Seminar 3/7-Manure Happens: The Consequences of Feeding Seven Billion Human Carnivores

UF Water Institute Distinguished Scholar Seminar [Co-sponsored by the Soil and Water Science Department]

Speaker: Dr. Eric A. Davidson
Professor and Director, Appalachian Laboratory
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
http://www.umces.edu/al/people/edavidson

Title: Manure Happens: The Consequences of Feeding Seven Billion Human Carnivores
Date: March 7, 2016
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Emerson Alumni Hall, Room 209

Lead Field Operations/Instrumentation Specialist-Full time position

Archbold Biological Station (ABS; www.archbold-station.org), through its Division, the MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center (MAERC; www.maerc.org), is seeking a Lead Field Operations/Instrumentation Specialist. Archbold operates a full scale working cattle ranch at MAERC, which provides a unique platform for long-term agro-ecology research.

The position is located at MAERC, a 10,500-acre cattle ranch near Lake Placid, FL, with housing available on site. This is a full-time permanent position. 

The Lead Field Operations/Instrumentation Specialist will be responsible for installing, operating and maintaining, programming, and troubleshooting several types of environmental monitoring equipment (including pressure transducers, autosamplers, rain gauges, weather stations, lake buoy, phenocams and eddy covariance towers) on MAERC and at the Station, and several other ranches in the area. The position will also be responsible for uploading data and metadata QAQC, maintaining databases, and reporting as needed.

The position requires a Bachelor’s, with 5 year’s experience or Master’s degree with 1-2 year’s experience in hydrology, environmental/electrical engineering, environmental science, or related field.

For a complete job description contact Robin at rsnyder@ufl.edu

Invitation to The Crossroads Project: Rising Tide on February 23

The Crossroads Project is a partnership between science and art that aims to blend performance art with one of the great conversation of our time — human civilization’s growing unsustainability and the quest for truly meaningful response. Blending compelling and poetic science, evocative imagery and powerful music, Rising Tide unfolds in a series of vignettes exploring both natural and human systems, and juxtaposing two very different paradigms. The result is an inspiring and deeply personal contemplation of the paths before us. A Q&A session will follow the performance. The event is free and open to the public but tickets are required. Tickets can be reserved through www.eventbrite.com.

The Gainesville performance is supported by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs; Frank 2016; UF Center for Adaptive Innovation, Resilience, Ethics & Science; UF Center for the Humanities and the Pubic Sphere; UF College of the Arts; UF College of Journalism and Communications; UF Department of Biology; UF IFAS; UF Office of Sustainability; and UF Student Government. To learn more, visit www.thecrossroadsproject.org. Join the conversation online by using #thecrossroadsproject.

2016 Graduate Student Grant Call for Proposals Now Open

The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has released the 2016 Call for Proposals for Graduate Student Grants.

Graduate Student Grants are one of the few sustainable agriculture research funding opportunities open to Ph.D. and Master’s students at accredited institutions in the Southern region.

Proposal submission deadline is May 6, 2016 at 5:00 PM. EST. Download the Call for Proposals on the Southern SARE website and carefully read the proposal application instructions. All of the guidelines, program goals, review criteria, and the submission process to apply for a Southern SARE Graduate Student Grant can be found within the Call for Proposals.

Research projects that address issues of sustainable agriculture of current and potential importance to the Southern region are eligible for submission. Maximum funds awarded for projects are $11,000 for up to three years work on the student’s project.

Visit the Southern SARE website for additional information on Graduate Student Grants. Grant awards are announced in late August. Visit the Southern SARE website for more information on sustainable agriculture and other grant funding opportunities.

CLS LeadUF Facilitator - applications available

The Center for Leadership and Service is recruiting UF faculty, staff, and graduate students to serve as facilitators for the Spring 2016 LeadUF Retreat. Facilitator Applications are OPEN.

To register, click here or visit Lead UF Facilitator page for more information: http://www.leadershipandservice.ufl.edu/programs/leaduf/leaduf_facilitators

The first ever LeadUF Retreat will be held Friday, April 29th to Monday, May 1st at Camp Blanding. It is free of charge for participants and facilitators. The retreat will cover all materials, food, and sleeping accommodations. LeadUF is a two and a half-day overnight retreat providing students a chance to learn and practice leadership in the context of working with others. Through the retreat, students and facilitators will focus on Group Dynamics, Learning from Failure, Social Justice, Giving and Receiving Feedback, Conflict Management, Communication and Ethics.

Contact Taylor Stokes at taylors@leadershipandservice.ufl.edu for inquiries.

UF Engineering Leadership Institute’s annual summit is March 8th – REGISTER NOW

MARCH 8, 2016 • J. WAYNE REITZ UNION We invite you to join the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and the preeminent women of the Committee of 200 (C200) at the C200 STEM Outreach Event and Leadership Summit for a discussion on the role of women in technology and STEM and the power to lead the next generation of innovative solutions for a better society. C200 is a membership organization of the world’s most successful women entrepreneurs and corporate innovators. C200 has more than 400 members who collectively generate more than $1.4 trillion in annual revenues. Why attend? • Learn practical strategies for career and personal advancement. The women business leaders from C200 will engage students, alumni, faculty and friends in discussions about leadership, STEM education, and transforming the future. • Be inspired by real stories of women who have reimagined their roles in the workplace; take a journey as they share the pivotal moments – the good and the bad – in their lives that led them to defy the odds and reinvent what it means to be a leader. • Be Transformed. Ask your most pressing questions about the role of women in the technology workforce, the benefits of building diverse and inclusive work environments, the art of managing work-life balance, and much more in six dynamic sessions throughout the day. During lunch, you will have the chance to interact directly with C200’s incredible female leaders. Register Now Join the Conversation Keynote speakers • Linda Hudson, UF Distinguished Alumnus and CEO, The Cardea Group • Tanya Fratto, Board Member, Boart Longyear, Smiths Group, American Drainage Systems (ADS) • Shellye Archambeau, CEO, MetricStream Event rates are available • Hilton UF Conference Center • Residence Inn Gainesville I-75 Ask for the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering block when reserving. About the UF Engineering Summit The UF Engineering Summit has been organized annually by the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering since 2010. Under alternating themes of leadership and innovation, the summit is where engineering alumni, faculty members and students, alongside world-renowned thought leaders, connect and engage to inspire new ways of approaching and solving problems. Register Now Join the Conversation

Invitation to SISE 2016: Nexus in Chicago - opportunity for student, interns

The University of Illinois at Chicago presents the 6th Annual Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy.

The SISE Program

The Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy (SISE) is a two-week intensive workshop and lecture series for students and professionals. From August 4-16, a diverse body of participants will engage a broad spectrum of energy and sustainability-related topics through daily presentations, collaborative projects, mentoring activities, site visits, and networking opportunities with leading research institutions and companies in the digital technology and energy sectors. The issues presented will be of interest to scientists, economists, political scientists, urban planners, engineers, architects, and entrepreneurs. Graduates leave as thoughtful and informed global citizens with a firm foundation and expanded network for careers in sustainability, energy, and smart technology and infrastructure.

2016 Theme: Nexus

Water and energy have long been thought of--and addressed as--two separate issues. With the advent of systems thinking, life cycle assessment, and similar strategies for interdisciplinary analysis, the connection between water and energy has only recently been fully acknowledged. This nexus will be challenged in the coming decades as a result of 1) a growing world population, 2) the need to cultivate more food, 3) a dwindling supply of available water resources, and 4) unforeseen disasters as result of climate change. It is important for energy and sustainability-minded professionals, and all future decision makers, to become fluent in the issues surrounding the nexus, and to work together to implement innovative solutions in the decades to come.

SISE will 1) explore the relationship between energy and water with an eye towards environmental and agricultural impacts; 2) explore the the use of water, especially in energy extraction (fracking) and generation; and 3) highlight the role of the grid in energy issues, emphasizing three specific areas: smart grid, storage for the grid, and the distribution of energy. Participants will consider where the United States is to date, potential solutions, and obstacles and opportunities for each path moving forward.

Now Accepting Applications

Admission into the program is highly competitive, drawing from a national pool of applicants. Participants can expect lodging for the duration of the 2-week program. Many participants will receive partial support for travel costs.

Senior-level undergraduates (as of the fall of 2016), graduate students, and professionals working in the fields of sustainability and energy who are living, working, or studying in the United States are eligible to apply. An online application, a resume, and two letters of reference are required. Applications will be accepted through July 1, 2016. More information is provided on the SISE website. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Thomas Aláan (uic.sise.admissions@gmail.com) SISE Program Coordinator.

Website: http://sise.uic.edu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uic.sise

AGR Fundraiser 2/11 - Come eat BBQ to benefit Dance Marathon!

The brothers of Alpha Gamma Rho are hosting a fundraising night at David's Real Pit BBQ located at 521 NE 23rd Ave next Thursday, February 11th, with all proceeds going towards Dance Marathon here at the University of Florida! David’s has generously agreed to donate 15% of their revenue from the night to DM.

For those of who you don’t know, Dance Marathon here at the University of Florida is a year long fundraising effort and culminates in the spring for the annual marathon, where UF students remain on their feet for 26.2 hours. The whole idea is we go out and stand for those kids who are spending days/months/year in hospitals and can’t!  All money raised goes toward our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, UF Health Shands right here in Gainesville.

DM is the largest student run philanthropy in the Southeast, and since 1995 has raised over $10 million dollars for the kids at UF Health Shands. We would love for anyone and everyone to come out and enjoy some smoked ribs For The Kids!

Invitation for One World 2016

ONE WORLD brings university communities, industry partners, policy makers, and community members together for one reason – to create solutions that will save our world. In the year 2050 our population is projected to exceed 9.6 billion people. How do we live together, feed ourselves, and protect the planet? ONE WORLD answers these questions by asking college students to take on our global challenge. On February 19th, 2016, six student innovators will share their perspectives with industry leaders and change-makers on the University of Florida campus and around the world via live stream. Register below to join the conversation and play your part in creating solutions. This collaborative event is free and open to the public, held from 8:30AM –2:00PM at the University Auditorium. Register today at http://oneworld.challenge2050.org/.

2016 Florida Statewide Graduate Student Research Symposium

The Florida Statewide Graduate Student Research Symposium is drawing near! The University of Florida’s Graduate School is honored to coordinate this year’s event, previously hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF).  The symposium will be held on April 22^nd, 2016, from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM in the Touchdown Terrace. 

 We are requesting your help as the Graduate School selects students to represent UF.

 Graduate student participation has to be endorsed by each College’s Dean office.  We recommend that the students are selected from those that have won a university, college, departmental level or national research competition. The poster session will be judged by Deans and other Graduate faculty and representatives from each institution.

Important points:

1.       The Dean’s office of your college must submit the sponsored students names, emails, dissertation topic and the name of the award(s) to Ms. Britney Sheffield at bsheffield@aa.ufl.edu.

2.       All students names who are submitted will not necessarily be selected to participate. This event requires that each participating university’s Graduate School Dean make the final selection.  Therefore, it is Dean Frierson who will make the final decision for UF.

3.       This is a competition and the number of students selected from UF will be comparable to the other competing universities.  Last year, UF sent 14 students.

Upon selection, each student will be contacted to continue their portion of the registration process. 

Please complete step 1 by Monday, February 22, 2016 by 5:00 PM.

If you have questions concerning the Florida Statewide Graduate Student Research Symposium please contact the Division of Graduate Student Affairs at ogmp@ufl.edu or at 352-392-6444.

Forage Systems - PhD Grad Assistantship lead - Sum A start -