EES NEWSLETTER
WEEK OF DECEMBER 3, 2024
INSTRUCTIONAL TRACK FACULTY CANDIDATE TALKS THIS WEEK
CANDIDATE: Tuesday, December 3, 3:30 - 4:30PM, PBB S121 (Pappajohn Business Building) - General Seminar
CANDIDATE: Friday, December 6, 3:30 - 4:30PM, TH 125 (Trowbridge Hall) - General Seminar
Reminders
- Single thesis deposit due by 5pm CST: 12/9
- Close of classes: 12/13
- Final exam week: 12/16 -12/20
- Fall Commencement: 12/191 - 12/22/2024
- Winter Break: 12/21/2024 - 12/20/2025
EES / GSS CANDIDATE MEET AND GREETS
Student Commons (109 TH) will be temporarily closed on the following dates and times for ESS and GSS grad students to meet with faculty candidates. Graduate students are strongly encouraged to attend these informal sessions.
12/6/2024: 1:30 - 2:15PM - Instructional Track Faculty Candidate
12/10/2024: 9 - 9:45AM - Instructional Track Faculty Candidate
12/12/2024: 11:15AM - 12:00PM - Instructional Track Faculty Candidate
12/17/2024: 9:45 - 10:30AM - Instructional Track Faculty Candidate
END OF SEMESTER GRADUATION CELEBRATION FALL 2024
The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences is celebrating the graduation of undergraduate students and the end of the semester! You are all invited to join us on December 11th from 4:30 to 6 PM in Trowbridge Hall, main floor. There will be food available!
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
PROFESSIONAL / POST-GRAD
TENURE TRACK ASSISTANT PROFESSOR - WAYNE STATE UNIVERISTY - DETROIT, MI
The Department of Environmental Science and Geology at Wayne State University invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in August 2025. We are calling for candidates with expertise in hydrology (including surface water hydrology, hydrogeology, and ecohydrology), climate science, urban waters, or related fields, but welcome qualified applicants in other fields of environmental and earth science. A successful candidate will have a PhD in their field, effective communication and teaching skills, and a record of scholarship that indicates that they will establish an internationally recognized, externally funded research program. They will also be positioned to complement existing departmental and program strengths in environmental geochemistry, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, population ecology, tectonics, and geophysics and contribute to our vibrant undergraduate and master’s programs. Preference is placed on candidates doing quantitative and/or interdisciplinary research.
Wayne State (WSU) is a Carnegie R1 research university in the center of Detroit. Its urban setting and proximity to the Great Lakes make for unique opportunities in the areas of environmental science and hydrology. The Environmental Science and Geology faculty regularly work across disciplines including collaborations with Civil and Environmental Engineering, Urban Planning, Biology, and the School of Medicine, in addition to institutional partnerships with the NOAA, Michigan Dept. of EGLE (Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy), Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources, USGS, and others. WSU was recently designated as a United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development jointly with University of Windsor, the first cross-border RCE in the Americas. WSU also maintains a strong interdisciplinary focus on environmental health. Opportunities for funding and collaboration include the NIEHS-funded Center for Leadership in Environmental Awareness and Research (CLEAR), the WSU One Health Initiative, and the Healthy Urban Waters program. High quality research support services are available to faculty through the Lumigen Instrument Center.
Please submit your application materials at hr.wayne.edu (job posting number is req2374).The application materials include: i) a cover letter; ii) complete curriculum vitae; iii) a statement about teaching describing prior experience, teaching philosophy and the list of courses the candidate want to teach or develop; iv) a statement of research describing past scholarly contributions and future research directions; v) a statement describing experience and vision for enhancing participation of underrepresented groups in environmental science and geology; and vi) names and contact information for at least 3 references. The review of applications will begin on December 1, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled. For additional information, contact the Search Committee Chair, Scott Burdick (sburdick@wayne.edu) or Department Chair, Sarah Brownlee (sarah.brownlee@wayne.edu).
The College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida (USF) invites applications from Geological Oceanographers or Marine Geophysicists whose research compliments the strengths of the current faculty. We seek a hypothesis-driven scientist who uses a process-based approach to understand problems central to the ocean and its connections within Earth’s systems, past, present, and future. The candidate will use innovative tools/techniques of multi-disciplinary science to investigate the effects of environmental change (e.g., sea level change, ocean-cryosphere interactions, marine geohazards, etc.) over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. Successful candidates may take advantage of national and international initiatives in blue economy/green transition, scientific ocean drilling, subduction zone 4D, etc.
Candidates will be selected on the basis of their potential to conduct transformative research within their discipline, their productivity with respect to peer reviewed publications, acquisition of external research funding, potential for outstanding mentoring and teaching, and commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive working environment. The successful candidate is expected to contribute to core courses in oceanography and teach specialty courses at the graduate level.
Minimum Requirements: Must have a Ph.D. in a relevant scientific discipline at the time of hire, with research experience in the field of Geological Oceanography or Marine Geophysics.
Preferred qualifications: We are seeking innovative and interdisciplinary scholars capable of interacting with colleagues across a range of related oceanography/marine science disciplines within the academy, industry, and government.
For the Assistant Professor rank, candidates should have a record of scholarly products and demonstrate potential for an exemplary career of creative work and scholarly publication, demonstrate potential for acquisition of extramural research funding, exhibit a commitment to exemplary instruction and mentoring of graduate students, and demonstrate a culture of high ethics and service to their professional community and the public.
For the Associate Professor/ Professor ranks, candidates should have an outstanding record of research, including a substantive publication and other scholarly product record, evidence of success in obtaining extramural research funding, a commitment to exemplary instruction and mentoring of graduate students, and demonstrate a culture of high ethics and service to their professional community and the public.
Contact: For information regarding the available position, please contact Dr. Amelia Shevenell (ashevenell@usf.edu; 727-512-5060) or Tim Trowbridge (ttrowbridge@usf.edu; 727-553-3375).
Application procedures: Please submit requested documents through the USF Careers recruitment system here.
Please submit the following documents:
1. Cover letter stating qualifications (one page maximum).
2. Research statement that describes the focus and impact of current and future research (three-page maximum).
3. Statement of teaching and student mentoring philosophy; include potential USF-CMS teaching contributions (two-page maximum).
4. Service and community engagement statement (two-page maximum).
5. Curriculum vitae.
6. Contact information for three referees.
This position will be open until filled; however, priority review of applications will begin by January 3, 2025. Appointment is expected to commence in Fall 2025.
DIRECTOR OF THE BENESKI MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY - AMHERST COLLEGE, DEPT. OF GEOLOGY - AMHERST, MA
Amherst College invites applications for the Director of the Beneski Museum of Natural History position. The Director is a full-time, year-round position, starting at $103,000 per year and commensurate with experience. The College seeks a visionary and dynamic leader to join our community to head this unique institution, homed in a small liberal-arts school - a place where science, history, and education come alive.
The Beneski Museum of Natural History holds over 200,000 paleontological and geological specimens (with additional anthropological, osteological, and taxidermy collections) amassed over the research history of the College. Perhaps our most charismatic materials lie in the Hitchcock dinosaur trackway (ichnology) collection. The Beneski Museum has three floors of exhibition galleries, secure on-site and off-site collections storage, and a conservation lab. The staff includes two full-time positions: the Head of Collections & Operations, and the Museum Educator. The museum receives about 23,500 visitors annually, with an additional 6,000 K-12 school/college/community educational group visits, and the museum typically hosts a dozen short-term visiting researchers each year. The Museum is free and open to the public.
Reporting directly to the Provost and Dean of the Faculty, the Beneski Museum Director will serve as the chief administrator and science director of the Museum of Natural History. The Director is responsible for overall leadership, strategic planning, and ensuring that the operation of the Museum is consistent with the mission of the Museum and the mission of Amherst College. To do this, the Director establishes policies, procedures, and sets both day-to-day and long-term priorities. The Director supervises staff, administers the Museum budget and its modest endowment, and seeks grant funding. The Director provides broad oversight of all collections-based activities, including support for digital documentation initiatives. With institutional support, the Director will play a key role in moving the Museum beyond the baseline compliance threshold of NAGPRA. The Director will advance engagement with the Museum and its collections by promoting research opportunities, overseeing meaningful gallery interpretation and temporary exhibits, and organizing public and educational programs. The Director leads communications efforts and serves as the spokesperson and chief advocate for the Museum as a resource.
The Director will work with students, faculty, and staff to take appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce, and to participate in the College’s efforts to create a respectful and inclusive work environment. The Director ensures that the Museum is a welcoming environment for Museum visitors of all ages and backgrounds, for research professionals from around the world, and for Amherst and Five College students and staff who are diverse in matters of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, political outlook, and religion. The Director will collaborate closely with the College’s Department of Geology, which shares the Beneski Building and offers expertise in the collections and their history. This position will develop relationships across the campus with many academic departments, the College’s Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAMS) community, as well as the region’s Museums10 Five-College collective.
REQUIRED CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS:
- MS or PhD in a field of Earth Science or Biology. A concentration in Vertebrate Paleontology is preferred.
- Three (PhD) to five (MS) or more years of progressively responsible experience in natural history museum administration, or a comparable depth of experience in the use and administration of natural history museum collections.
- Demonstrated knowledge of standards and best practices for natural history museums.
- Experience that demonstrates
- strong time management skills and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects.
- success in supervision and development of staff and in the establishment of a collegial working environment.
- the ability to work cooperatively and diplomatically with a wide range of others.
- success in securing external grants and overseeing their administration.
Interested candidates are asked to submit a C.V, a cover letter, and the names of three professional references online at https://amherst.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Amherst_Jobs.
Please be sure to upload all requested documents prior to clicking Submit. Applications cannot be revised once submitted. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
INTERNSHIP, RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, & GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
INTERNSHIP
WATERSHED AND GEOLOGY PROGRAM ASSISTANT - GEOCORPS AMERICA - ROANOKE, VA
The GeoCorps participant will support multiple programs including watershed, soil, and geology for the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests (GWJ). The Geoscientists in Forests (GSF) participant will primarily be working with the Forest Geologist, Soil Scientist, and Hydrologist.
Under the Geology Program, the GeoCorps participant will conduct inventory and monitoring of abandoned mine lands (AML), karst resources and geologic hazards. Duties will include conducting field assessments and monitoring throughout the national forest. Underground entry for conducting cave health assessments will be part of these duties. Additional duties may include project management of specific reclamation projects along with fossil location and identification. The intern will work under the guidance of the Forest Geologist. All field work will rely on topographic maps and satellite imagery to assist in determining where pertinent resources are located and through use of LiDAR, accurately document resource concerns and follow up action items or remediation needs.
Under the Watershed Program (i.e., soils, hydrology, air/climate), the intern will inventory and assess risks to surface water quality, groundwater, groundwater dependent ecosystems, and stream habitat. The intern will field verify and map the water resource, and assess the hydrogeologic setting, soils and vegetation, land use, etc. Other needs include conducting stream classifications, spring and karst inventories, as well as monitoring of project implementation and best management practices effectiveness. The participant will field verify and map springs/seeps and may collect flow data, water chemistry, aquatic life, etc. The intern will also use a variety of protocols to monitor best management practices and overall soil and watershed conditions, and stream health.
The position will require a brief training by USFS personnel to become familiar with the applicable regulations and dynamics of hydrology and geology related projects and environmental impacts that occur on the ground. The position duration will be a minimum 12 weeks, with potential for the project to be extended for 4 additional weeks. This position requires long hours in the field, safety awareness when driving and hiking over rough terrain in all types of weather, as well as knowledge of data management and report writing.
This project is offered through the Geological Society of America’s GeoCorps America Program, in partnership with Lands, Minerals, and Geology at the USDA Forest Service National Headquarters.
Goals, outcomes, and deliverables:
By the end of the project, the participant will have produced a suite of products including summary reports of findings with accompanying photos and geospatial and tabular data that provides location and attributes of watershed resources, AML, and Karst, as well as identified risks to these resources. Reports will include recommended corrective action or Best Management Practices to mitigate risks to identified risks to watershed resources, AML, and Karst.
Qualifications: Relevant coursework in geology, geomorphology, hydrology, and mineralogy are preferred. The participant should be able to work independently or as part of a team, both in the field and in the office. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent legal resident (Green Card holder). Prior to starting this position, the participant will need to pass a background check.
Vehicle / Driver's License Requirement (If applicable): A personal vehicle is required or for personal errands, for travel between housing and the work site, and for exploring the area independently during time off. Applicants must have a valid U.S. driver’s license and a good driving record.
Position Dates: Winter/Spring 2025 (start/end dates flexible)
Position Duration: 12 weeks
Hourly Wage: $15.00/hour
Housing Details: Government housing is not available. A housing stipend will be provided, and the candidates will be encouraged to apply for their own short-term housing.
If you have questions about the application and selection process, please contact the GeoCorps program at geocorps@geosociety.org. If you have questions about any aspect of the position — description, qualifications, housing, dates — please direct them to the contact(s) listed in the project description. Remember, application materials can only be submitted online. The project contact(s) will not accept application materials sent to them via e-mail, mail, fax, etc. See the full program details at the GeoCorps homepage.
PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION
Robert Ballard
Soil Scientist
5162 Valleypointe Pkwy
Roanoke, VA 24019
(928) 403-2559
RESEARCH
GEORGIA TECH EAS REU PROGRAM - SUMMER 2025
The School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) at Georgia Tech is now accepting applications for our Summer 2025 REU program. Please share this information along with the attached flyer with your students.
The program is 10 weeks long, starting on Sunday, May 18th, 2025 and ending on Friday, July 25th, 2025. The application is due Saturday, February 15th, 2025.
This REU program is designed for undergraduate students interested in acquiring research experiences within one or more of the following fields - note that students do not have to have any prior experience within these fields to be eligible for our research program:
·Atmospheric Chemistry
- Dynamics of Weather and Climate
- Biogeochemistry
- Geophysics
- Oceanography and Climate
- Paleoclimate
- Space and Planetary Science
- Remote Sensing
Selected participants will receive a $7,000 stipend along with housing on campus throughout the duration of the 10-week program.
To apply, please visit EAS REU website: https://easreu.eas.gatech.edu/
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Zachry Handlos: zachary.handlos@eas.gatech.edu
FELLOWSHIP
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER - THONIS FAMILY - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY - SYRACUSE, NY
Job Description: The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Syracuse University (https://earthsciences.syr.edu/) seeks applicants for the inaugural Thonis Family Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. We seek an exceptional early career scientist from across the spectrum of geoscience research represented by the faculty in EES. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact possible faculty mentors and clearly identify them in their required application materials. The fellowship is initially awarded for one year and subject to renewal for a maximum of two years. A modest amount of funding is available for relocation expenses. Additional funding will be available for research expenses that includes conference support.
Qualifications: Ph.D. in the Geosciences
Job Specific Qualifications: Strong quantitative and/or analytical/laboratory skills consistent with the specific subdiscipline in the geosciences for which the applicant earned their degree. Written and oral communication skills must be excellent for career stage and applicants should have one or more first author, peer-reviewed publications in high quality international journals.
Responsibilities: Designing and executing a research plan in consultation with faculty in EES that includes the publication of results in peer-reviewed journals. Mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students. Participating in the weekly disciplinary seminars most closely affiliated with their research interests. When and where applicable, aid their research group in proposal development.
To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/5803053
UPCOMING EVENTS
CAMPUS EVENTS
LIFE SCIENCE VENDOR SHOW – BIOLOGY BUILDING EAST – 12/4/2024 11:30AM – 1:00PM
Join the Biology Department for FREE PIZZA at the Life Science Vendor Show on Wednesday, December 4, from 11:30am–1:00pm in Room 106, Biology Building East (BBE)
WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING IN THE WEEKLY EES NEWSLETTER?
The EES Department newsletter is published every Tuesday during the academic year, outside of semester breaks. If you would like to add an event, club meeting, or other item of interest, please submit an email to clas-ees@uiowa.edu, with the subject heading "Newsletter item," on Fridays by noon, and your submission will be added to the following Tuesday's newsletter.
Thank You & Have a Great Week!