Re: [ECOLOG-L] promoting Ecology course

[Tam Stage]

I've been thinking for a long time now that we need an "Ecology for
Citizens" type class in high school and for non-science majors in college.
It could replace the current biology topics that people forget after the
test is done and never use again unless it comes up in a trivia game.  It
would cover the basics, such as the Three Laws of Ecology, overview of
various cycles, the difference between weather and climate, different
pollution types, sustainability. etc.  The intent is offer students what
they need to know in order to realize how human actions impact the
environment, regardless of career.  I think something akin to this could be
tailored to the biology students in question.  It they have an
understanding of topics like pollution vectors, bio-magnification, how
biodiversity loss leads to disease outbreaks, etc.  they might be a in a
better position to advise on policy and recognize oppurtunites to prevent
problems in there communities.

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On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 7:03 PM, Emily Moran  wrote:

> If the question is “how do we get more students to see ecology as an
> interesting career path” rather than “how to we get premeds to take ecology
> classes”, the key seems to be to expose them to interesting uses of ecology
> and interesting ecological careers as early as possible.
> In most schools, the kids who come in wanting to major in biology tend to
> say they are pre-med, in part because that is the only biology-related
> career they are aware of.
>
> One thing we’re trying at UCM is to have ladder-rank faculty give guest
> lectures in the intro bio class - along with delivering the basic material,
> we get the chance to tell students a little about our research and have the
> option of talking about how they can get involved in research, other
> classes they might consider if they like the ecology/evolution section of
> bio 1, or career paths.  It is too early yet to see if it is having much
> effect in recruiting students to the EEB track or environmental sciences
> major, but I know I got some good questions from students about options for
> including plant-related stuff in their educational and career trajectory.
>
> Involving students in research and hands on projects in their freshman or
> sophomore year can also be a great way to stoke their interest in biology
> outside of a clinical setting.
>
> Emily Moran
> UC Merced
>
> >
> >
> > On 2/1/16, 11:23 AM, "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
> on
> > behalf of Kay Shenoy"  > kay.yellowt...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> 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
> >> ³unimportant² 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!
>



-- 
Tamathy Stage
Master's Candidate
Antioch University New England

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Overcoming the Location Hump for Out of State Jobs/Graduate Studies

[Tam Stage]

Hello,
This has been one of the confounding issues for me trying to get out of the
temporary wildlife research technician rut. As long as I am willing to work
temporary/seasonal positions it almost doesn't matter where I am from.  I
have observed the pattern a few others mentioned that permanent positions
are looking for a more specific knowledge set based within a region, and
not spending a set amount of time in that region disqualifies the
candidate.  I have lived and worked in so many different states, and even
different places within the same state in order to stay employed, that
there is no way to get the number of years in one ecosystem type that they
are asking for.  The people I know who got permanent wildlife jobs commonly
got their schooling no farther than one or two states away, and then got
into the state system via civil service exams or internships.  The other
issue I have dealt with is I rarely have residency in a state when the
exams are offered.  Unless states are willing to open up their exams to
people outside the state, it limits opportunities. I am well practiced in a
lot of transferable skills, but it's not competitive against someone who
has been in one region for school and most of their following career.



On Tue, Feb 23, 2016 at 10:59 AM, Elizabeth J. Sbrocco <
ladybluede...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I think that knowledge of the local ecosystem is important for any job,
> but not for entry into graduate school as others have stated.  In my
> experience hunting for jobs post-masters and again post-PhD,  the big
> advantage of local applicants has been that they can typically start
> immediately, or within a matter of weeks. At the interview stage the
> questions go something like “When would you be able to start?” and when you
> point out that taking the job would require a cross-country move (which
> obviously requires a bit of planning and actual drive-time, and if you have
> a family there are your spouse/children/childcare situations to think of
> too) and so you might need a month or more, they tend to lose interest
> really fast. Sometimes people just aren’t very accommodating, but sometimes
> the contract/grant has an end-date that is looming, and so some or all of
> the money is going to disappear if there isn’t an immediate hire.
>
> That said, if you’re the right person for the job a prospective employer 
> *should
> be *willing to wait. But if there are several people who could be a good
> fit, the one who can start the soonest is probably going to win, and that
> is usually the person who doesn’t have to move.
>
> I’m sure others will have different experiences and opinions, but these
> are mine.
>
> ~Elizabeth Sbrocco, PhD
>
>
> On Feb 23, 2016, at 9:24 AM, Theryn Henkel  wrote:
>
> My experience has been similar to what Chris describes. I am a Ph.D. and
> am looking to move back home to Seattle. I did my schooling in New York,
> Indiana and New Orleans and have live in New Orleans for 10 years. Since I
> have no education experience in Washington State Ecosystems, I am finding
> it very hard to compete for jobs over there, even though I have
> demonstrated the ability to learn the ecology and plant life of a variety
> of regions and ecosystems in the United States. I also have no contacts in
> Seattle since I have not lived there in so long. It is very difficult to
> compete with someone who has local or regional knowledge in this case. I
> have not quite figured out how to remedy this except continue to network as
> much as possible to make contacts.
>
> Good Luck!
>
>
> Theryn Henkel, Ph.D
> Assistant Director, Coastal Sustainability Program
> Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation
> Office: 504-308-3470
> Cell: 812-219-4740
> www.saveourlake.org
>
> On Mon, Feb 22, 2016 at 5:01 PM, Chris Buddenhagen  > wrote:
>
>> That may be true for students looking to get into graduate schools, but
>> for graduates looking for work after a Masters or PhD I think it can have
>> an influence. For example getting state or federal agency jobs. It is true
>> for University jobs too - if your record shows you to be a competent
>> professional working in environments familiar to the committee that has to
>> help. Social capitol and local biological knowledge mean a lot even though
>> in theory these skills are largely transferable, e.g. demonstrable
>> proficiency in using a plant key, quantitative skills, collaboration
>> ability, effective networking etc. A quick familiarity with local plant and
>> animal communities and species, or important local issues suggests people
>> will quickly become productive at the desired level for field work. Also
>> familiarity with agencies and people - provides the search committees with
>> the ability to check your skills and reputation by talking to people they
>> know. Its something to consider when setting up your projects or choosing
>> your mentors. Also every positive contact and project seen through to
>> completion is an opportunity and a blessi