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Environmental Studies Department |
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 A bi-weekly newsletter published by the
www.macalester.edu/environmentalstudies/ThisJustIn/main.htm In This Issue.... 1. Focus the Nation at Macalester College - January 31 2. Youth Sustainability Confabulation: Your Voice, Our Future - February 1 3. Employment Opportunity at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington, MN 4. German Academic Exchange Service 5. Anthony A. Lapham River Conservation Fellowship Program 6. Sustainable Design Competition for Students and Young Professionals 7. Seasonal Biological Technician Positions at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area 8. Information Sessions for the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs 9. Undergraduate Research and Graduate Research Fellowships Offered by the U.S. Department of Energy 10. Internships
1. Focus the Nation at Macalester College - January 31 On January 31, 2008, Macalester College and thousands of colleges, schools, businesses, religious groups, and many more organizations across the nation will take part in Focus the Nation, national symposium to take joint action on global warming. The goal of these nationwide Focus the Nation initiatives is to alert communities and political leaders to the significant movement imploring attention and action on this extremely critical social issue.
2. Youth Sustainability Confabulation: Your Voice, Our Future - February 1 ST. PETER, Minn. -- We want you! If you are college student, teenager, young farmer, aspiring farmer or just a regular person under the age of 35 who cares about sustainability issues and thinks the future is an exciting, yet slightly scary place, you need to attend the Youth Sustainability Confabulation (YSC) on Friday, February 1, 2008, from 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Gustavus Adolphus College.
3. Employment Opportunity at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington, MN About the Refuge: Minnesota Valley NWR/WMD is located in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. The Refuge Visitor Center is located less than a mile from the Mall of America and the MSP airport. A new Environmental Education Center is also open near Carver, Minnesota. The Refuge covers over 14,000 acres along a non-contiguous corridor of the Minnesota River. The Refuge also manages a 14 county wetland management district which includes over 20 Waterfowl Production Areas and numerous habitat easements which encompass more than 6,000 acres. Job Description: Responsibilities may include posting boundaries, mowing, grass cutting, painting and repairing public use structures, maintaining water control structures, duck banding, exotic species control and environmental education. In addition, experience assisting with biological surveys and research will be provided (waterfowl, plant and/or amphibian surveys). Job Requirements: Students must be able to work well with others and work independently. Positions require occasional weekend work, as well as outside exposure to insects and weather extremes. A valid driver’s license is required. Experience with 4X4 vehicles, farm equipment, mowers, and various hand tools is helpful, as well as plant and bird identification and canoeing skills. Personal protective equipment and training will be provided. Address your experience, knowledge, and skills in your resume otherwise credit may not be given during selection. Qualified applicants will be requested to submit several other forms in February and may be asked to submit fingerprints for a background check prior to hiring. Positions are only open to students who will not graduate from college before September 30, 2008. For questions call Vicki Sherry at 952-858-0723, or for information about the Refuge visit www.fws.gov/midwest/minnesotavalley/ Salary: $11.90 - $14.95 (Salary level dependent on education). Housing may also be available. To Apply: Please send letter of interest, resume, two reference letters and unofficial transcript by February 8, 2008 to: Vicki Sherry, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, 3815 American Blvd East, Bloomington, MN 55425; Email: vicki_sherry@fws.gov.
4. German Academic Exchange Service The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is pleased to announce some exciting updates about the summer 2008 RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering) and RISE professional programs. The internship database for RISE undergrads opened on December 6. Students who register can browse internship offerings in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences (geology), and engineering. These internships expose participants to advanced research and provide the rare opportunity to learn about Germany from the inside. RISE professional, which is designed for recent graduates, Master's and PhD students of the above-mentioned fields, and alumni of the RISE program, has doubled the scholarship amount for PhD students. DAAD now provides 500 euros per month to PhD students, in addition to 500 per month provided by the host company. Scholarships remain 250 euros per month for Master's students and recent graduates. Every scholarship recipient receives an additional stipend of 500 euros from the host company each month and a lump sum of 600 euros for travel expenses, as well as health insurance and accident and personal/private liability insurance. To find out about eligibility and the application process as well as to read reports from past participants, please visit: www.daad.de/rise and www.daad.de/rise-pro. Please note, students may only apply for one of the two programs and not for both at the same time. Please email all queries about RISE or RISE professional to: rise@daad.de or rise-pro@daad.de respectively.
5. Anthony A. Lapham River Conservation Fellowship Program American Rivers has launched the Anthony A. Lapham River Conservation Fellowship program. It provides an excellent professional development opportunity for talented post-graduates pursuing careers as leaders in the field of conservation advocacy. The Fellowship will be supported by a team of conservation staff and members of their Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee, which includes some of the nation's foremost experts on freshwater and other conservation science and policy. Highlights include:
The fellowship honors the memory of Anthony A. Lapham who served for many years on the board of American Rivers, including as its Chairman. He left an indelible mark not only on American Rivers and many other conservation organizations, but on conservation efforts across this land. The program reflects his integrity, intellect, concern for humanity and commitment to excellence. We are seeking candidates who possess these qualities. More complete information about the fellowship can be found on our website at www.americanrivers.org/fellowship.
6. Sustainable Design Competition for Students and Young Professionals The Southern Theater and United States Green Building Council (USGBC) – Mississippi Headwaters Chapter / Emerging Green Builders (EGB) are pleased to announce the call for participants in the 2008 Emerging Green Builders Natural Talent Design Competition. The subject of this year’s competition is the historic Southern Theater, a 100-year old landmark for performing arts in the Seven Corners area of Minneapolis. Contestants will focus on an iconic redesign and expansion of the theater, envisioning the first sustainable, LEED-Platinum-certified performing arts center in Minnesota.Multi-disciplinary teams of five or less are already beginning to form at design firms, colleges and universities. Complete criteria package is available at www.egbmn.org with submissions accepted until May 11, 2008. Local competition winners will receive a $1,000 cash prize as well as an expense paid trip to Boston for the 2008 Greenbuild Conference. An open house is scheduled for February 2, 2008, at the Southern Theater (1420 Washington Avenue South). From 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., contestants can tour the facility and take snapshots and measurements in and around the building. A Q&A with Jeff Bartlett, Southern Theater artistic director, and EGB representatives Eddie Landenberger and Debbie Lee will begin at 11 a.m.
7. Seasonal Biological Technician Positions at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area There are two positions open for Biological Technicians at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, St. Paul, which run from May/June through August/September. Special skills, knowledge, or abilities sought: The ability to lift carry, load and unload (with assistance) a canoe. Canoeing ability and knowledge is required. These positions primarily consist of outdoor work on a river and vegetated land/islands. There may be times when the weather becomes adverse while performing duties. A valid Driver’s License is required. Preferred academic background sought: Natural Resource majors with a background in ecology/forestry/botany/wildlife and related fields, or academic coursework on invasive species, wildlife conservation and natural resources desired. This position can be filled by upper level undergraduates or graduate students. The Park Headquarters is located in downtown St Paul. Employee would report for work daily at the headquarters office. The work primarily consists of identifying, inventorying and removing exotic/invasive plant species and conducting animal or plant surveys. Employee will carry out exotic plant control projects, such as buckthorn and garlic mustard removal, using a variety of techniques including herbicides, bio-control, cutting, digging or pulling. Island work sites and some animal/plant survey sites are reached via canoe on the Mississippi River. Employee might be requested to use a Global Positioning System (GPS) to record data. Employee will be required to follow instructions and standardized procedures to implement natural resource management projects, in addition to making field observations of natural resource conditions and recreational use. Public transportation (bus) is available and is extensively provided in the Minneapolis/St Paul metropolitan area. Employees are eligible for the Dept of Interior transportation subsidy, which covers the cost of using public transportation. Transportation needed for on the job duties is provided by the government through use of a government owned vehicle (GOV), Employee will need to complete a Driver’s Safety Training (provided by government, 2 hours) prior to driving the GOV. For information about the job duties contact: Nancy Duncan at 612-290-3030 x237 or nancy_duncan@nps.gov. For information about applying for the job. contact: Ruby Webster
8. Information Sessions for the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs The University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs is offering information sessions that may be of interest to you. These sessions cover their graduate programs in Public Policy (MPP) and Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) and will be held on the following dates:
The spring information session schedule can also be found here: http://www.hhh.umn.edu/admissions/request_information.html#calendar. The information session will take place in Room 205 Humphrey Center (Freeman Commons). Beverages and pizza will be served. Faculty and current students will speak briefly about each of our degree programs and will also be available to answer questions. Information sessions are free and open to the public. Space is limited, so please RSVP to: HHHadmit@umn.edu or via phone at 612-626-7229. You can also RSVP online at http://www2.hhh.umn.edu/forms/admissions_infosessions.html
9. Undergraduate Research and Graduate Research Fellowships Offered by the U.S. Department of Energy The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Global Change Education Program (GCEP) promotes undergraduate and graduate education/training in support of the DOE global change research activities. GCEP has two components as shown below:
Global change research encompasses a variety of technical areas including atmospheric sciences, ecology, global carbon cycles, climate modeling, and terrestrial processes. Since 2005, GCEP has focused attention on aerosols and their radiative effects in coordination with the change in the CCRD Atmospheric Science Program’s focus in atmospheric chemistry and physics. CCRD supports global change research through its Atmospheric Science Program (ASP), Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program ( ARM), Terrestrial Carbon Processes ( TCP), Program for Ecosystem Research ( PER), and the National Institute for Climate Change Research (NICCR). Currently, ASP and ARM research projects are examining aerosols and their radiative effects, and the formation of clouds and their impacts on climate, respectively. TCP and PERprojects are focused on understanding the terrestrial ecosystems and their effectiveness in sequestering carbon. Other studies address integrated assessments of Global Climate Change and Information Integration. For more details about GCEP-SURE and GCEP–GREF and to access electronic applications, please visit http://www.atmos.anl.gov/GCEP/. The application deadline is February 4, 2008. Contact Barbara Dunkin at 865-574-6440 or Barbara.dunkin@orau.org if you have questions.
10. Internships The following are new internship offerings:
Information about these internships can be found at: www.macalester.edu/environmentalstudies/currentinternships.htm
Any questions regarding this newsletter or to be removed from the mailing list, contact Ann Esson at esson@macalester.edu. |
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