[DIALOGnews] DIALOG and DISCCRS News 01/18/2005

Susan Weiler weilercs at whitman.edu
Tue Jan 18 14:31:41 CST 2005


DIALOG and Disccrs News
01/18/2005
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

RESOURCES
Funding for aquatic plant management http://www.apms.org/student.htm
Climate Change, Government of Canada http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/english/
NCSE Releases Report on Water for a Sustainable and Secure Future
<http://www.ncseonline.org/ncseconference/#water>NCSE conference website
Tsunami Sites

SCIENCE NEWS
Top Science Stories of 2004

FORUM
2003 U.S. Science and Engineering Doctorate Awards 
http://nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf05300/htmstart.htm
Lessons from Environmental Collapse of Past Societies www.NCSEonline.org

SUMMER PROGRAMS, COURSES, INTERNSHIPS, MEETINGS
Cutting-Edge Workshops 
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/current_workshops/index.html

JOBS
Tenure-Track Position in Coastal Watershed Science at the University of Texas
Postdoctoral Positions, Limnology and Microbial/Plankton Ecology. The 
Tahoe Environmental Research Center of the University of California, 
Davis

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Resources

Funding for aquatic plant management
Submitted by Katia Engelhardt
    The following link provides information on a good funding 
opportunity for some people interested in aquatic plant management: 
http://www.apms.org/student.htm

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Climate Change, Government of Canada website
http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/english/

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NCSE Releases Report on Water for a Sustainable and Secure Future
    Water is at the root of many of society's most pressing concerns 
-- from human health to food production to economic prosperity to 
environmental protection. In some cases, we lack fundamental 
scientific information upon which to make informed water policy 
decisions. In other cases, water policies are inconsistent with basic 
tenets of water science. A new report from the National Council for 
Science and the Environment (NCSE) provides recommendations for 
closing the gap between water science and water policy.
    Water for a Sustainable and Secure Future: A Report of the 4th 
National Conference on Science Policy and the Environment
explores science-based strategies for achieving water sustainability. 
NCSE's unique conference attracted more than 800 scientists, 
policymakers, business executives and civil society representatives 
from 46 states and 14 countries. The participants worked together to 
craft recommendations about the role of science in achieving 
sustainable relationships among water, people and the environment.
    In his opening keynote address, William K. Reilly, former 
Administrator of the U.S. EPA, stressed the need to modify U.S. water 
policies that have become remnants of a bygone era. He emphasized the 
need to engage scientists in making environmental policies and 
setting environmental priorities. Reilly urged scientists to avoid 
becoming "truants from the policy process."
     Bruce Babbitt, former Secretary of the Interior, noted that there 
is no absolute shortage of water in most areas of the United States, 
but water is often delivered at vastly below cost and used 
inefficiently. Klaus Toepfer, Under Secretary General of the United 
Nations, recommended progressive pricing -- charging more per unit 
the more water is used -- to ensure that people can afford enough 
water to live healthfully and still provide incentives for efficient 
use.
    Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond offered a cautionary 
example of the results of poor environmental management practices as 
he delivered the John H. Chafee Memorial Lecture on Science and 
Environment, Lessons from Environmental Collapses of Past Societies. 
Drawing upon his natural science research to understand why some 
environments are more fragile than others, Diamond explained how 
inadvertent environmental degradation led to the demise of the 
isolated civilization on Easter Island in the South Pacific.
    The complete text of the conference report, Water for a 
Sustainable and Secure Future, is available at the NCSE conference 
website. A second report containing Jared Diamond's lecture, Lessons 
from Environmental Collapses of Past Societies, is also available 
online at www.NCSEonline.org.

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TSUNAMI SITES
Courtesy of Mark Francek, GeoEd:
    Schoolgirl saved 100 people after learning about tsunamis in 
school two weeks before the event: 
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/050102/w010210.html
    Visualizations from SERC, Carleton College: 
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/visualization/collections/tsunami.html
    USGS site with general information about tsunamis and USGS tsunami 
research: http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/
    NOAA website: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/spotlight/tsunami/tsunami.html
    How Tsunamis Work: much movie footage here at the bottom of the 
page: http://science.howstuffworks.com/tsunami.htm
    Asia's Deadly Waves (NY Times): 
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/html/international/20041227_QUAKE_FEATURE/index.html

Courtesy of Heather McDonald, VIMS.
The On the Cutting Edge - Teaching Geoscience with Visualizations 
site has put together a collection of tsunami visualizations created 
by researchers around the world. The collection includes several of 
the recent December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami as well as other 
historical tsunamis. There are also some visualizations of 
hypothetical and generalized tsunamis. Check out the collection by 
going to 
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/visualization/collections/tsunami.html

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Science News
Check out this section both for news tidbits, and for
examples of how to communicate science to a non-scientist audience

TOP SCIENCE STORIES OF 2004
    The Boston Globe printed a story on the top 10 picks by Science 
magazine, coming from the Science Dec. 17, 2004 issue: 
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2004/12/28/top_10_science_stories_mars_water_evidence_leads_list/
    Discover Magazine published its picks for the top 100 
http://www.discover.com/issues/jan-05/features/top-100-stories/ 
(abstracts only), I didn't have time to read them all, but judging by 
the titles these are the only ones dealing with climate change or 
aquatic science....
  38. Caution: Farmed salmon may cause cancer
  49 Endangered species act reconsidered
  55 Oceans store half of human-made carbon dioxide
  58 Surface weather affects life at bottom of the sea
  76 Weird worms feast on whale bones
  94 Smallest fish found
  98 Hearing tied to hormones in midshipman fish


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Forum

2003 U.S. Science and Engineering Doctorate Awards
Contributed by Sue Weiler
      This site reports the NSF statistics on US degrees awarded in 
different disciplines.
http://nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf05300/htmstart.htm

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Lessons from Environmental Collapse of Past Societies
Contributed by Sue Weiler
      Guns, Germs and Steel author Jared Diamond 
http://www.thelavinagency.com/college/jareddiamond.html has recently 
published a book called Collapse: How Societies Collapse or Succeed. 
I consider this to be one of those "must read" books for everyone on 
this planet, especially those interested in the future of our planet 
and society. The text of a recent lecture by Diamond on the Collapse 
of Past Societies is available at www.NCSEonline.org


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Summer Programs, Courses, Internships, Meetings

CUTTING-EDGE WORKSHOPS in 2005 (note application deadlines are 
different for different workshops and the earliest deadline is 
January 17)
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/current_workshops/index.html
      Understanding What Our Geoscience Students are Learning: 
Observing and Assessing, May 12-14, Carleton College, MN - 
APPLICATION DEADLINE March 1
      Designing Effective and Innovative Courses in the Geosciences, 
June 1-5 Georgia Southern University, (also an on-line version of the 
workshop will be offered May 23-June 23) APPLICATION DEADLINE 
February 14
      Early Career Faculty in the Geosciences Workshop: Teaching, 
Research, and Managing Your Career, June 8-12, 2005, with optional 
trip to NSF on June 13, College of William and Mary, VA - APPLICATION 
DEADLINE February 21
      Teaching About the Ocean System Using New Research Technique: 
Data, Models, and Visualizations (emerging theme workshop), July 6-9, 
2005, University of Washington - APPLICATION DEADLINE March 1
      A WORKSHOP FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POST-DOCS: Preparing for an 
Academic Career in the Geosciences, July 21-24, 2005, Pennsylvania 
State University


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Jobs for PhDs
http://www.higheredjobs.com/about/

Tenure-Track Position in Coastal Watershed Science at the University of Texas
The Marine Science Institute (MSI, www.utmsi.utexas.edu) and 
Environmental Science Institute (ESI, www.geo.utexas.edu/esi) at The 
University of Texas at Austin invite applications for a faculty 
position in coastal watershed science. This position will further a 
growing program at UT-Austin in marine and environmental science that 
is focused on coastal issues, including a current faculty search in 
Ecological Modeling and a proposed National Estuarine Research 
Reserve at MSI (www.utmsi.utexas.edu/txnerr). We seek an individual 
with broad interests in integrated field, laboratory, and/or modeling 
studies of the physical, geochemical, and/or biological processes 
that occur in coastal watersheds. The position is at the rank of 
Assistant Professor in the Department of Marine Science and Research 
Assistant Professor in MSI. The successful candidate will be based at 
the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas and will be expected to 
build a vigorous and interdisciplinary research program with one or 
more affiliated ESI departments in Austin, including integrative 
biology, geological sciences, geography, engineering, and social 
sciences. Candidates must have a Ph.D. degree at the time of 
appointment; postdoctoral experience and a strong research and 
publication record are preferred. Primary teaching responsibilities 
will be participation in a developing Integrated Watershed Science 
graduate program that will train students in science, engineering, 
and policy aspects of water resources, and a graduate course (likely 
team taught) in one of the following: coastal oceanography, time 
series analysis, or microbial ecology. Applicants should send a 
statement of research and teaching interests (3 pages maximum), 
curriculum vitae, and five letters of recommendation to: MSI-ESI 
Search Committee Chair, The University of Texas Marine Science 
Institute, 750 Channel View Dr., Port Aransas, Texas 78373-5015. The 
statement of research interests should mention how the program would 
incorporate coastal watershed science. Review of applications will 
start February 15, 2005 and will continue until the position is 
filled. Background check conducted on applicant selected.
    The University of Texas at Austin is an Affirmative Action/Equal 
Opportunity Employer.

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Postdoctoral Positions, Limnology and Microbial/Plankton Ecology. The 
Tahoe Environmental Research Center of the University of California, 
Davis,
    Two highly motivated and enthusiastic postdoctoral scientists 
sought to carry out research in limnology and aquatic ecology within 
our multidisciplinary group. Possible areas of research include but 
are not limited to: lake metabolism, organic matter sources and 
cycling in lakes, molecular microbial ecology, plankton community 
structure and function, physical/biological coupling in lakes. The 
candidates will be expected to develop independent research projects 
in their area in collaboration with one or several members of the 
Center, or other UC Davis faculty working in the Tahoe Basin. The 
positions include some research funds and technical support, and will 
extend for 2 years, with the possibility of extension. The TERC 
operates two research vessels at Lake Tahoe, and has commenced 
construction of a new research laboratory at Incline Village to 
complement the historic laboratory at Tahoe City. Applicants should 
submit a curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests, and the 
names and contact information for three references.
  The positions remain open until filled. The University of California 
is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
    Applications can be sent by email to George Malyj, at 
gjmalyj at ucdavis.edu. Enquiries can be made to TERC Director Prof. 
Geoffrey Schladow, at gschladow at ucdavis.edu, or Prof. Charles 
Goldman, at crgoldman at ucdavis.edu.
S. Geoffrey Schladow
Professor of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering
Director, Tahoe Environmental Research Center
University of California, Davis
Dept. Civil & Env. Engineering
3111 Engineering III
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 752 6932 (office)
(530) 754 6433 (lab)

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This newsletter has been developed by C. Susan Weiler to distribute 
information of potential interest to recent PhDs engaged in 
interdisciplinary aquatic science or climate-change research, and to 
build an international sense of community among recent grads. It 
provides an international forum for the exchange of information and 
opinions regarding research, professional and social issues. The 
views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the 
funding agencies or sponsoring societies. Dr. Weiler reserves the 
right to edit or reject material submitted to the list.
	Please submit announcements of interest to recent PhDs to 
phd at whitman.edu.  Send a short message in the body of an e-mail 
message, and link to any appropriate websites.

-- 
C. Susan Weiler, Ph.D.          
Office of Earth System Studies    Tel:   509-527-5948          
Whitman College                        Fax:  509-527-5961
Walla Walla, WA 99362
weiler at whitman.edu    
   Programs for Recent PhDs                 http://aslo.org/phd.html
   DIALOG poster        http://www.aslo.org/phd/dialogposter.pdf
   DISCCRS poster       http://www.aslo.org/phd/disccrsposter.pdf 

Workshop Report, Meeting the Needs of Interdisciplinary Ph.D. 
Graduates in a Changing Global Environment
http://marcus.whitman.edu/~weilercs/biocomplexity/
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