The GCC WEEKLY | March 12, 2024 | |
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GCC Community Members Showcase Science Communication Skills with Recent NPR Interviews!
Several members of the Global Change Community recently showcased their science communication skills through NPR interviews. WVTF's Radio IQ conducted interviews with GCC faculty affiliates Ashley Dayer and Leighton Reid, as well as IGC Alum Vasiliy Lakoba. Ashley Dayer discussed the rapid declines in North America's bird population, while Leighton Reid spoke about a project aiming to increase the availability of native plant seeds in the southern Piedmont area of Virginia. Vasiliy Lakoba shared insights into his work at the American Chestnut Foundation's primary research orchards in Meadowview.
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Talk of Interest – Woven Wisdoms
Attend "Woven Wisdoms" on March 25th from 3:00-4:00 pm ET, a lecture by Bonnie Newsom, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Faculty Associate at the Climate Change Institute, and Co-PI at the Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledge and Science at the University of Maine. Newsom's talk will discuss the integration of Indigenous Knowledge and western science in addressing climate change. The event will offer a virtual attendance option, registration required.
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Yesá Culture through Food, Language, & Sacred Places
Join the Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation for a virtual presentation TODAY March 12th from 2:00-3:00 pm ET. Featuring speakers Victoria Persinger Ferguson, Desiree Shelley Flores, and Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, this event explores the cultural revitalization efforts of the Yesá community, focusing on traditional food practices, language preservation, and protection of sacred sites. Register on their website for more information.
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Broadening Participation: 2024 MPS Workshop for New Investigators
An in-person workshop is scheduled from July 7-9, 2024, at the Westin Alexandria Old Town, Alexandria, VA, organized by the University of Florida in collaboration with the NSF Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). This workshop targets new and prospective Principal Investigators, including assistant professors and exceptional postdocs interested in academic careers. The workshop aims to provide valuable insights into NSF policies, procedures, and funding opportunities, as well as to familiarize participants with the proposal review process through mock proposals and panel sessions.
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Neuroscience Conference to be Hosted at Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech School of Neuroscience warmly invites undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and faculty from all institutions in Virginia and the surrounding region to attend and present at the Central Virginia Society for Neuroscience (CVCSN) 2024 on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Blacksburg, VA. Come and hear about the latest neuroscience research from our region! Plenary talks will be given by Dr. Sarah Blythe (Washington and Lee University), Dr. Maged Harraz (University of Maryland School of Medicine), and Dr. Katie Schretter (Janelia Research Campus).
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Sydney Hope
Fish and Wildlife Conservation
| Sydney Hope, an alumna of the Interfaces of Global Change program, updates us on her postdoctoral research in Thailand with a 'Postcard from the Field.' Last year, Hope started a postdoctoral position at Hunter College (City University of New York – CUNY) in the Comparative Cognition for Conservation Lab, led by Joshua Plotnik. The lab's primary focus is understanding Asian elephant cognition and its applications in conservation efforts. During her time at Virginia Tech, Hope worked in Bill Hopkins' lab, and she graduated with her PhD from the Department of Fish and Wildlife Science in December 2019. | |
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The Restoration Ecology Working Group is Hosting a Summit on 4/12
Plan to attend the Ecological and Biocultural Restoration Summit at the University Club in Blacksburg, Virginia, on April 12, 2024. This all-day event will feature engaging seminars from Alexandra Sutton Lawrence and Marcus Briggs-Cloud, along with other leaders in the field, as well as facilitated discussions about challenging restoration questions and how we can address those challenges through interdisciplinary research and capacity building at Virginia Tech. Please RSVP by March 22, 2024.
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FLSI Summer STEM Camps
The Fralin Life Sciences Institute on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg Campus, in collaboration with 4-H, is running six week-long, half-day STEM Summer Camps. Designed for children aged 9-12, these week-long sessions run Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12 pm and offer engaging activities in Geology, Horticulture, and Engineering. Secure your child's spot now for one of the six sessions throughout the summer, with scholarships available for eligible families.
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2024 Grad Education Week
Graduate Education Week highlights the importance of graduate education, increases the university community's awareness of the contributions of graduate students to teaching, research, and service, and enhances the grad student experience through professional development programs and celebratory events. This week-long celebration offers opportunities to all members of the university community to be involved with graduate education.
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Researchers Receive NSF Grant for Long-term Data Research
A team of Virginia Tech researchers, including GCC faculty affiliates, Cayelan Carey and Quinn Thomas, have secured a five-year National Science Foundation grant to enhance real-time data collection for predicting ecosystem futures, particularly in Roanoke's freshwater reservoirs. The team aims to develop an open-source automated forecasting system, leveraging the reservoirs as a testbed for exploring new data collection methods. This initiative marks a significant step towards scaling and disseminating ecological monitoring data globally, contributing to the advancement of environmental science.
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Xia Named Associate Director of VA Agricultural Experiment Station
GCC faculty affiliate, Kang Xia, in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, has been appointed as the associate director of the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station after serving as interim associate director. Since 2012, Xia, also the director of the Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture, has been a faculty member in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, where she has developed an internationally recognized environmental chemistry program. Her extensive scholarly contributions and leadership experience position her well to serve the community and support faculty aspirations within CALS.
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Do you have an opportunity or announcement you'd like to share with the GCC community? Send us an email!
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