Professional Development from ESA

Get your professional development from your professional society! Beginning in fall 2023, ESA is adding scientific, technical and professional virtual content as a benefit to members and certified ecologists, and a resource for the community. While we ramp up to full capacity and resource, keep note of this page and our webinars schedule — and your email inbox — for opportunities to gain valuable skills at a fraction of the cost you’ll find elsewhere. And as always, ESA members save the most!

Please be aware that registration will be closed 1 hour before the event.

Learn the hows and whys of this program on the blog

Upcoming Sessions

Visual Storytelling Using MS PowerPoint: Tips, Tricks and Best Practices for the Visual Components of Your Next Presentation

Crafting an effective scientific presentation requires a diverse set of skills, including familiarity with MS PowerPoint features, creating visually appealing slides, developing a cohesive visual style, and commanding and directing audience members’ attention – and that’s just the visual component of presentations! This workshop aims to help participants develop a clear, unique style through critical analysis of others’ presentations. After this workshop, participants should be able to use PowerPoint as an art medium to craft narratives and convey ideas through color, iconography, and design. Prior to the workshop, participants are invited to prepare up to three slides on which they would most like to receive constructive feedback.

• Who is this for?: Anyone looking to enhance their visual presentations, especially if presenting at the ESA Annual Meeting or a similar scientific conference. Graduate students working on capstones or their dissertation defense may find it particularly useful, as can professionals who feel they have more to learn about PowerPoint features or visual storytelling.
• Career Level: Any career level, however, students and early career ecologists may find it more beneficial. 
• Prerequisite Education or Experience: This workshop assumes a basic familiarity with MS PowerPoint. Participants should have created a PowerPoint presentation at least once in the past.

May 14, 2024, 2:00-4:00 PM ET

Participation worth 0.5 CEU toward ESA recertification in Category I(b) 

REGISTER

Tips and Tricks for a Successful Poster Presentation

Gain confidence in your poster presentation skills with this interactive workshop. Learn about effective presentation techniques, the dos and don’ts of poster making, and how to set yourself up for success at your next poster presentation. This 90-minute workshop will provide the foundation for an effective poster design and offer insight into the innerworkings of developing a ‘pitch’ for your poster.

• Who is this for?: Anyone interested in presenting a poster at the Annual Meeting or wants to enhance their presentation skills in general. 
• Career Level: Any career level, however, students and early career ecologists may find it more beneficial. 
• Prerequisite Education or Experience: Participants do not need any prior education or experience, just an interest in wanting to enhance their presentation and communication skills. 

May 21, 2024, 2:00-3:30 PM ET

Participation worth 0.38 CEU toward ESA recertification in Category I(b) 

REGISTER

Ongoing Series

From Application to Negotiation: Your Roadmap to Landing Academic Positions

Empower yourself and gain the knowledge and skills necessary to secure your desired academic positions. This comprehensive webinar series, consisting of 7 sessions split between May and October, will explore every aspect of academic career development. These sessions will cover crucial topics, including crafting impactful research and teaching philosophy statements, developing effective DEI statements, perfecting cover letters, excelling in Zoom interviews, confidently navigating on-campus interviews, and mastering negotiation best practices.

• Who is this for?: The primary audience includes students and early-career researchers interested in working at academic institutions. This series could also be very useful to current faculty (mid-career or senior) who advise students on building application materials.
• Career Level: Useful to all career levels, but most applicable to recent graduates and early-career.
• Prerequisite Education or Experience: None.

Starts May 1, 2024 2:00 – 3:15 PM ET

• Writing an Effective Research Statement, May 1
• Writing an Effective Teaching Philosophy Statement, May 8
• Writing an Effective DEI Statement, May 22
• Bringing Together Your Cover Letter, May 29
• Nailing the Zoom Interview, October 2
• What to Expect at On-campus Interviews, October 9
• Best Practices in Negotiation, October 16

REGISTER FOR THE SERIES & SAVE

Individual Sessions

Writing an Effective Research Statement
The first webinar of the “From Application to Negotiation: Your Roadmap to Landing Academic Positions” webinar series is designed to provide practical experience in composing essential documents for academic applications. Participants will learn to articulate their expertise and achievements effectively in writing, understand the implicit expectations in academia, and develop a robust outline for a research statement

• Who is this for?: The primary audience includes students and early-career researchers interested in working at academic institutions. This series could also be very useful to current faculty (mid-career or senior) who advise students on building application materials.
• Career Level: Useful to all career levels, but most applicable to recent graduates and early-career.
• Prerequisite Education or Experience: None, but participants should have an updated CV to reference.

May 1, 2024 2:00 – 3:15 PM ET

REGISTER

Tell Us What You Want to See!

We want this program to meet our members’ needs, so if there are particular topics you’d like to see us offer virtually, fill out this form.