The title of Dr. White's lecture is "Abrupt Change: Past, Present and Future".  The hard reality and silver lining in a sustainable future.

Abstract:

Climate, along with many parts of our environment, are changing as humans put more and more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.  With CO2 levels today around 400ppm and rising, levels which last occurred during much warmer times millions of years ago, it is clear that we are committed to even more climate change in the future, not only in our lifetimes, but well beyond our children's and grandchildren's lifetimes as well.  A key question is how changes will occur. Abrupt climate changes are those that exceed our expectations, preparedness, and ability to adapt.  Such changes challenge us economically, physically, and socially.  This talk will draw upon results from ice core research over the past twenty years, as well as a new NRC report on abrupt climate change in order to address abrupt change, as seen in the past in ice cores, as seen today in key environmental systems upon which humans depend, and what may be coming in the future.

The annual Stefansson Memorial Lecture is held under the auspices of the Stefansson Arctic Institute in Akureyri, Iceland. The Institute is named for the arctic explorer and anthropologist Vilhjalmur Stefansson (1879-1962) and actively carries his legacy in numerous ways through Arctic research in a wide variety of fields and disciplines.

This year's lecture will be held by Dr. James White who is a noted climate scientist working on abrupt climate change, sea ice and sea-level changes, and carbon cycles.  His research interests are broad but revolve around the use of environmental stable isotope ratios that tell us about paleoclimate, biogeochemistry, and global change.  He has been involved in reconstructing both the longest and the most high-resolution climate records obtained from ice cores. 

His work has been instrumental in showing that large climate changes tend to occur as abrupt shifts in mode, probably driven by internal adjustments in the Earth climate system (rather than gradual adjustments to changing external conditions like energy received from the sun).  Shifts of more than 10˚C in mean temperature in less than a human lifetime are common in the paleoclimate record, and serve as a warning that adaptation to future climate changes may not be easy.

Dr. White is a popular teacher as well as researcher, and regularly conducts courses and innovative programs that address human interactions with the environment.

Dr. White is Director and Fellow of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, Professor of Geological Sciences, and a Professor in the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Colorado Boulder.  According to Web of Science, he is one of the top 1% most highly cited authors in his field.  He received his PhD from Columbia University in 1983.

Whether you are attending university or learning from life itself, this is in no way your traditional internship or study abroad.  They don't have physical classrooms and fetch their own coffee.

Their mission is to give interns the opportunity to awaken and pursue their professional and personal passions through hands-on learning.  Their ultimate vision, our goal, is to transform educational standards and be the leading pioneers in experiential education.

They have 7 programs based around your interests:

• Agriculture based in Kalu Yala
• Biology based in Kalu Yala
• Business and Entrepreneurship based in Panama City
• Education and Community Outreach based in San Miguel
• Farm to Table Culinary Arts based in Kalu Yala
• Health and Wellness based in San Miguel
• Outdoor Recreation based in Kalu Yala

Mile High Youth Corps is hiring for two Corpsmember positions for next year!  The AmeriCorps Leadership & Conservation (ACLC) program and our Energy & Water program will both begin on January 26th.  These programs provide youth 18-24 with the opportunity to earn a living stipend and $$ for college (through an AmeriCorps Education award), gain job skills, education and build technical skills, while serving your community.  

The ACLC program runs from January 26-December 11, 2015 allowing students to earn $5,645 for college and earn a $640 biweekly living stipend. The Energy & Water program runs from January 26-June 26, 2015 allowing students to earn $2,150 for college and a $576 biweekly living stipend.

Energy and Water Conservation  

This is a five-month program from Jan 26-June 26 during which Corpsmembers provide water and energy efficiency measures to low-income households and nonprofit facilities.  Corpsmembers work on small crews, serve in their own community, and gain the skills and training necessary for careers in the green industry.  Corpsmembers install compact fluorescent light bulbs, aerators, programmable thermostats, low-flow showerheads and high-efficiency toilets.  These members also educate residents and community members on the environmental and financial benefits of conservation.

AmeriCorps Leadership & Conservation  

This is an eleven-month program from Jan 26 - Dec 11 during which Corpsmembers participate in different environmental conservation activities as well as plan and leas service projects, facilitate education and team-building activities, and engage in community outreach and physical labor.  This is a demanding, team-based, leadership development program.

Wolverine and Winter Recreation Research Technician

Jackson, WY, Driggs & McCall, ID

January 2 - March 30, 2015 

Housing provided and a $600/mo. stipend  

CUBIC is specifically tailored to provide non-business juniors, seniors and recent graduates with a critical understanding of business fundamentals.  The certificate program serves to complement participants' CU education by bolstering their knowledge of business practices and strategies, expanding their use of business terminology, and sharpening their understanding through real-world scenarios in everyday business experiences. Participants delve into major areas of business education: Accounting, Business and Government, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Leadership & Management, Marketing, Personal Finance, Operations, and Social Responsibility.  Students will have the unique opportunity to apply business theories and tools learned in CUBIC to a Vail Resorts cohesion case.  In addition, students participate in approximately 15 hours of career development activities, such as effective job searching, interviewing, r�sum� and cover letter writing and receive a r�sum� critique with local HR experts.     

Throughout the three weeks, students will be a part of an entrepreneurial team project in which they will create a business plan for a new business venture or product, which will be presented to a judges panel of business professionals on the last day of class. 

Now thru January 1, 2015, CUBIC is offering an early-bird discount of 15%.  This can be paired with the A&S student discount of 5%, creating a 20% discount  (students can enter the code "AS" to receive the additional 5% off their registration).  The early-bird discount will automatically be applied if they register prior to January 1, 2015.

To learn more about this program please contact Jessica Baumgarten or visit the CUBIC website. 

The 2015 Colorado Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF) will be held April 9-11, 2015.  Judging for the CSEF will take place from 9am-5:30pm on Thursday, April 9th at the Lory Student Center at Colorado State University. 

The success of the CSEF depends in a huge part on the quality of the judges who volunteer to judge the approximately 400 projects from the 6th-12th grades in 12 different categories (undergraduate students can serve as judges for the Junior Division, grades 6-8).  A description of the categories can be found by clicking here. 

To view the Grand Awards Judging page, please click here. 

For questions, contact:

Nancy Glissmann
Grand Awards Judging Coordinator
GrandAwardsCSEF@gmail.com
303-817-4271