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THE DRIFT
March 7, 2008
Patricia Verdugo, Editor Submissions to The Drift need to be submitted by 5pm on Thursday to: Please reference the word “Drift” in the subject line.
~In This Edition~ EEB DEPARTMENT NEW Outstanding Staff Nominations "NO PRINT" Option - Pay Stubs Monday Seminar Series Biosphere 2 Offers Special Events for Saturday Visitors Housing Needed for Visiting Female Graduate Student NEWS FROM OTHER AREAS Researchers Needed to Mentor AZ-START Teacher Interns in Summer 2008 NEW COURSES/SEMINARS OF INTEREST BioComputing Workshops American College of Epidemiology Annual Meeting Entomology Seminar – March 13, 2008 Astrobiology and the Sacred Spring 2008 Lecture Series FELLOWSHIP/EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES/CLASSIFIEDS Post-Doctoral Research Associate (renewable for up to 3-years) Post Doctoral Research Position Job Announcement: Data Manager REU Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates Research Position Available Position Available: Work Study Conference Assistant CoordinatorEnvironmental Education Position Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair – Help Needed Seeking a Research Technician/Assistant Position Join Team Pi in Supporting Multiple Sclerosis Research Staff Advisory Council is sponsoring a Night at the Gaslight Theater
~EEB DEPARTMENT NEWS~
Outstanding Staff Nominations
Again this year, EEB will be choosing an outstanding staff person to be honored by the Department and the College of Science at the annual COSSAC Staff Recognition Luncheon on Wednesday, April 9, 2008. "NO PRINT" Option - Pay Stubs Attention EEB Dept.: Should you want to view the information on the Paystub you can view it online: Login into Employee Link and click on the tab labeled PAY STUBS Monday Seminar Series *Please note time change as of last semester’s seminar time. Dr. Rama Singh Acting Chair and Professor, Department of Biology, McMaster University http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/biology/faculty/singh/singh.htm Host: Dr. Therese Markow
Title: A Theory of Male Sex Drive and Evolution in the Sexual World
Tuesday “Noon” Seminar Series Title: Multiple introductions of the Spiroplasma heritable bacterial endosymbiont in Drosophila
And
Will Driscoll – Pepper Lab Title: Spatial structure and the evolutionary stability of siderophore production in bacterial populations
Biosphere 2 Offers Special Events for Saturday Visitors Talks by Biospherians and scientists, Physics Factory featured this spring. For more information please visit http://uanews.org/node/18337 Housing Needed for Visiting Female Graduate Student
Housing Needed for Visiting Female Graduate Student, April - May:
The Saleska Lab will be hosting a female graduate student from the University of Viçosa, Brazil, for 6 - 8 weeks in April and May. Housing is needed for this student, within biking or walking distance to campus. If you or anyone you know may have housing available, please contact Brad Christoffersen at bchristo@email.arizona.edu. Thanks!
~NEWS FROM OTHER AREAS~ Researchers Needed to Mentor AZ-START Teacher Interns in Summer 2008
Courtesy of a grant from Science Foundation Arizona, summer research internships for Arizona middle- and high-school teachers will be available through the AZ-START (Arizona Science Teacher Advancement and Research Training) Program. The goal is to provide life science teachers throughout the state with opportunities to participate in authentic research and to use their research experiences to enhance their classroom teaching. Approximately 20 teachers will be selected to work for 7-8 weeks over Summer 2008 and will receive financial compensation for their participation in research (paid via our AZ-START grant).
If you would consider mentoring one or more teachers in your research group, please take about 10 minutes to fill the online form at <http://www.biochem.arizona.edu/AZ-START/forms/>, which will put your information into our research database. User ID is: azstart Password: teachers Once we have received this information, applicants for the Summer 2008 program can use the database to search for potential mentors who would be a good match with their interests and geographical location. We will work with both teachers and mentors to make sure there is a common set of expectations for this experience. Of course, the final decision to accept a particular teacher will be yours. For more information, please contact Lisa Elfring at <elfring@u.arizona.edu>.
~NEW COURSES/SEMINARS OF INTEREST~ BioComputing Workshops
As requested, there are several computing workshops scheduled this spring.
* Intro Perl REVIEW for Life Scientists workshop, Dates: Mar 10 2008
* Intermediate Perl for Life Scientists workshop, Dates: Mar 12,14 2008
* NCBI Tools, BLAST, and Sequence Similarity Searching workshop, Date: April 2, 2008
* Intro to BioPerl for Life Scientists workshop, Dates: Apr 8, 10 2008
* High Throughput Computing for Life Scientists workshop, Dates: Apr 22,24 2008
To register, visit http://bcf.arl.arizona.edu/bcfworkshops. For additional information on these workshops, please contact Al Agellon 626-1672 agellon@u.arizona.edu or Susan Miller 626-2597 sjmiller@u.arizona.edu. American College of Epidemiology Annual Meeting American College of Epidemiology Annual Meeting Sept. 14-16, 2008 “The Dawn of Evolutionary Epidemiology: Applying Evolutionary Theory in an Epidemiologic Context” http://www.acepidemiology2.org/
Next year (2009) we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of “On the Origin of the Species.” While evolutionary theory is the most fundamental of all biologic theories, it is not commonly applied in epidemiology. At this year’s ACE meeting, to be held September 14-16 in Tucson, Arizona, we will explore how an understanding of modern evolutionary theory can enhance our understanding of the distribution and determinants of health and disease. Thinking about organisms—humans included—as both products of, and active participants in, the ongoing evolutionary process can provide novel insights into epidemiological phenomena, and lead the epidemiological detective down new and exciting pathways to discovery and understanding. How better to understand the distribution and determinants of disease, than to begin with some idea of why the organism came to be the way it is? The evolutionary approach has yielded great advances in the understanding of virulence, host-pathogen interactions, toxins, chronic diseases, cancer, and many other diseases and biomedical processes. It is also leading to significant advances in an understanding of human behavior. The ACE Meeting Program will include an overview of some of these successes, and identify areas where evolutionary theory might be usefully applied.
The Program Committee is delighted to present a meeting which includes the most eminent scientists from epidemiology, genetics, and Darwinian medicine, who will discuss a range of applications of evolutionary theory in epidemiology, from genetic epidemiology, to health disparities, to infection, to mental health. The Program also includes a session by the policy committee regarding how genome wide association studies impact epidemiology.
Entomology Seminar – March 13, 2008
DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGYSpring 2008 Seminar Series
Christiane Weirauch Assistant Professor, Dept. of Entomology University of California, Riverside
Title: Assassins and Plant feeders: Systematic Research in Cimicomorpha (Heteroptera)
Note time and location change! Thursday, March 13, 2008 2:00 P.M. Forbes 412
Refreshments served outside classroom at 1:45 p.m. For More information please contact Patricia Baldewicz at pbaldewi@ag.arizona.edu, 621-1152, Forbes 410D
Astrobiology and the Sacred Spring 2008 Lecture Series
Spring 2008 Lecture Series Astrobiology and the Sacred: Implications of Life Beyond Earth Year 4: "Mission to Planets"
In the fourth and final year of the project, we recapitulate the current situation in astrobiology, but return the focus to the home planet. As techniques improve to allow the detection of Earth-like planets, we are reminded of the fragility and the potential rarity of our own ecosystem. From the perspectives of astronomy, history, philosophy, and biology, 11 scientists and writers will consider the Earth within the context of the search for life in the universe
Thursday March 6, 2008 - Tuesday March 11, 2008 - Thursday March 13, 2008 Templeton Fellow Jennifer Hecht - Poet, Author, Historian "Cosmic Cosmopolitanism" (March 6) "The Speed of Life and Hoarders of Magnitude" (March 11) "Smarter Than Us" (March 13)
Tuesday March 25, 2008 Lynda Williams - Physicist, Chanteuse "Starship Earth: Future Evolution"
Tuesday April 8, 2008 Alan Weisman - Journalist, Author "The World, With or Without Us"
Tuesday April 15, 2008 Marty Hewlett - Biochemist, Philosopher "What Does It Mean to be Human? Biological, Philosophical, and Theological Issues"
Tuesday April 22, 2008 Tom Boyd - Philosophy, Religion "Preparing the Planet for Interstellar Visitations: A Sense of the Sacred and the Possibility of a Global Ethic"
Tuesday April 29, 2008 Ursula Goodenough - Biologist "Biology and the Sacred: Implications of Life on Earth"
Tuesday May 6, 2008 Nick Woolf - Astronomer "All Hitched Together"
LOCATION All lectures will take place at the UA's Center for Creative Photography. Lectures begin at 7pm and are free. The closest parking garage (hourly fee) can be found at the Park Avenue Garage. Some speakers may have a book signing session after the lecture.
FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information about speakers and their talks, campus maps, posters, and other information please visit our website at: http://scienceandreligion.arizona.edu or email templeton@as.arizona.edu
~FELLOWSHIP/EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES/CLASSIFIEDS~
Post-Doctoral Research Associate (renewable for up to 3-years) Focus: Carbon cycle science/atmospheric chemistry/infrared absorption spectroscopy Institution: Ecology & Evol. Biology and Biosphere 2, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ Start Date: Spring/Summer 2008 We seek a creative post-doctoral scientist with strong background in both physical and ecosystem/carbon cycle science to work with an interdisciplinary team on deploying a new optical spectrometer (using Quantum Cascade Lasers, QCL) for measurements of CO2 and its rare isotopes in both the field and within Biosphere 2. The science goal is to study mechanisms controlling coupled carbon and water exchange between ecosystems and atmosphere. Implementation goals of the project are two-fold: first, to deploy, test and interpret results from a new QCL isotope ratio spectrometer making long-term eddy-covariance measurements of the isotopic composition (13C/12C and 18O/16O) of CO2 fluxes above Harvard Forest, Massachusetts; second, to configure and use similar instrumentation for mass balance and isotope studies as part of the University of Arizona’s new program at Biosphere 2, the unique enclosed ecosystem system science facility outside of Tucson, AZ. The position is based at University Arizona, but will involve significant time commitments in Boston, MA for the first year, during which the instrument would be deployed for testing and measurements at Harvard Forest (collaborating with scientists at Aerodyne Research, and at Harvard University’s laboratory for atmospheric chemistry). Subsequent work would focus on interpretation of Harvard Forest data, and design and implementation of related Biosphere 2 studies. This position provides exceptional opportunities to learn new techniques and to make major scientific contributions to problems of both scientific and societal interest using cutting-edge technology (see web page below for more project details). This is an interdisciplinary research program, and we do not expect candidates to be familiar with all of the relevant methods, although strong physical sciences background relevant to spectroscopic techniques or to field deployment of instrumentation is strongly desired. We expect to train the successful candidate in the relevant additional disciplines and skills (possibly including micrometeorology, forest ecophysiology and carbon cycling, isotope ecology). Competitive salary and benefits are provided; the University of Arizona is an equal-opportunity employer. To apply, visit: https://www.uacareertrack.com (job number 40159) Send (electronically) a description of research interests, CV, and the names and contact information of three references to: Dr. Scott Saleska Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona For more information on this project (including papers describing instrument and simulation of isofluxes) see web sites: http://eebweb.arizona.edu/faculty/saleska/research.htm (Saleska group) http://www.aerodyne.com/ (Aerodyne Research, Inc.)
Post Doctoral Research Position
Post Doctoral Research Position: Climate Change, Land Use, and Biodiversity in South Africa
Human responses to climate change could affect biodiversity more severely than changes in climate variables per se. The Program in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University invites applications for a post-doctoral Research Associate to help examine the impacts of human adaptation to climate change on vulnerable ecosystems and species that may or may not themselves suffer direct climate change impacts. The successful candidate will work with Professors David Wilcove and Michael Oppenheimer, in collaboration with Conservation International, to model how changes in agricultural and ranching practices due to climate change will affect biodiversity in South Africa. Results of this study may inform land use policy in a region of extraordinary biodiversity facing substantial change in climate.
Applicants should have a strong background in modeling the responses of either flora and fauna or agriculture to climate change. In addition, they should be interested in attacking problems from a multidisciplinary perspective, working with a diverse team of scientists and practitioners, and exploring policy implications.
The initial appointment is for one year with the possibility of renewal. The successful candidate will be based primarily at Princeton, but must be willing to travel to South Africa as needed. The Postdoctoral Research Associate's position is open to all regardless of citizenship, but requires a recently completed doctorate in a relevant area of environmental science and does not support work towards the completion of a degree. The research associate position will be eligible for salary and full employee benefits in accordance with Princeton University guidelines. Applicants should send a CV and a cover letter describing their areas of expertise and interest via email to Charles Crosby at \n ccrosby@princeton.edu. The application deadline for these positions is April 10, 2008 For more information about completing the "Invitation to Self-Identify" form, please link to: http://web.princeton.edu/sites/dof/ApplicantsInfo.htm Job Announcement: Data Manager Job Announcement: Data Manager (Ecologist GS-0408, Biologist GS-0404, or Information Technology Specialist GS-2210). This is a permanent, full time, GS-11 position (approx. $54,494 to $70,843) or GS-09 (approx. $45,040 to $58,557) position (grade dependent upon experience) with the Sierra Nevada Network Inventory & Monitoring Program. This position is open to applicants both with and without federal status. The Sierra Nevada Network (SIEN) includes Yosemite National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, and Devils Postpile National Monument. See http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/SIEN/index.cfm for more information on the SIEN I&M Program and the network parks. Duty Station Location: Sequoia National Park, Three Rivers, California, with travel to all Sierra Nevada Network parks. Centrally located in California, Three Rivers is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and within driving distance of the coast as well as various points of interest all over the state. The Sierra Nevada parks offer outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities, spectacular scenery, and diverse natural and cultural resources. Duties: Incumbent will lead planning and implementation of data management for a long-term monitoring program that evaluates status and trends of key ecosystem components and processes. Major responsibilities include program development; database design and management; data acquisition and quality management; data documentation (metadata); data archiving and security; and data retrieval, reporting and dissemination. The incumbent will travel to all network parks, to coordinate meetings and trainings with park staffs and cooperators, and to integrate the network’s data management strategy with park programs. Incumbent will collaborate with data managers at park, network, and national levels. There will be some opportunities to work in the field to oversee data collection quality assurance and quality control, and to work with other network staff in the analyses and interpretation of monitoring data. The position will supervise 1-2 data technicians. Be sure to follow application instructions in the vacancy announcement posted at: http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/. The announcement number is SEKI-08-31EE. Announcement is open from Feb 26-Mar 17, 2008. For more information, please contact Linda Mutch (linda_mutch@nps.gov or 559-565-3174).REU Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates REU is an NSF-sponsored program providing Research Experience for Undergraduates. Undergraduates receive a stipend ($4,800 @ $10/h) to conduct independent research projects under faculty guidance and mentorship. Dr. Steve Archer in the School of Natural Resources has openings for an REU student on a study investigating why some shrubs are more successful than others in invading and establishing in grasslands. The REU student will participate in controlled environment studies on the UA campus; and in field studies at the Santa Rita Experimental Range just south of Tucson. For more details and application procedures, see http://ag.arizona.edu/research/archer/ or email sarcher@ag.arizona.edu. Application Deadline: April 11, 2008; or until suitable candidate is hired.
Research Position Available We are looking for an energetic and motivated undergraduate or graduate student to assist our design team with the development of an ecological monitoring program for Pima County. Work will involve researching habitat requirements for a wide range of plant and vertebrate species, investigating monitoring methods for a variety of indicators of ecological condition, and finding existing data sets to help inform our work. Some data entry may also be required. Work hours are flexible and will vary from 15-25 hours/week depending on need and candidate’s availability. The selected candidate must have a strong background in the wildlife sciences and be a proficient writer.
This is an excellent entry-level career position that will give the successful candidate broad exposure to ecological monitoring methods and principles as well as the opportunity to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team of scientists. Pay is competitive and depends on experience.
To apply or for additional information, please contact Brian Powell at brian.powell@pima.gov. Please include a current resume with your inquiry.
For additional information on the program, see: http://www.pima.gov/cmo/sdcp/Monitoring/index.html Position Available: Work Study Conference Assistant Coordinator The Environmental Education Exchange is looking for an energized individual to assist in the coordination of a binational Environmental Education conference, working closely with the conference coordinator and committee in all aspects of the event organization. This is an excellent networking and professional development opportunity for an emerging EE professional, with possibilities for future collaboration. Our office is within walking distance from campus and we offer an accommodating schedule. Must be work study! For more information contact pepe@eeexchange.org.
Environmental Education Position
SENIORS/GRADUATE STUDENTS: A local environmental education program seeks a dynamic, responsible classroom presenter who works well with children. A Flexible schedule and your own vehicle required. The pay is great. Email resume and/or questions to outreach@eeexchange.org.
For more information please refer to http://www.eeexchange.org Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair – Help Needed
SARSEF is fast approaching and we are in URGENT need of judges for K-8th grade categories, primarily K-5 and volunteers for each day of the week of SARSEF. Please help judge if you can! To sign up, please visit <http://www.sarsef.org/> and check the judging information which is found under the VOLUNTEER drop down. The following is the time schedule for judging: TUESDAY March 18th: JUDGING DAY * 7:30 am Judges registration, Breakfast, Briefing -Tucson Convention Center -Exhibit Hall * 8:30 am K-12 Judging at TCC (No students) * 11:30 am Lunch and Caucus * 12:30- 2:00 pm Interviews with 6th - 8th Grade students: ALL Judges * 1:00- 3:30 pm Interviews with High School students * 3:30 pm Interviews are over for all students * 4:00 pm Final call for all judging sheets to be returned to the HUB in the Exhibit Hall
BE SURE TO REGISTER & MARK YOUR CALENDERS!!
For more information please contact: Paula D. Johnson, DVM, MS President, SciEnTeK-12 Foundation, Inc. Deputy Director (SRC Chair, Chief Judge) SARSEF--Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair SRC member, International Science and Engineering Fair 7380 E. Snyder Rd, Tucson, AZ 85750 Office 520- 621-8646
Seeking a Research Technician/Assistant Position
Dear EEB Faculty and Staff,
My fiancé and I will be moving to Tucson in mid-May; I am looking for employment in the ecological (or more general biological) sciences. I am hoping to find employment with the University of Arizona as a research technician/assistant, particularly because I plan to apply to the UA graduate school for the fall of 2009. I feel that this will be a great way to get familiar with the department while also continuing my development as a scientist. If you have the need for assistance, I can be available as early as May 19. Please know that I am motivated by research questions of particular conservation significance regardless of system or subject. Thus, I am happy to work in any ecosystem and with any species.
I will graduate this May from Humboldt State University with a BS in Ecology and Minor in Wildlife Management (cumulative GPA 3.48). Over the past three years, I have done seasonal work (summer and winter) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where I assisted in various studies involving birds, herps, and rare plants in annual grasslands, riparian corridors, and oak woodlands/savannah. I also participated in habitat restoration and monitoring, as well as many other projects, the details of which are outlined in my resume. Prior to my tenure at LLNL, I interned with the National Marine Fisheries Service as a rockfish ecology research assistant, and I also served in the Trace Gas Biogeochemistry Lab at UC Berkeley. I feel that my diversity of experience and knowledge has prepared me to be an efficient and effective contributor to any ecological research project, and I am readily available to discuss any opportunities that you might have.
If you have positions in the future for which you feel I would be a good fit, I would love the chance to discuss them. Please contact me (below) if you would like a copy of my resume or a list of references. In the event that you do not have need for a technician, please feel free to forward my information to any of your colleagues at UA that may be looking to hire someone with my qualifications.
Sincerely,
Brian Spirou 408-204-2495 alternate: pachygrapsus@gmail.com
Join Team Pi in Supporting Multiple Sclerosis Research
What's going on? "Walk on the Wild Side" multiple sclerosis walk/fundraiser, Saturday, March 15, 8-10AM, Reid Park
Why get involved? Support families like mine affected by MS and scientists trying to understand and treat this complex autoimmune disease. And have fun doing it - walk and get free admission to Reid Park Zoo! Register to walk or make a pledge through Team Pi by March 12 and join our Pi(e) party featuring an assortment of homemade pies the day before the walk!
Pi(e) Party? Friday, March 14 (3.14 - Pi Day), 5PM, north patio of BioSci West
Register, donate, or learn more at the team website: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/goto/TeamPi ...or see the flyer/pledge sheet in the EEB mailroom! FYI, there's no minimum donation required by the society to participate, but in the spirit of Pi Day, please consider donating $3.14.
Contact: EEB grad student/team captain Tovah, tovahs@email.arizona.edu
Staff Advisory Council is sponsoring a Night at the Gaslight Theater Staff Advisory Council is sponsoring a Night at the Gaslight Theater on May 6, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. The Gaslight Theatre and SAC invites you to join us for the finest family theatre & dinner entertainment in Arizona. Thrill to authentic foot-stomping musical comedy melodrama, complete with honky-tonk piano playing, sing alongs and much, much more! Cheer the hero and Boo the villain while enjoying mountains of free finger lickin' good popcorn and your favorite soft drink or beer, pizza, ice cream (which you can order from Little Anthony’s located next door)! ****************************************** Patricia Verdugo Administrative Secretary Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona, BSW 310 Ph: 520-621-1588 Fax: 520-621-9190
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