[ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course
Does anybody have ideas on how to promote Ecology among Biology undergraduates? We are finding that Biology majors are increasingly focused on health-care fields; many students consider Ecology “unimportant” for their future careers, and it is not addressed in the MCAT exams, so they give it a low priority. How does one increase enrollment in Ecology courses, and particularly in schools that do not have dedicated Ecology departments? Any thoughts would be welcome!
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Anti-singles discrimination? Re: [ECOLOG-L] Career - Life Balance supplements to NSF awards
Dear Unmarried Single, You would naturally feel discriminated against because you have no idea, and absolutely cannot know, the amount of time it takes to care for a family. Before we had a child, my husband and I worked 12 hours a day or more. Yes, it was hard to get laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. done, but we had the luxury or working 12 hours a day. Once we had a child, we no longer have that option. Taking care of a child is a full-time job, and having a regular academic job on top of it is like working two jobs. Having children is a right that must be recognized by institutions and made allowances for, which is not there in academia. You can have no idea how difficult it is to be an academician and a parent. (And all this goes even for people who have to care for other family members like elderly or ill parents). We should not have to make a choice between taking care of our families and continuing an academic career. I am so happy to see that NSF has recognized this and is moving int eh right direction. And BTW, spousal hires by Universities is not nepotism. It is simply keeping their desired people happy so that they stay in the University. Again, it is recognizing that family is important and that people should not have to choose between family and career. I am sure the spouse is qualified for the job they are hired for. -Kay
[ECOLOG-L] Ideal Free Distribution wit bird feeders
Hi everyone, Has anybody used bird feeders to test the ideal free distribution? I am planning a lab for college level students and wanted to test the IFD with bird feeders in the open (not aviaries). The plan is to pair bird feeders, one with lower amount of food than the other, with multiple such pairs replicated. Each feeder within a pair will be closely placed. The prediction is that the ratio of birds on each feeder should match the ratio of food between the two feeders. I am in Lexington, KY, and have planned this lab for February. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? If you have tried this or something similar (anything along the lines of optimal foraging theory), would you mind sharing your experience? Thanks, Kay
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Backpacking with an infant?
Liz, I am glad someone brought up the points you did. While it's wonderful to see so much support for women who want to make their families a part of their work, it is also important to remember that most women are not that adventurous and the bar should not be set at that height for everyone. While reading this thread about all the women who carried infants all over the mountains and through jungles, I felt like I was inadequate because I simply could not have done that. The stress of a completely changed life, the depression, the hormonal changes, the CONSTANT nursing day and night, the physiological stress of recovering from childbirth and the ongoing lactation, made it impossible to even think about work until at least 3 months after my baby was born (and even then I was not quite ready). I think it is unrealistic to expect women to just jump up form the hospital bed, baby in sling and run off to work. It appears that Simone wants to go to the field and no-one is coercing her. That is great and it is her decision. I am not saying that she should not do it (she knows best what she can and cannot do). But everybody who is saying that women are just fine running off to work as soon as baby is born should be a little cautious as to what message is being sent out to young mothers. Also, some of the men who said that it is just as difficult for men in academia: no, it is not. Please remember, men do not go through the physiological and emotional stress to the same degree as a woman who just had a baby. And also, the men are bottle feeding the baby, which is far different from breastfeeding. I think the bottom line is that our society is just not supportive enough of women in academia. A woman who has had a baby does not get adequate time off to re-adjust into life before being expected to get back to work. Having a baby and taking care of it is hard work, and academia is also hard work. Many men (my husband included) are absolutely devoted to their babies and invest almost as much time and energy and sleepless nights in caring for the baby; I do not deny it and I admire and respect all the men that do that. But the bottom line is that it is far far harder on a woman. We need more realistic attitudes towards women in academia, wile at the same time making it possible for women to simultaneously compete in academia and be mothers. Women need to have substantial maternity leave and flexible work loads for the first several months, without being judged for not taking it all in her stride but instead prioritizing her baby and herself so soon after the enormous achievement of producing a new person into the world. -Kay Department of Biology, University of Kentucky
