduate students to get together and ask 
their  faculty  for skills-based courses. These could be short courses 
or weekend workshops. It too will save you time in the long run.


Good luck to everyone entering the job market.

Sincerely,
Christa Mulder


On 10/22/2012 1:03 PM, Tyler Hicks wrote:
I've been following this thread with great interest. I've found many 
of the comments to be on par with my own graduate school experiences. 
My graduate school experience has been a mixed bag of positive and 
negative experiences. However, I've found that overall the graduate 
school experience has not been everything that I hoped it would be. 
When I originally made the decision to go to graduate school I did so 
because I was interested in pursing an academic career 
(teaching/research). Personally, I am still on the fence about a 
research versus teaching position but giving the saturation of the job 
market the choice may be made for me (at the least at the entry 
level). However, in many ways I feel that graduate school has not 
prepared me as well as it could to become a professor.


For instance opportunities to gain teaching experience are limited. 
TA's often do not provide lecture or lesson development opportunities 
and tend to be structured in advance. Some graduate students seem to 
enjoy this as it reduces their work load and provides time for 
research, which is certainly important, but it does seem to reduce 
opportunities for active engagement in teaching and development of 
teaching skills by graduate students. I was fortunate to partake in 
NSF GK-12 program which at least provided some of this experience 
albeit at the 7th grade level which may count for very little when it 
comes to acquiring a job.


On the flip side looking at research I also find the graduate school 
experience failing to provide opportunities to help develop the skills 
I need to do research or one day run my own lab. Reduced library and 
de

[ECOLOG-L] RESEARCH ASSISTANT FOR URBAN ECOLOGY RESEARCH (BOSTON UNIVERSITY)

[Lucy Hutyra]

JOB OPENING – RESEARCH ASSISTANT FOR URBAN ECOLOGY RESEARCH (BOSTON
UNIVERSITY).  

We seek a motivated, creative, and focused problem-solver to join
interdisciplinary projects relating to urbanization, conservation, ecology,
biogeochemistry, and remote sensing. The researcher will be an active
participant in project planning, data analysis, scientific publications, and
must be able to work as part of an interdisciplinary research team.

Applicants should have at least a bachelor’s degree in one of the relevant
environmental or social fields; a master’s degree is preferred.  Desirable
skills include experience with ARC-GIS software, multivariate statistical
analysis (particularly using R software), interview and survey research,
ecosystem ecology, biogeochemistry, and/or image processing.  

Please direct all inquiries and send application materials to Lucy Hutyra
(lrhut...@bu.edu). As part of your application including a short statement
of research interests (1 page maximum), curriculum vitae, and the names and
contact information of three qualified references.

[ECOLOG-L] Scholarly research training for ecology grad students

[Russell, Leland]

Hi,
I am writing to seek advice concerning resources for Scholarly 
Integrity Training that are ecological, evolutionary or organismal in their 
focus.   We are required to implement Scholarly Integrity Training for our 
graduate students.  Topics that we need to cover include publication practices 
and authorship, conflict of interest and commitment and data management and 
ownership.  We are thinking of using the CITI Biomedical Responsible Conduct or 
Research Modules, but because we are a Biology Department it would be nice to 
complement these biomedically-focused modules with something from an ecological 
point of view.  I have thought about trying to incorporate a discussion of the 
Ecological Society's Code of Ethics into our new graduate student orientation.  
However, any ideas about resources for Scholarly Integrity Training for 
ecologists would be appreciated.  Thanks.
 Leland


F. Leland Russell, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Wichita State University

Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -training grad students in teaching and outreach

[Christa Mulder]

Hi All,

I would like to comment on the need for training in teaching mentioned 
in earlier posts in this thread, and the comment below that students 
often have little opportunity to gain such training or experience. 
Things are changing rapidly: many universities now offer programs that 
provide training specifically aimed at graduate students who expect to 
have teaching (or outreach) be a significant part of their career. This 
follows from an increasing awareness that providing rigorous training in 
one aspect (research) and none in another (teaching or generally 
communicating science) when both are likely to be crucial components of 
future careers makes as much sense as training pianists to play with 
their right hand and expect the left hand to follow along at the first 
concert (this analogy was first provided by Jo Handelsman in her 2003 
article "Teaching scientists to teach", HHMI bulletin 12:31). For 
example, at my university we have just submitted the paperwork to have a 
12-credit Certificate in Teaching and Outreach aimed at graduate 
students in the sciences. Students who complete this will have practical 
training in course development, active learning techniques, evaluative 
techniques etc., they will have completed an internship (with a mentor 
faculty member in a college classroom, in a K-12 classroom, or in an 
informal educational setting such as a museum or visitor's center), and 
they will have a teaching portfolio, including a teaching philosophy 
statement based on experience rather than just ideas, that should help 
them obtain employment. Of course this takes more time initially - but 
in the long run it probably saves time as the level of frustration in 
teaching is reduced. And of course it should increase the quality of 
teaching that undergraduates are exposed to in the next generation.


With respect to training in budget management and similar skills: I 
would strongly encourage graduate students to get together and ask their 
 faculty  for skills-based courses. These could be short courses or 
weekend workshops. It too will save you time in the long run.


Good luck to everyone entering the job market.

Sincerely,
Christa Mulder


On 10/22/2012 1:03 PM, Tyler Hicks wrote:
I've been following this thread with great interest. I've found many of 
the comments to be on par with my own graduate school experiences. My 
graduate school experience has been a mixed bag of positive and negative 
experiences. However, I've found that overall the graduate school 
experience has not been everything that I hoped it would be. When I 
originally made the decision to go to graduate school I did so because I 
was interested in pursing an academic career (teaching/research). 
Personally, I am still on the fence about a research versus teaching 
position but giving the saturation of the job market the choice may be 
made for me (at the least at the entry level). However, in many ways I 
feel that graduate school has not prepared me as well as it could to 
become a professor.


For instance opportunities to gain teaching experience are limited. TA's 
often do not provide lecture or lesson development opportunities and 
tend to be structured in advance. Some graduate students seem to enjoy 
this as it reduces their work load and provides time for research, which 
is certainly important, but it does seem to reduce opportunities for 
active engagement in teaching and development of teaching skills by 
graduate students. I was fortunate to partake in NSF GK-12 program which 
at least provided some of this experience albeit at the 7th grade level 
which may count for very little when it comes to acquiring a job.


On the flip side looking at research I also find the graduate school 
experience failing to provide opportunities to help develop the skills I 
need to do research or one day run my own lab. Reduced library and 
departmental budgets make ready access to literature and software 
challenging. Additionally, I've been fortunate enough to write and 
secure my own fellowships and grants. However, being "only" a graduate 
student I am afforded little opportunity to actively engage in the 
management of those research funds. Managing large grants and fellowship 
funds seems like a rather useful skill to possess when exiting school 
with PhD. Instead much of the financial matters take place behind a veil 
of administration and bureaucracy until one day someone tell you that 
your out of $$.


A former graduate student in the same department as mine once referred 
to graduate students as the "illegal immigrant workforce of the academic 
world." In many ways I think he is right. Many, but not all, graduate 
students work tremendously hard and long hours for little pay. Of course 
the pay doesn't bother me as much as some of the other issues. For one I 
find the level of healthcare coverage provided to graduate students to 
be ridiculously poor. I know of many graduate students that have 
suffer

Re: [ECOLOG-L] audacity of graduate school--follow-up

[malcolm McCallum]

I got a private email from someone who wishes to remain anonymous, but
I am posting some of their comments with some possible help for those
trying to make it through.

> 1. grad students are used as grunt labour, we are teaching assistants.  One
> class I was a teaching assistant form began with TA's writing quizzes.  Now
> everything has been reformatted so that it is cookie cutter.  The quizzes
> are premade and there is limited opportunity for innovation.  This is
> especially true in lower level courses.

Yes, you are correct.  That is why if you can get some of those things
done you will be so attractive.  No one is Superman. I did the TA
rought for my PHD.  I am WELL aware that the workload is immense.  I
think I slept on average 5 hrs a night, often less during my PHD.
IDEALLY, you can devote 100% of your time to school, lab
responsiblities and research.  Throw in a spouse and child and you
just dragged your degree another 2 years realistically. This is
because a doctorate requires certain benchmarks be made, quickly or
not. Just do the absolute best you can.


> 2. The peer-review process can be tediously long and this idea reinforces
> the notion to publish or perish irrespective of the quality of the work.
> We've all read papers that should never have been but persons must publish.

A grad student needs to protect him/herself from being overly choosy
about submissions.
Early in your career PUBLICATIONS of ANY KIND are important.  After
you get about 5-10
minor things then your dissertation work shoudl be in the process of
submission.  Also,
talk to your advisor.  Often, they have some minor stuff sitting
around that has not been
published due to time or loss of interest.  Finally, learn how to do
the "cook book" paper.
Set up a quick experiment that will take a week and have findings that
are largely predictable.
Then send it in to a small time journal.  It will be published in
months to a year if you did not
stretch the implications of your study and you stick to the facts.
The more you write, the
better you get at it.  The more you think about it, the less you get
done.  Sometimes DONE
IS BETTER THAN PERFECT.  We strive for perfection, but we get
somethign less.  Its important
to remember this FACT. Setting up studies that are simple and quick
give you practice evaluating
when your big study is really done enough too.  Again, the more you
do, the better you get at it.

> 3. It is impossible for every student to be successful writing such grants.
> There is only so much money available.

I agree that it is difficult.  I disagree that it is impossible.  Try
submitting small grants with realistic budgets.  Using one of those
pilot/short studies above mentioned to collect data to support a small
grant will go a long way to success. I was a grant proposal writer for
a not for profit.  I know that most proposals go unfunded, and you
typically must resubmit multiple times.  Last I heard, the average
first submission is rejected, many second submissions are later
funded, if you go beyond three there might be something more serious
wrong with your delivery. But I am talking to ONE AGENCY.  You submit
to NSF now, then again in the next cycle.  GRANTS ARE THE HARD PART.


> 6. Wonderful concept but we are trying to figure out how long it takes to
> complete tasks and some deadlines may flag.

The deadlines set in front of you are the realistic ones.  Stop trying
to figure them out, the folks who put them in place have already found
them to be tried and tested.  Few make all deadlines, but at least you
can make it a habit to make most deadlines, and that will be
impressive to your advisor, committee members, and prospective
employers when your references say such in their letters or in phone
calls and emails.

> 7. I strongly believe this.  I had a professor that refused to let his PhD
> students stay beyond 5 years.O
It is very hard to graduate in 3 years.  Four years is obtainable for
most people if they hit the ground running and have no big issues pop
up.  The difference between 4 and 5 years is often how lucky you
were!!!  Anything over 6 years is usually for very GOOD Reasons (maybe
some permits got pulled or you got sick, advisor died, or you changed
your focus and advisor), or for very bad reasons.

Malcolm

[ECOLOG-L] Outreach for a Forest Biologist

[Zhang, Jianwei -FS]

The Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW), Forest Ecosystem Function and 
Health Program, will soon be advertising for a term position (Biologist, 
GS-0401-09). This appointment, renewable annually up to four years depending on 
the funding, works in support of Resource Management and Use Research at the 
PSW Laboratory in Redding, California.  Duties include surveying, collecting, 
and analyzing field data, establishing test plots from designed experiments, 
operating complex equipment and equipment systems to collect plant 
physiological and ecological data, developing preliminary plans for improving 
the methods used in implementing biological programs, leading temporary summer 
employees, and carrying out the full range of technical duties common to a 
specialty area, including both standard and non-standard assignments. A master 
degree with one degree in forestry or related natural resources is preferred. 
The basic knowledge of plant ecophysiology instrumentation is required. The 
person is expected to be a team player.  U.S. Citizenship is required.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send Dr. Jianwei Zhang 
(jianweizh...@fs.fed.us ) an e-mail by November 
21, 2012. (Please include "Biologist" on the subject line of your message). 
Please include your name, address, phone number, and your experience in the 
areas of tree ecophysiology and forest mensuration. The term position will be 
advertised on the OPM USA Jobs website 
www.usajobs.opm.gov shortly.





This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for 
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use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and 
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immediately.

Re: [ECOLOG-L] audacity of graduate school--follow-up

[David L. McNeely]

I recommend not being pessimistic at all, but a healthy dose of realism is a 
good thing.  Broadening what one considers acceptable employment helps.  
Enrollments are booming in community colleges and regional state schools during 
this time of high unemployment/underemployment.  Eventually jobs will start to 
be available in those circumstances, and that will take up some of the pool of 
scientists who decide they'd rather teach than starve.  We won't be in this "to 
hell with education and research" mode forever.  Wiser heads will eventually 
prevail in congress and state governments.  Despite present circumstances, we 
actually have a history as a country of supporting higher education.  That's 
why our higher education system is so attractive to foreign students.  We also 
have a history of supporting science, and will do so again.  David McNeely

 J B  wrote: 
> As a graduate student, how
pessimistic should one be about obtaining academic employment after completing
a PhD?  Many articles I’ve seen present a
rather pessimistic picture, although most of these are not specific to ecology,
but address STEM in general:
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-pushes-for-more-scientists-but-the-jobs-arent-there/2012/07/07/gJQAZJpQUW_story.html
 
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=does-the-us-produce-too-m
 
http://www.economist.com/node/17723223
 
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/24301
 
http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html
 
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/12/workforce

-curious grad student

--
David McNeely

Re: [ECOLOG-L] audacity of graduate school--follow-up

[Nancy Karraker]

Hi JB,
Pessimism won't help one bit. The academic job market does seem to be 
improving. Four years ago, there were so many postings for Non-tenure Track 
Lecturers, Visiting Professors, and the like. Those types of announcements seem 
to be declining and, increasingly, we are seeing the return of postings for 
tenure-track positions. As someone who finished my PhD at a pretty bleak time 
in the academic job market, I have some advice:

Get along with people and be helpful
Find a mentor who will push you when you need to be pushed (even if it is not 
your advisor)
Get a few publications out before you finish your degree
Apply for as many small grants as you can
Make the effort to apply for the big fellowships (NSF, EPA)
Offer to teach a graduate seminar or even a full lecture course (maybe for 
someone on sabbatical)

All of these things take time, but they can make a huge difference in the 
opportunities that will be available to you when you finish your degree.

Nancy

   


~
Nancy E. Karraker, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Wetland Ecology
Department of Natural Resources Science
University of Rhode Island
105 Coastal Institute at Kingston
Kingston, Rhode Island 02881 USA
Email: nkarra...@mail.uri.edu
Phone: 401-874-2916
~

- Original Message -
From: "J B" 
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 3:36:41 PM
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] audacity of graduate school--follow-up

As a graduate student, how
pessimistic should one be about obtaining academic employment after completing
a PhD?  Many articles I’ve seen present a
rather pessimistic picture, although most of these are not specific to ecology,
but address STEM in general:
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-pushes-for-more-scientists-but-the-jobs-arent-there/2012/07/07/gJQAZJpQUW_story.html
 
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=does-the-us-produce-too-m
 
http://www.economist.com/node/17723223
 
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/24301
 
http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html
 
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/12/workforce

-curious grad student

Re: [ECOLOG-L] audacity of graduate school--follow-up

[malcolm McCallum]

I don't think you should be pessimistic.
I think you need to be realistic.

Here is what you need coming out:

1) Teaching experience as the lead instructor (especially things like A&P)
2) Publications before graduation (Even small and minor ones are
important, don't be fooled)
3) Successful grant proposal writing experience (anything from Sigma
Xi to NSF/NIH/EPA etc. will help, getting funded will help a lot!).
4) PResentations at scientific meetings, (Present at all levels from
state academies to national and international.  this is how people see
you can speak).
5) When at meetings present yourself in the most professional manner
that is possible and avoid as best you can gaffs and fauxpauxs (sp?).
6) Meet every deadline in graduate school.
7) get you stuff done promptly, do not allow yourself to sit in grad
school for an excessively long period.  The hoops are there, jump them
and move on.

Anything I missed?

malcolm


On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 2:36 PM, J B  wrote:
> As a graduate student, how
> pessimistic should one be about obtaining academic employment after completing
> a PhD?  Many articles I’ve seen present a
> rather pessimistic picture, although most of these are not specific to 
> ecology,
> but address STEM in general:
>
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-pushes-for-more-scientists-but-the-jobs-arent-there/2012/07/07/gJQAZJpQUW_story.html
>
> http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=does-the-us-produce-too-m
>
> http://www.economist.com/node/17723223
>
> http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/24301
>
> http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html
>
> http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/12/workforce
>
> -curious grad student



-- 
Malcolm L. McCallum
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
School of Biological Sciences
University of Missouri at Kansas City

Managing Editor,
Herpetological Conservation and Biology

"Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" -
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Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -Knowledge of Today Documentary

[Tyler Hicks]

I've been following this thread with great interest. I've found many of the 
comments to be on par with my own graduate school experiences. My graduate 
school experience has been a mixed bag of positive and negative experiences. 
However, I've found that overall the graduate school experience has not been 
everything that I hoped it would be. When I originally made the decision to go 
to graduate school I did so because I was interested in pursing an academic 
career (teaching/research).  Personally, I am still on the fence about a 
research versus teaching position but giving the saturation of the job market 
the choice may be made for me (at the least at the entry level). However, in 
many ways I feel that graduate school has not prepared me as well as it could 
to become a professor.

For instance opportunities to gain teaching experience are limited. TA's often 
do not provide lecture or lesson development opportunities and tend to be 
structured in advance. Some graduate students seem to enjoy this as it reduces 
their work load and provides time for research, which is certainly important, 
but it does seem to reduce opportunities for active engagement in teaching and 
development of teaching skills by graduate students. I was fortunate to partake 
in NSF GK-12 program which at least provided some of this experience albeit at 
the 7th grade level which may count for very little when it comes to acquiring 
a job. 

On the flip side looking at research I also find the graduate school experience 
failing to provide opportunities to help develop the skills I need to do 
research or one day run my own lab. Reduced library and departmental budgets 
make ready access to literature and software challenging. Additionally, I've 
been fortunate enough to write and secure my own fellowships and grants. 
However, being "only" a graduate student I am afforded little opportunity to 
actively engage in the management of those research funds. Managing large 
grants and fellowship funds seems like a rather useful skill to possess when 
exiting school with PhD. Instead much of the financial matters take place 
behind a veil of administration and bureaucracy until one day someone tell you 
that your out of $$. 

A former graduate student in the same department as mine once referred to 
graduate students as the "illegal immigrant workforce of the academic world." 
In many ways I think he is right. Many, but not all, graduate students work 
tremendously hard and long hours for little pay. Of course the pay doesn't 
bother me as much as some of the other issues. For one I find the level of 
healthcare coverage provided to graduate students to be ridiculously poor. I 
know of many graduate students that have suffered through pain simply because 
of the poor level of health care coverage or the hassle that low quality health 
care providers cause with each claim. Additionally, graduate students have very 
little rights within the university.  I've known others and myself who have 
appealed to the Ombudsum or other intra-university avenues for legal advice and 
the general consensus is that we graduate students should just grin and bear 
whatever difficulties we are having with administration, advisors, or other 
faculty. We are after all ephemeral and if you can just deal with it for 
another couple years you can go away. It seems that there is an unfair conflict 
of interest when a graduate students wishes to bring a complaint against a 
university when the only avenues to do so are a part of the university system 
itself. It seems in the best interest of the university to protect itself 
rather than deal with an ephemeral graduate student's issues.

Not to focus entirely on the glum. One opportunity graduate school has provided 
for me is the opportunity to work with a variety of governmental agencies and 
ngo's on natural resource issues. I've found that experience to extremely 
rewarding. So much so that I am considering working for an agency or 
organization such USFWS, USGS, or TNC upon graduating (if any positions 
exist!). Prior to graduate school I would have never considered a science based 
management or research position within the government. Whether or not all the 
time I have dedicated to working on applied natural resource management 
questions (e.g. reports and consultation) rather than producing copious amounts 
of publications will come back to haunt me remains to be seen. 

I will finish by saying that my comments are based primarily on my experience 
at my institution. Other people have had very different experiences at other 
institutions and even at my own. Every graduate student has different 
expectations of what they expect from graduate school. I realize they can't 
make everyone happy but I do feel that universities could do a little better.

Cheers,



Tyler L Hicks
PhD Student
Washington State University - Vancouver

E-mail: tyler_hi...@wsu.edu
Website: www.thingswithwings.org

"Back off man, I'

[ECOLOG-L] Fwd: FY'13 Nancy Foster Scholarship Federal Funding Opportunity Has Published!!

[Lauren E. Garske]

Great funding opportunity for graduate students associated with the 
National Marine Sanctuaries Program! Applications due December 6th... 
Despite the wording on the website, this is open to men as well as 
women, and any discipline supporting the mission of the National Marine 
Sanctuaries Program (including social sciences).




 Original Message 
Subject: 	FY'13 Nancy Foster Scholarship Federal Funding Opportunity Has 
Published!!

Date:   Mon, 22 Oct 2012 16:13:49 -0400
From:   Foster Scholars 



Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that the FY'13 Federal Funding Opportunity 
for the Nancy Foster Scholarship Program has been published!! Please 
send to your networks far and wide, and tell them to check out 
http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov for more information on how to apply!


Yeah!  Warm Regards,

The Nancy Foster Scholarship Team



--
LAUREN E. GARSKE, PhD Candidate
Nancy Foster Scholar

Department of Environmental Science & Policy
Coastal Oceanography Group, Bodega Marine Lab
University of California at Davis

web: http://bml.ucdavis.edu/research/faculty/john-largier/lauren-garske/
::: http://www.throughthewaves.com

email: legar...@ucdavis.edu

cell: (415) 815-9919

[ECOLOG-L] Graduate Studies in Ecology and Evolution at East Carolina University

[Chalcraft, David]

GRADUATE STUDIES IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION AT EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

The graduate program in the Department of Biology at East Carolina University 
invites applications from prospective PhD and MS students for fall 2013.  East 
Carolina University is the third largest campus in the University of NC system 
and has an active and well-supported group of faculty working in the areas of 
ecology and evolution.  Currently, we have 72 MS students and 24 doctoral 
students enrolled in our graduate programs.  Students accepted into the 
Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Biological Sciences will receive two 
years of support with no teaching obligations and at least five years of 
support total, at a very competitive level.  TA-ships are readily available in 
our two MS programs and Biology faculty members also supervise students in 
ECU's Coastal Resource Management PhD program. Graduate students will be 
encouraged to participate in the North Carolina Center for Biodiversity (NCCB) 
at East Carolina University.  Goals of the NCCB include training graduate 
students in biodiversity research and providing them opportunities to 
participate in related outreach.

Our students enjoy living in the affordable community of Greenville, NC, 
participating in seminar series and journal clubs that feature research in 
ecology and evolution, and having access to several natural areas, universities 
and research centers located in central and eastern NC.  Our faculty members 
conduct research across the globe and excellent opportunities exist to work in 
terrestrial, freshwater, wetland and marine systems.

Application deadlines vary with particular programs but students applying early 
will have a greater chance of receiving financial support.  Please visit 
http://www.ecu.edu/biology/ to find out more about our department, faculty and 
graduate programs.  In addition to visiting departmental and faculty websites, 
please contact prospective mentors directly or our director of graduate 
studies, Terry West (we...@ecu.edu), for more information.  We are happy to 
arrange visits for competitive prospective students and additional scholarship 
support may be available for the strongest applicants.

Departmental faculty with expertise in ecology and evolution include:

Marcelo Ardon: Aquatic ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry.
Chris Balakrishnan: Avian evolutionary and behavioral genomics.
David Chalcraft: Population and community ecology; ecological aspects of 
biodiversity.
Robert Christian: Coastal ecosystem ecology and network ecology.
Lisa Clough: Marine benthic ecology (Arctic and Atlantic).
Ashley Egan: Plant bioinformatics, evolutionary genomics and systematics.
Carol Goodwillie: Plant mating system evolution, plant population ecology and 
genetics.
Pat Harris: Fish ecology and life history, fisheries management.
Jinling Huang: Evolutionary genomics and bioinformatics.
Claudia Jolls: Plant evolutionary ecology and conservation.
Dave Kimmel: Plankton ecology.
Trip Lamb: Systematics and phylogeography.
Joe Luczkovich: Food web ecology and fish bioacoustics.
Krista McCoy (joining our faculty Jan. 2013): Ecological development and 
physiology.
Mike McCoy: Quantitative population and community ecology.
Jeff McKinnon: Sexual selection, speciation, mainly in fish.
Sue McRae: Behavioral ecology and social evolution in birds.
Anthony Overton: Larval fish ecology, fisheries biology.
Enrique Reyes: Landscape ecology, ecological modeling, coastal management.
Roger Rulifson: Fish ecology and fisheries.
Matt Schrenk: Microbial ecology, geo-microbiology.
Ed Stellwag: Vertebrate evo-devo and cis-regulatory network evolution.
John Stiller: Molecular evolution and comparative genomics.
Kyle Summers: Evolution of color, behavior in poison frogs; evolutionary 
medicine.
Heather Vance-Chalcraft: Community ecology.
Terry West:  Human impacts on coastal ecosystems.
Baohong Zhang: MicroRNA evolution, comparative genomics, and molecular genetics.
Yong Zhu: Comparative evolution and molecular functions of hormones and 
receptors.

[ECOLOG-L] PhD Research Assistantship: Residential Outdoor Water Conservation

[Allison Roy]

 *PhD Research Assistantship:  Residential Outdoor Water Conservation*
*Preferred start date: January 2013 (later date negotiable)*
**
A position is available for a Ph.D. student to assist with research that
will examine the influence of policy and outreach efforts on local
residents' adoption of water conservation and stormwater strategies in the
residential landscapes of the Ipswich and Parker River watershed north of
Boston.  The Ipswich is considered one of the most threatened rivers in the
US, due to polluted stormwater runoff and overdraft of water by local
communities.  Other comparison communities may be included in the
study.  Through
this research, we seek to trace watershed conservation measures from policy
incentives to impact so as to develop a clearer picture of the relationship
between local policy and outreach efforts, actual decisions to engage and
install residential landscape water conservation practices, and measureable
improvements in water conservation and ecosystem health.   The objective is
to develop improved understandings of institutional and behavioral impacts
on water conservation.

The successful candidate should have a master’s degree in landscape
architecture, hydrology, ecology, environmental science, regional planning
or a related discipline.   Master’s students in their last year of study
(or with considerable experience in the field) who plan to continue on for
a Ph.D. will be considered.  Direct knowledge and experience in water
supply or utility functioning, water efficiency, low-impact development
strategies, policy, and economics is highly desirable.  S/he will also be
familiar with a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods
including conducting and analyzing interviews and surveys, database
management, and GIS.  Good communication and presentation skills are
essential.  A valid driver’s license is also needed.

The candidate can seek to obtain a degree through either the Department of
Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning or the Department of
Environmental Conservation at University of Massachusetts Amherst.  Funding
available includes 2-year’s stipend and graduate school tuition/fees, with
additional funding possible.


To apply or request further information, email a cover letter and CV (or
resume) to Robert Ryan (rlr...@larp.umass.edu), Anita Milman (
amil...@eco.umass.edu), and Allison Roy (a...@eco.umass.edu).  Application
to and acceptance via the University of Massachusetts Graduate School (
http://www.umass.edu/gradschool/) is required.

[ECOLOG-L] Outreach for Physical Scientist - position with Forest Service research

[McCormick, Frank H -FS]

Please forward to colleagues in physical sciences -

Physical Scientist, GS-1301-12
OPEN:  October 15, 2012
CLOSE: November 23, 2012

The Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory 
anticipates recruiting for a Physical Scientist, GS-1301-12 to serve as a 
physical science analyst and technology transfer specialist. This position is 
located in the Fire Modeling Institute of the Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science 
Program at the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Missoula, MT. The position 
will work with Program scientists, scientists from other Station Programs, and 
individuals from National Forest System Regions and their partners in 
developing science/manager partnerships to synthesize science findings related 
to research and development in fire, fuel, smoke, and the effects of climate 
change. The incumbent will develop tools for managers and stakeholders, and 
provide usable research results to natural resource managers.  The position 
reports directly to the Director of the Fire Modeling Institute. This is not a 
permanent position. A term appointment is 13 months in duration with a 
possibility of extension up to a maximum of four years.

DUTY STATION:  This position is located at the Fire Sciences Laboratory, 5775 
West Highway 10, Missoula, Montana.  For information about the Fire Lab, the 
website is www.firelab.org. Missoula, Montana is a full 
service community nestled on the east side of the Bitterroot Mountains where 
the Blackfoot and Bitterroot Rivers join the Clark Fork River. The community is 
surrounded by public and private timberlands and is the home of the University 
of Montana.  This scenic city is bustling with activity, as western Montana's 
regional source for business, culture, medical services, retail, and 
entertainment. There are opportunities for fishing, thousands of miles of 
trails, and plenty of guides and shops to clue you in on the hot spots. Within 
20 minutes of Missoula, you will discover two ski areas, one of which gets more 
than 300 inches of snow per season. With an area population of more than 
80,000, Missoula has what you'd expect to find in a city--a wide range of 
hotels, restaurants, shops and galleries, several museums, a ballet company, 
live theater and a symphony. Missoula is home to a College of Technology and 
the University of Montana.

More information on the Missoula area can be found on the internet at 
http://www.missoula.com. For additional information regarding Missoula, MT and 
the surrounding communities, please visit the following webpages at: 
www.missoulachamber.com or call the Missoula 
Area Chamber of Commerce at 406-543-6623.

MAJOR DUTIES:

Science Delivery and Dissemination of Information 50%

Primary contact and responsibility for providing communication linkage between 
fire research and fire and fuel management. Develops and implements 
communication, outreach, science delivery, and technology transfer activities 
related to fire and fuel management, fire effects, climate change, and 
landscape restoration. Organizes workshops, seminars, trainings, and scientific 
meetings. Communicates scientific, technical, and management information to 
non-technical and professional audiences using a variety of print- and 
web-based media. Determines approaches, specific topics or aspects to be 
emphasized, and the most effective media to use for intended audience. Designs, 
writes, and produces a wide range of materials, including presentations, 
briefings, brochures, websites, and interactive activities. Fosters 
communication between agency staff, other government, and/or private 
organizations. Creates and adopts new and innovative ways to reach various 
audiences. Develops, organizes, and implements training in new or improved fire 
analysis practices and techniques. Facilitates the effective transfer of 
fire-related software and modeling systems from research to application and 
acts as interface between developer and user.

Wildland Fire Studies and Investigations 25%

Analyzes and integrates models and data from current and emerging research 
resulting in new or significantly improved techniques or solutions to specific 
problems. Performs investigations of complex relationships between wildland 
fire, climate change, and forest and grassland ecosystems. Compiles, 
synthesizes, and integrates scientific models, data, papers, and other 
resources to analyze natural resource opportunities. Summarizes data, makes 
calculations, uses simulation modeling systems, and performs statistical 
analysis when appropriate. Produces scientific reports, original research 
papers, and other peer-reviewed documents. Organizes and participates in 
scientific workshops, seminars, and meetings. Presents new research 
information, results, and syntheses to scientific audiences.

Collaborates with research and management partners on a wide variety of 
projects. Participates in t

[ECOLOG-L] audacity of graduate school--follow-up

[J B]

As a graduate student, how
pessimistic should one be about obtaining academic employment after completing
a PhD?  Many articles I’ve seen present a
rather pessimistic picture, although most of these are not specific to ecology,
but address STEM in general:
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-pushes-for-more-scientists-but-the-jobs-arent-there/2012/07/07/gJQAZJpQUW_story.html
 
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=does-the-us-produce-too-m
 
http://www.economist.com/node/17723223
 
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/24301
 
http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html
 
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/12/workforce

-curious grad student

[ECOLOG-L] Grad student positions available: Earth System Science and Policy, UND

[David Inouye]

Positions are open for graduate students seeking a Master of Science 
or Ph.D. Degrees in Earth System Science and Policy at the University 
of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND with research interests in 
environmental change and impacts related to climate change and water 
resources using remote sensing and GIS techniques combined with field work.
The primary area of research involves studying changes in North 
American glaciers and how these changes relate to climate 
fluctuations, as well as the impacts on downstream water use. This 
study involves the use of remote sensing and GIS techniques in which 
ENVI remote sensing and ESRI GIS software will be utilized in 
analyzing ASTER and Landsat images, Aerial Photography, and Digital 
Elevation Models. Knowledge of either software and/or the above data 
types is desirable, but not necessary. Field work is likely to occur 
during the late summer months and some experience in wilderness 
travel is desired but also not necessary. Field work will consist of 
using high accuracy GPS, laser range finder, ice penetrating radar, 
stream flow meter, and meteorological equipment. These topics can be 
tailored to fit a M.S. or Ph.D. degree. Tuition waivers are available 
and funding in the form of Research Assistantships may be available 
in the future. Students from a wide range of fields are encouraged to 
apply, such as Geography, Geology, Environmental Science, 
Climatology, Hydrology as well as many others in environmental majors.
Earth System Science and Policy at the University of North Dakota is 
an interdisciplinary department which focuses on environmental 
sustainability. Three degrees are offered through the department: 
Master of Environmental Management (M.E.M.), M.S., and Ph.D. If the 
above research topics is of interest, please see the UND Graduate 
School website (www.und.edu/dept/grad/) for application instructions, 
or contact Dr. Jeff VanLooy of the Department of Earth System Science 
and Policy at the University of North Dakota at (701) 777-4755, or by 
e-mail: jvanl...@aero.und.edu Recommended deadline for application is 
June 1st however, early applications will receive top priority for admission.

For more information, see the following websites:
The University of North Dakota: www.und.edu
Past preliminary glacial field work: 
http://essp.und.edu/About/VanLooyBio.aspx
The UND Graduate School: 
http://www.und.edu/dept/grad/

UND Earth System Science and Policy: http://essp.und.edu/
Grand Forks Visitors Bureau: 
http://www.visitgrandforks.com/main.php

[ECOLOG-L] [LDC] Registration OPEN

[Andrea McMillen]

Life Discovery Doing Science Education Conference

March 15 - 16, St. Paul, MN

www.esa.org/ldc







Registration is OPEN!



** Early bird registration rates available until 12/15/2012 **

http://www.esa.org/ldc/registration/



This conference will highlight the leading science, curriculum design and 
implementation and data exploration in a research-rich biology education for 
grades 9-16.

* Discover the science of life in a changing world

* Swap ideas for a robust biology classroom

* Build partnerships with scientists and educators

* Explore digital resources and new technologies





Share Fair Roundtable


** Deadline Extended until October 31, 2012 **

These 45 - minute sessions are designed for educators to create, revise and 
share lesson plans or activities with a peer working group.

More information: http://www.esa.org/ldc/program/call-for-proposals/





Keynote Speakers and Panels



We are excited to announce our keynote speakers:

Jay Labov, Senior Advisor for Education and Communication for the National 
Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National Research Council (NRC) to the needs 
and opportunities for Building Partnerships with Scientists & Educators.



Carlos A. Botero, a Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow in the North Carolina 
State University Initiative for Biological Complexity, will talk about Science 
of Life in a Changing World, drawing upon his diverse experiences from across 
the globe to become a professional scientist



More information: http://www.esa.org/ldc/program/agenda/speakers/





Workshops



View the descriptions and schedule of the six hands-on workshops, available to 
all conference participants.

More information:  http://www.esa.org/ldc/program/agenda/workshops/



Short Presentations



View descriptions of the short 
presentations, available to all 
conference participants. Presentations are 20 minutes followed by 20 minutes of 
Q&A. (http://www.esa.org/ldc/program/agenda/)



Fieldtrips



Take part in a field trip to the Raptor 
Center, at the University of Minnesota 
(http://www.esa.org/ldc/program/agenda/)



CEUs and Academic Credit



Want to earn CEUs or Academic 
Credit during the conference? 
(http://www.esa.org/ldc/reg/ceus-academic-credit/)









Andrea McMillen
Education Programs Coordinator
Education and Diversity Programs Office
Ecological Society of America
1990 M Street, NW Suite 700
Washington DC  20036
202.833.8773 x 236
202.833.8775 Fax

Life Discovery-Doing Science Education Conference
"Exploring Biology for a Changing World"
March 15 - 15, 2013  - St. Paul Minnesota

Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -Knowledge of Today Documentary

[Jane Shevtsov]

It's interesting that the Presidential Fellowship at the University of
Georgia explicitly prohibits the recipient from teaching during their
first two years, making them less likely to later get the few summer
teaching positions, which typically go to the most experienced.
Similarly, at least some NSF funding prevents students from TAing,
although some do so on a volunteer basis. Maybe such programs need to
be rethought so as not to disadvantage those recipients who want to
work at teaching-oriented institutions!

Jane Shevtsov

On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 9:09 AM, Russell L. Burke
 wrote:
> I have served on many faculty search committees for positions at a largely 
> undergraduate teaching-focused university--the sort of school that hires a 
> large fraction of recent grads and post-docs into tenure-track positions.  We 
> specifically look for people who showed an interest in teaching early on, and 
> note that serving as a lab TA and giving guest lectures means little to us.  
> We want people that have actually run lecture courses.  Surprisingly, we get 
> a fair number of those, such as people who took over a summer course or a 
> special session course.  We also look for people who attended professional 
> workshops in innovative teaching techniques.
>
> After that, we look for pubs and grants.  We don't need to see a huge amount 
> of either, but we need to see some for a person to make a short list.
>
>
> Dr. Russell Burke
> Professor
> Donald E. Axinn Distinguished Professor in Ecology and Conservation
> Department of Biology
> Hofstra University
> 516.463.7272
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news 
> [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Judith S. Weis
> Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 10:31 AM
> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -Knowledge of Today 
> Documentary
>
> In my experience, search committees also look for individuals who have 
> published while in graduate school. This usually requires motivation and 
> efforts by both the student and the advisor.
>
>
>
>>  I'm very sorry to see that a few folks have had bad experiences in
>> grad school. Many of us had very happy and productive times as
>> graduate students. But I've seen enough over the years to recognize
>> that faults in advisors, or in advisees, or both can result in
>> mediocre to bad outcomes - most often for the advisee, but sometimes for the 
>> advisor as well.
>>
>>  I did, however, want to comment on the statement that
>>
>> "When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as
>> everyone else (with) a degree."
>>
>>
>>  If you intend to pursue an academic career in research, nothing could
>> be further than the truth. In cases where large numbers of recently
>> minted Ph.D.'s or post-docs apply for several jobs in the same field,
>> often the same, relatively few individuals get to short lists and are
>> interviewed across the country. Applicants whose Ph.D. research (and
>> subsequent work) are perceived to have significant, novel implications
>> - and be scalable to future endeavors, and fundable by NSF or other
>> agencies or foundations - are much more likely to be interviewed and
>> offered jobs. That is what search committees look for. Not that search
>> committees never make mistakes; they do, sometimes egregiously. A
>> Ph.D. gets you in the door to submit an application, but you need
>> excellent research, combined with strong writing and oral presentation
>> skills, ability to think on your feet, and empathy to interact well
>> with students and colleagues, to have a real chance of success at
>> landing a job at first- or second-tier universities.
>>
>>
>> Thomas J. Givnish
>> Henry Allan Gleason Professor of Botany University of Wisconsin
>>
>> givn...@wisc.edu
>> http://botany.wisc.edu/givnish/Givnish/Welcome.html
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 10/18/12, brandi gartland  wrote:
>>> As I am currently deciding on whether to enter a PhD program vs.
>>> consulting work/career position, I am finding this feed quite
>>> informative and wanted to respond to:
>>>
>>> "When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as
>>> everyone else a degree. There are many successful scientists without
>>> Ph.D.'s but many more with Ph.D.'s who are unemployed."
>>>
>>> I immediately thought of sharing this documentary, as it illustrates
>>> this very point as well as other ideas:
>>>
>>> http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2012/02/education-college-conspiracy-
>>> exposed.html
>>>
>>> -It illustrates how the U.S. educational system is not what it used
>>> to be and "exposes the facts and truth about America's college
>>> education system. It was was produced over a six-month period by
>>> NIA's team of expert Austrian economists with the help of thousands
>>> of NIA members who contributed their ideas and personal stories for
>>> the film. NIA believes the U.S. college education system is a scam
>>> that turns 

[ECOLOG-L] Director of the Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach at Washington State University

[Evans, R. Dave]

Notice of Vacancy

Director of the Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach
Washington State University

Search # 115116

OVERVIEW
Washington State University (WSU) seeks a Director for the Center for 
Environmental Research, Education and Outreach (CEREO). The Director is a 
tenured, full-time position in a relevant academic unit. The start date will be 
negotiated with the successful candidate. The CEREO position is part of WSU's 
priority to build a diverse faculty and, as such, female and minority 
candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

CEREO is a faculty-led initiative featuring 200+ affiliated faculty. The Center 
was approved by the WSU Faculty Senate in 2006 to promote system-wide 
(multi-campus) interdisciplinary environmental activities integrated across 
research, education and outreach efforts that are regional, national, and 
global in scope. CEREO has become a premier center of research, teaching and 
service activity, and brought together faculty from all corners of the 
university - both accomplished senior and early career faculty interested in 
collaboration on major institutional initiatives. CEREO advances three 
principal goals in pursuing its innovative and ambitious agenda:
*   promotion of broad, multi-investigator interdisciplinary research 
programs for ground-breaking environmental research and graduate training, 
raising CEREO to the highest status in the University;
*   facilitation of high quality environmental research, undergraduate 
teaching, and effective institutional outreach that supports and leverages 
WSU's Land Grant mandate via active collaboration across WSU's four campuses 
and numerous Extension centers;
*   stimulation of productive relationships and coordination of research 
with diverse stakeholders to share expertise and information, provide service, 
and promote public/private collaboration to benefit communities at the local 
and global levels.

Through these goals, CEREO has successfully facilitated a number of major 
(multi-year, large-budget) multidisciplinary grant proposals involving faculty 
from the biological, physical and social sciences, education, engineering, and 
agriculture in high-profile cross-campus collaborations. Building on these 
successes, and the emergence of Earth system environmental health as one of the 
grand challenges of the 21st century, CEREO has launched a new system-wide 
initiative known as Earth, Ecosystems, and Society (EES). The purpose of EES is 
to coordinate and cultivate studies of natural and managed ecosystems, 
ecosystem services, and the societal and human dimensions of environmental 
change in an Earth systems context. A particular focus in this regard is the 
provision of support to teams of faculty early in their careers to develop 
ambitious proposals for extramural funding featuring cross-disciplinary work. 
CEREO's Director and Executive Committee will play a key role in the 
development and operation of EES as it grows in importance at the University.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director shall be a demonstrated leader and an effective communicator of 
stature who works with an actively engaged Executive Committee and Center 
membership to achieve CEREO's broadly shared vision. The Director will 
facilitate the continued ascendance of CEREO's national and international 
reputation. In addition, the Director must be proficient in developing, 
overseeing, and managing budgets and resources efficiently, and instrumental in 
building and strengthening relationships with professional associations, 
industry, governmental agencies, and other stakeholders.

Additionally, it is expected that the successful applicant will:
*   Provide transparent leadership in a collaborative setting and work 
effectively with the University Provost, the Vice President for Research, Deans 
of the Colleges, the Director of WSU Extension, the CEREO Executive Committee, 
and the CEREO External Advisory Board.
*   Stimulate the development of collaborative relationships among colleges 
and departments.
*   Manage the operations and strategic development of CEREO through 
active, ongoing engagement of the CEREO Executive Committee and CEREO 
affiliated faculty across all campuses.
*   Promote and coordinate the development of broad interdisciplinary grant 
proposals.
*   Represent, support and integrate the education, research and extension 
programs encompassed by the disciplines present at a Land Grant university.
*   Foster active collaboration with relevant outside agencies and 
organizations using the outreach infrastructure of the university spanning 
local, regional, national and global networks.
*   Advance the university's commitment to diversity and multiculturalism 
among faculty, staff, students, research, teaching and community outreach, with 
relevant programs, goals and activities.
*   Work with university administration, faculty, and external stakeho

Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -Knowledge of Today Documentary

[Carson, Walter Page]

The burdens on our graduate students continue to increase over the 30 years I 
have been in academics.  Now our students no only have to publish and get 
grants they also have to run "entire lecture courses" and "attend professional 
workshops" on teaching (note that both workshops and lecture courses were 
plural).  In addition, many granting agencies are now expecting our graduate 
students to have broad outreach and mentoring activities.  I know we cannot 
turn back the clock and while I may be a dinosaur, I try to get the small 
number of grad students that are in my lab to do high quality research and 
publish that work in top journals (yes plural) and apply for important grants 
(e.g., NSF-DIG).  My experience has been that if they do this they can land an 
excellent postdoc and then a solid position at a good university.  It is true 
that not all made it to Duke (in fact none did), but at least they typically 
were successful at garnering tenure track jobs at a range of good places.  

Walter Carson

From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news 
[ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Russell L. Burke 
[russell.l.bu...@hofstra.edu]
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 12:09 PM
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -Knowledge of Today 
Documentary

I have served on many faculty search committees for positions at a largely 
undergraduate teaching-focused university--the sort of school that hires a 
large fraction of recent grads and post-docs into tenure-track positions.  We 
specifically look for people who showed an interest in teaching early on, and 
note that serving as a lab TA and giving guest lectures means little to us.  We 
want people that have actually run lecture courses.  Surprisingly, we get a 
fair number of those, such as people who took over a summer course or a special 
session course.  We also look for people who attended professional workshops in 
innovative teaching techniques.

After that, we look for pubs and grants.  We don't need to see a huge amount of 
either, but we need to see some for a person to make a short list.


Dr. Russell Burke
Professor
Donald E. Axinn Distinguished Professor in Ecology and Conservation
Department of Biology
Hofstra University
516.463.7272



-Original Message-
From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news 
[mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Judith S. Weis
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 10:31 AM
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -Knowledge of Today 
Documentary

In my experience, search committees also look for individuals who have 
published while in graduate school. This usually requires motivation and 
efforts by both the student and the advisor.



>  I'm very sorry to see that a few folks have had bad experiences in
> grad school. Many of us had very happy and productive times as
> graduate students. But I've seen enough over the years to recognize
> that faults in advisors, or in advisees, or both can result in
> mediocre to bad outcomes - most often for the advisee, but sometimes for the 
> advisor as well.
>
>  I did, however, want to comment on the statement that
>
> "When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as
> everyone else (with) a degree."
>
>
>  If you intend to pursue an academic career in research, nothing could
> be further than the truth. In cases where large numbers of recently
> minted Ph.D.'s or post-docs apply for several jobs in the same field,
> often the same, relatively few individuals get to short lists and are
> interviewed across the country. Applicants whose Ph.D. research (and
> subsequent work) are perceived to have significant, novel implications
> - and be scalable to future endeavors, and fundable by NSF or other
> agencies or foundations - are much more likely to be interviewed and
> offered jobs. That is what search committees look for. Not that search
> committees never make mistakes; they do, sometimes egregiously. A
> Ph.D. gets you in the door to submit an application, but you need
> excellent research, combined with strong writing and oral presentation
> skills, ability to think on your feet, and empathy to interact well
> with students and colleagues, to have a real chance of success at
> landing a job at first- or second-tier universities.
>
>
> Thomas J. Givnish
> Henry Allan Gleason Professor of Botany University of Wisconsin
>
> givn...@wisc.edu
> http://botany.wisc.edu/givnish/Givnish/Welcome.html
>
>
>
>
> On 10/18/12, brandi gartland  wrote:
>> As I am currently deciding on whether to enter a PhD program vs.
>> consulting work/career position, I am finding this feed quite
>> informative and wanted to respond to:
>>
>> "When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as
>> everyone else a degree. There are many successful scientists without
>> Ph.D.'s but many more with Ph.D.'s who are unem

[ECOLOG-L] recruiter/headhunter help

[Sabrina Hock]

Hello everyone,
 I am a recent M.Sc. graduate in Ecology, focusing on parasites and
toxicology. It has been brought to my attention that a headhunter/recruiter
can help someone like me find a profession, but finding that headhunter is
a bit hard. Does anyone have tips for me on how to find one? Any input is
helpful, most of my connections are in the Australasia area and I am mostly
focusing on America/Canada for a job right now.

Thank you,

-- 
Sabrina Hock
Evolutionary and Ecological Parasitology Group
Department of Ecology
University of Otago
PO Box 56
Dunedin 9054
New Zealand
hocsa...@student.otago.ac.nz
sabs...@gmail.com

[ECOLOG-L] Open Rank Bioeducation Position

[Franklin, Scott]

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Position Title:  Assistant/Associate/Full Professor, 
Bioeducation   Position # F99418

Job Summary:  
The position is for an Assistant Professor (tenure track), Associate 
Professor (tenure track or tenure eligible), or Full Professor (tenure 
eligible) nine month appointment with a possible three months of summer 
support for first three years. We are seeking a colleague to contribute to 
our unique PhD program in Biological Education.  Preference will not be 
given to a particular rank; all applicants will be judged in accordance 
with their years of experience.  We seek a candidate with a Doctorate, 
with research experience in teaching and learning at the postsecondary 
level, and expertise in at least one biology content area sufficient to 
add to and collaborate with current expertise in the school.  The job 
duties include: teaching undergraduate lectures and laboratories in 
biology content area and graduate courses in Bioeducation and Biology; 
training graduate students emphasizing biological education research 
topics at the postsecondary level of teaching and learning; providing 
service for the school, college, university, and community; conducting 
research in biological education, applying for grants; and publishing 
original research results.  

Minimum Qualifications:
• Doctorate (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) in Biology or Science Education (or closely 
related field) with demonstrated experience in Biological Education 
Research
• Evidence or potential for excellence in teaching
• Demonstrated research and publication record in the area of 
teaching and learning 
• Potential or past success securing external funding
• Ability to teach graduate courses in bioeducation topics and 
educational research techniques 
• Ability to teach undergraduate courses in some biology topic(s) 
that complements current expertise in the school
• Potential or past experience in supervising research students


Preferred Qualifications:
• Demonstrated pedagogical research at the collegiate level of 
teaching and learning
• Ability to provide leadership with the pedagogical aspect of our 
Ph.D. program in Biological Education
• Teaching experience at the university level
• Ability to teach other courses in areas of need (e.g., molecular 
biology, general biology, etc.)

Salary and Benefits:
Salary and rank is commensurate with qualifications and experience.  
Benefits available include health, life, and dental insurance, as well as 
a selection of several defined contribution retirement programs.  
Dependents and spouses of UNC employees who are employed as 0.5 FTE or 
above are entitled to and eligible for Dependent Tuition Grants.  These 
tuition grants will cover in-state tuition charges.   Further requirements 
may exist.  Other benefits may be available based on position.  The 
position is a nine month appointment with a possible additional three 
months of summer support provided by the Winchester Distinguished 
Professorship Endowment for the first three years to help the faculty 
member establish a productive research agenda.

Requested Start Date: 
August 19, 2013

Application Materials, Contact, and Application Deadline:  
Screening of applications will begin on December 3, 2012 and will continue 
until the position is filled. Interested persons should apply online at 
https://careers.unco.edu and select “View/Apply for Faculty Positions” 
then choose “Assistant/Associate/Full Professor – BioEducation.”  
Application documents to be submitted online are a letter of 
application/cover letter, a curriculum vitae, and the names and contact 
information of at least three references.  In addition to the material 
provided online, please send unofficial or official copies of all 
undergraduate and graduate school transcripts, a statement of research 
interests, a statement of teaching philosophy, a list of courses you would 
like to teach, and copies of published original research articles to: 
Cynthia Budde, School of Biological Sciences, Ross Hall, Box 92, 
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639.  Tel:  970-351-2921.  
email: cynthia.bu...@unco.edu. For questions, contact Rob Reinsvold, Chair 
of the search committee, at robert.reinsv...@unco.edu .

Additional Requirements:  
Satisfactory completion of a background check, educational check, and 
authorization to work in the United States is required after a conditional 
offer of employment has been made.  Original transcripts must be submitted 
at least one (1) month before the start date.

Location and Environment:
The University of Northern Colorado is a Doctoral/Research University 
enrolling 12,000+ graduate and undergraduate students.  The university, 
founded in 1889, is located in Greeley, Colorado, which has a growing 
population of 90,000 and is situated an hour north of Denver and 30 miles 
east of the Rocky Mountains.  The School of Biological Sciences currently 
has 18 full time fac

Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -Knowledge of Today Documentary

[Russell L. Burke]

I have served on many faculty search committees for positions at a largely 
undergraduate teaching-focused university--the sort of school that hires a 
large fraction of recent grads and post-docs into tenure-track positions.  We 
specifically look for people who showed an interest in teaching early on, and 
note that serving as a lab TA and giving guest lectures means little to us.  We 
want people that have actually run lecture courses.  Surprisingly, we get a 
fair number of those, such as people who took over a summer course or a special 
session course.  We also look for people who attended professional workshops in 
innovative teaching techniques.  

After that, we look for pubs and grants.  We don't need to see a huge amount of 
either, but we need to see some for a person to make a short list.


Dr. Russell Burke
Professor
Donald E. Axinn Distinguished Professor in Ecology and Conservation
Department of Biology
Hofstra University
516.463.7272



-Original Message-
From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news 
[mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Judith S. Weis
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 10:31 AM
To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -Knowledge of Today 
Documentary

In my experience, search committees also look for individuals who have 
published while in graduate school. This usually requires motivation and 
efforts by both the student and the advisor.



>  I'm very sorry to see that a few folks have had bad experiences in 
> grad school. Many of us had very happy and productive times as 
> graduate students. But I've seen enough over the years to recognize 
> that faults in advisors, or in advisees, or both can result in 
> mediocre to bad outcomes - most often for the advisee, but sometimes for the 
> advisor as well.
>
>  I did, however, want to comment on the statement that
>
> "When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as 
> everyone else (with) a degree."
>
>
>  If you intend to pursue an academic career in research, nothing could 
> be further than the truth. In cases where large numbers of recently 
> minted Ph.D.'s or post-docs apply for several jobs in the same field, 
> often the same, relatively few individuals get to short lists and are 
> interviewed across the country. Applicants whose Ph.D. research (and 
> subsequent work) are perceived to have significant, novel implications 
> - and be scalable to future endeavors, and fundable by NSF or other 
> agencies or foundations - are much more likely to be interviewed and 
> offered jobs. That is what search committees look for. Not that search 
> committees never make mistakes; they do, sometimes egregiously. A 
> Ph.D. gets you in the door to submit an application, but you need 
> excellent research, combined with strong writing and oral presentation 
> skills, ability to think on your feet, and empathy to interact well 
> with students and colleagues, to have a real chance of success at 
> landing a job at first- or second-tier universities.
>
>
> Thomas J. Givnish
> Henry Allan Gleason Professor of Botany University of Wisconsin
>
> givn...@wisc.edu
> http://botany.wisc.edu/givnish/Givnish/Welcome.html
>
>
>
>
> On 10/18/12, brandi gartland  wrote:
>> As I am currently deciding on whether to enter a PhD program vs.
>> consulting work/career position, I am finding this feed quite 
>> informative and wanted to respond to:
>>
>> "When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as 
>> everyone else a degree. There are many successful scientists without 
>> Ph.D.'s but many more with Ph.D.'s who are unemployed."
>>
>> I immediately thought of sharing this documentary, as it illustrates 
>> this very point as well as other ideas:
>>
>> http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2012/02/education-college-conspiracy-
>> exposed.html
>>
>> -It illustrates how the U.S. educational system is not what it used 
>> to be and "exposes the facts and truth about America's college 
>> education system. It was was produced over a six-month period by 
>> NIA's team of expert Austrian economists with the help of thousands 
>> of NIA members who contributed their ideas and personal stories for 
>> the film. NIA believes the U.S. college education system is a scam 
>> that turns vulnerable young Americans into debt slaves for life."
>>
>>
>> Best wishes for us all in life, love, work, and happiness.
>>
>> Brandi
>> M.S. Candidate Avian Sciences
>> University of California, Davis
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:29:21 -0700
>> > From: jane@gmail.com
>> > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School"
>> > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> >
>> > On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 6:40 AM, Aaron T. Dossey 
>> > 
>> wrote:
>> > > When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as
>> everyone else
>> > > - a degree. There are many successful scientists without Ph.D.'s 
>> > > but
>> many
>> > > more with Ph.D.'s who are unempl

[ECOLOG-L] Graduate Research Assistantship (Ph.D.)

[Jason Hubbart]

Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistant: Investigating Carbon and Climate 
Mitigation by Urban Forests
 
The Interdisciplinary Hydrology Laboratory of the University of Missouri, 
in collaboration with Lincoln University, is seeking a Ph.D. graduate 
research assistant (GRA) to conduct independent research investigating 
urban forest carbon (C) sequestration and climate mitigation in a dynamic 
multi-land-use urbanizing watershed of the central U.S. The study takes 
place in the Hinkson Creek Watershed (HCW) encompassing the city of 
Columbia and the University of Missouri. The Interdisciplinary Hydrology 
Laboratory is located in the School of Natural Resources of the University 
of Missouri. The University of Missouri is among the top ten of the 
nation's universities with demonstrated excellence in teaching and research.

This is a four year position beginning when filled. The successful 
applicant will study total C storage and flux above and below ground in at 
least six forested sites along an urbanization gradient and localized 
microclimate and energy flux variability influenced by the presence, 
absence, and density of urban tree canopies. Applicants must possess a 
master’s degree and have completed at least one degree in physical 
hydrology, biogeochemistry, ecology, environmental sciences, water quality, 
or a similar natural resources related field. Experience in C 
biogeochemical cycling and measurement in C pools and fluxes is a plus. 
Strong verbal, written, and computational skills are mandatory. Successful 
applicants will be required to work collaboratively and independently, 
conduct field work under variable weather conditions, and aid in 
installation and maintenance of instruments and monitoring sites. 
Applicants must possess a valid US driver's license and be able to lift and 
carry equipment and tools. 

If interested in applying, please forward by email the following documents: 
transcript, curriculum vitae, recent GRE scores, recent TOEFL scores 
(international students only), cover letter (including academic, research 
and professional goals and interests), and the names and contact 
information of three references to: Dr. Jason Hubbart, Department of 
Forestry, University of Missouri, 203-Q ABNR Bldg, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; 
Tel No. (573) 884-7732; Fax: (573) 882-1979; Email: hubba...@missouri.edu. 
Website: http://web.missouri.edu/~hubbartj/

[ECOLOG-L] Position for a Preeminent Ecologist

[Jeb Byers]

The Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia is looking for an
outstanding ecologist. 

The Odum School of Ecology is a unique stand-alone college dedicated to a
broad and integrative view of ecology (see http://www.ecology.uga.edu/). We
seek a tenured Full or Associate Professor with a distinguished record of
scholarship, an exceptional research and publication record, and continued
prominence in their field, evidenced by a substantive and sustained track
record of extramural funding and international recognition for contributions
in their field of expertise.  The individual will foster synthesis in
ecology, with a combined application of empirical and theoretical
approaches, and focus on ecological patterns and process with a purpose to
understand how these patterns are created, how they vary in space and time,
and how they are changing in the context of human activity.  The successful
candidate will provide intellectual leadership on a campus that is
significantly expanding programs across academic disciplines and increasing
sustainability initiatives.  To apply, a PhD is required in a related field.
Applications received by 4 January, 2013 will ensure full consideration. 

Candidates should submit: (1) a single PDF file including (I) cover letter
indicating career goals, (II) curriculum vitae, (III) 1 to 2-page statement
of research accomplishments and future goals, (IV) 1 to 2-page statement of
teaching philosophy and experiences regarding undergraduate and graduate
instruction and mentoring; (2) combine three reprints of research papers
into a separate PDF file. These two files should then be submitted on the
position’s announcement page, which can be accessed online from
www.ecology.uga.edu/apply.  Candidates should also arrange to have three
letters of recommendation submitted via the same web site. Anticipated start
date for this position is August, 2013. 

The University of Georgia is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity
Employer. Minorities and Women are encouraged to apply.

[ECOLOG-L] M.S. Graduate Assistantship in Community Ecology at the University of Alabama

[Jennifer Howeth]

The Howeth Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University 
of Alabama invites applications for a M.S. Graduate Assistantship in 
community ecology beginning Spring or Fall 2013.  A highly motivated 
student is sought to study metacommunity dynamics of zooplankton among 
forest ponds in different stages of succession. The research will include 
observational studies of pond communities in the Talladega National Forest 
and pond mesocosm experiments at the University of Alabama Tanglewood 
Biological Station. Interested students should send an e-mail to Dr. 
Jennifer Howeth (jghow...@as.ua.edu) with "MS Graduate Assistantship" in 
the title, and include their CV, statement of research interests, writing 
sample, GRE scores (if known), unofficial copies of undergraduate 
transcripts, and contact information for two references by December 1, 
2012. Qualified applicants will be invited to apply to the Graduate School 
and the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama. 
The Department of Biological Sciences offers Graduate Teaching 
Assistantships and competitive fellowships to support admitted students.

Relevant Links:
University of Alabama: www.ua.edu 
Department of Biological Sciences: http://bsc.ua.edu/ 
Howeth Laboratory: http://bsc.ua.edu/jennifer-howeth/
Center for Freshwater Studies: http://as.ua.edu/cfs/ 

Tuscaloosa, Alabama is a vibrant university community with numerous 
cultural and recreational opportunities available. The newly constructed 
Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, located on the banks of the Black Warrior River 
and just minutes from the UA campus, brings a variety of shows and 
musicians to the city. Recreational activities such as canoeing and hiking 
are quite popular in the nearby Black Warrior and Sipsey River natural 
protected areas, and the Talladega National Forest.

The University of Alabama complies with applicable laws prohibiting 
discrimination on the basis of genetic information, race, color, religion, 
national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran 
status in employment or in any program or activity offered by the 
University. For further information, contact the Office of Equal 
Opportunity Programs, 171 Rose Administration Building, Box 870300, 
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0300, 205-348-5855.  

Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School" -Knowledge of Today Documentary

[Judith S. Weis]

In my experience, search committees also look for individuals who have
published while in graduate school. This usually requires motivation and
efforts by both the student and the advisor.



>  I'm very sorry to see that a few folks have had bad experiences in grad
> school. Many of us had very happy and productive times as graduate
> students. But I've seen enough over the years to recognize that faults in
> advisors, or in advisees, or both can result in mediocre to bad outcomes
> – most often for the advisee, but sometimes for the advisor as well.
>
>  I did, however, want to comment on the statement that 
>
> "When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as everyone
> else (with) a degree."
>
>
>  If you intend to pursue an academic career in research, nothing could be
> further than the truth. In cases where large numbers of recently minted
> Ph.D.'s or post-docs apply for several jobs in the same field, often the
> same, relatively few individuals get to short lists and are interviewed
> across the country. Applicants whose Ph.D. research (and subsequent work)
> are perceived to have significant, novel implications – and be scalable
> to future endeavors, and fundable by NSF or other agencies or foundations
> – are much more likely to be interviewed and offered jobs. That is what
> search committees look for. Not that search committees never make
> mistakes; they do, sometimes egregiously. A Ph.D. gets you in the door to
> submit an application, but you need excellent research, combined with
> strong writing and oral presentation skills, ability to think on your
> feet, and empathy to interact well with students and colleagues, to have
> a real chance of success at landing a job at first- or second-tier
> universities.
>
>
> Thomas J. Givnish
> Henry Allan Gleason Professor of Botany
> University of Wisconsin
>
> givn...@wisc.edu
> http://botany.wisc.edu/givnish/Givnish/Welcome.html
>
>
>
>
> On 10/18/12, brandi gartland  wrote:
>> As I am currently deciding on whether to enter a PhD program vs.
>> consulting work/career position, I am finding this feed quite
>> informative and wanted to respond to:
>>
>> "When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as everyone
>> else a degree. There are many successful scientists without Ph.D.'s but
>> many more with Ph.D.'s who are unemployed."
>>
>> I immediately thought of sharing this documentary, as it illustrates
>> this very point as well as other ideas:
>>
>> http://www.knowledgeoftoday.org/2012/02/education-college-conspiracy-exposed.html
>>
>> -It illustrates how the U.S. educational system is not what it used to
>> be and "exposes the facts and truth about America's college education
>> system. It was was produced over a six-month period by NIA's team of
>> expert Austrian economists with the help of thousands of NIA members who
>> contributed their ideas and personal stories for the film. NIA believes
>> the U.S. college education system is a scam that turns vulnerable young
>> Americans into debt slaves for life."
>>
>>
>> Best wishes for us all in life, love, work, and happiness.
>>
>> Brandi
>> M.S. Candidate Avian Sciences
>> University of California, Davis
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:29:21 -0700
>> > From: jane@gmail.com
>> > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] "The Audacity of Graduate School"
>> > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
>> >
>> > On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 6:40 AM, Aaron T. Dossey 
>> wrote:
>> > > When we graduate, we have more or less the same credentials as
>> everyone else
>> > > - a degree. There are many successful scientists without Ph.D.'s but
>> many
>> > > more with Ph.D.'s who are unemployed.
>> >
>> > Can you make a rough estimate of the relative frequencies of each.
>> >
>> > > Also, to emphasize how little we get out of
>> > > a Ph.D. (a lot is stolen from us), we don't get credit for our work
>> or
>> > > publications because the professor always gets credit for everything
>> we do
>> > > while in their lab as a student or postdoc (which is something I am
>> fighting
>> > > on other fronts - I call it institutionalized intellectual property
>> theft).
>> >
>> > Isn't that taken care of by the first author/last author distinction?
>> > A PI may get some undeserved credit, but that's different from the
>> > student not getting credit. The paper is still cited as Student et al.
>> > Or are you talking about taking the student's idea outright?
>> >
>> > BTW, if you believe that grad students are employees to the point of
>> > needing a union and thinking of their advisor as their boss, I would
>> > point out that people who do creative work as employees rarely keep
>> > the rights to their work. Typically, the intellectual property belongs
>> > to their employer ("work done for hire"). Isn't it better to say that
>> > grad students are not employees?
>> >
>> > --
>> > -
>> > Jane Shevtsov, Ph.D.
>> > Mathematical Biology Curriculum Writer, UCLA
>> > co-founder, www.worldbeyon

[ECOLOG-L] [Fwd: [AAASFellows] New program: Emerging Leaders in Science & Society]

[Judith S. Weis]

 Original Message 
Subject: [AAASFellows] New program: Emerging Leaders in Science & Society
From:"Melanie Roberts" 
Date:Sun, October 21, 2012 10:49 pm
To:  aaasfell...@listserv.aaas.org
--

Dear former fellows:

I'd like to ask for your help with a new program that I've launched in
collaboration with AAAS and some current/former fellows, called Emerging
Leaders in Science & Society. Our mission is to prepare graduate and
professional students to contribute to solutions for real-world problems
throughout their professional and civic lives. It's a competitive,
extracurricular program that recruits students from all fields to engage
communities across the country in dialogue about complex challenges in
areas ranging from health to the economy to energy. See
www.aaas.org/elissfor more info.

Here is how you can help:

1. *Please share the announcement below with graduate & professional
students* via your organizations, alma maters, listervs, and social media.
We're eager to recruit students from business, law, humanities, arts,
education, and health professions, in addition to the STEM fields we all
know best.

2. This is my first foray into fundraising... yikes!  *I'd really
appreciate your help identifying opportunities for grants, corporate
sponsorships, or philanthropic donations*. Sponsorships are available for
specific theme areas or to support students in particular fields or
campuses (more on campus partnerships below). Please contact me directly to
discuss.

Imagine how much more robust your graduate experience might have been if
you had the opportunity to join a cross-disciplinary network of peers and
mentors who shared your passion to make a difference. This is also a fun
way to develop transferable skills that are helpful in any career.

I really appreciate anything you can do to help!

Melanie Roberts
Congressional (2006-07) and HEHS/NSF (2007-08)


















Dear graduate and professional students:

Do you like to discuss current events and to learn about the latest
breakthroughs and ideas in areas outside of your field? Do you want to make
a difference in the world, but aren’t quite sure yet exactly how to do it?
If your answers to these questions are a resounding “yes,” we invite
you to join
the signature
drivein
support of a new program for people just like you.

Emerging Leaders in Science & Society
(ELISS)is
hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It
is
a grassroots effort developed by former grad students who believe that you
are a valuable resource for society and have heard your pleas for more
opportunities to contribute to solutions for real-world problems. Through a
competitive selection process, ELISS will create cross-disciplinary,
national teams of students and advisors in theme areas such as health,
environment, community, or economy. Each team will work to inform local and
national understanding of a particular challenge within their theme area,
which might range from the role of universities in regional economic
development to food security in a drought.

Solving tough challenges requires innovative solutions at the boundaries of
disciplines and collaboration among people with a variety of experience,
skills, and perspectives. That’s why ELISS welcomes talented graduate and
professional students from ALL fields, including natural and social
sciences, engineering, business, law, medicine, humanities, and the arts.
It welcomes basic and applied researchers and those who are training to
become practitioners in fields ranging from journalism to health care.
Imagine what you could accomplish as part of this community of talented
people who want to change the world, both during the program and throughout
your career -- be it in academia, industry, government or a non-profit.

Interested? Here’s the catch -- only students at partner
campusesmay
apply for ELISS.
*If you would like your campus to be considered for participation,* sign
hereto
let us know, and share
the link on
Facebookto
recruit other students. Campus partners will be selected based on the
number of students who sign and disciplines represented.

To learn more about the program, please visit our website,
www.aaas.org/eliss.
We anticipate releasing a call for applications in Spring of 2013.

We hope to see some of you in our inaugural 

[ECOLOG-L] HEAD – DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY @ Tennessee

[Aimee Classen]

HEAD – DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (http://eeb.bio.utk.edu) at 
the flagship 
campus of The University of Tennessee in Knoxville is seeking a senior 
colleague for the position 
of Professor and Head. We are interested in a visionary individual able to lead 
a department that is 
already rich in potential to become one of the top EEB departments in the 
world. Candidates should 
evidence effective leadership and have a record of excellence in teaching and 
research in any area 
of ecology and evolutionary biology or related field.

The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is dynamic with ambitious 
plans for future 
growth in all aspects of our scholarship. There is already much collaboration 
both among the 27 
current faculty and 60 graduate students and with nearby scientists and 
mathematicians 
associated with the National Institute of Mathematical and Biological 
Synthesis, Oak Ridge National 
Lab, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The University of Tennessee is a 
faculty-friendly 
campus (http://provost.utk.edu/faculty-friendly/) and supports dual-career 
couples.
Applicants should currently hold or be eligible for promotion to the rank of 
Professor. The 
successful applicant will be expected to have achieved an internationally 
renowned research 
program, as well as to possess real insights into undergraduate and graduate 
teaching, 
administering a department and interacting with other university units. The 
Knoxville campus of 
the University of Tennessee is seeking candidates who have the ability to 
contribute in meaningful 
ways to the diversity and intercultural goals of the University.

To apply, please send the following in a single pdf-formatted document to 
mande...@utk.edu: (1) 
a cover letter that includes a vision statement for the head’s leadership role 
in the growth of an EEB 
department, a statement of teaching philosophy/experience and current research 
interests, and 
the names and contact information for three referees; (2) a CV; and (3) copies 
of three 
publications. Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2012 and will 
continue until the 
position is filled. The anticipated starting date is August of 2013.

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and 
admissions without
regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital 
status, sexual
orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered 
veteran status.
Eligibility and other terms and conditions of employment benefits at The 
University of Tennessee
are governed by laws and regulations of the State of Tennessee, and this 
non-discrimination
statement is intended to be consistent with those laws and regulations.

In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 
1964, Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 
and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Tennessee 
affirmatively states that it
does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education 
programs and
activities, and this policy extends to employment by the University.

Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), 
Title IX (sex), Section
504 (disability), ADA (disability), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (age), 
sexual
orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equity and 
Diversity (OED),
1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, telephone (865) 974-2498 (V/TTY 
available)
or 974-2440. Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to 
the ADA
Coordinator at the Office of Equity and Diversity.

[ECOLOG-L] The "Populations" Problem

[Rob Dietz]

Herman Daly offers an original take on the tired debate of "too many people
vs. too much consumption" -- a spot-on reframing of a critical issue:
http://steadystate.org/populations-problem/

Thanks,
Rob Dietz
Editor, the Daly News
Author of the forthcoming book, Enough Is Enough