Sections on this page
Estimated time to read:
Sunday, August 4th
Opening Plenary
Jackie Grant
Jackie Grant is the Executive Director of Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, which is the official Friends Group of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM). Jackie came to this position after 20 years embedded within academia where she progressed from Ph.D. to David H. Smith Fellow, and finally to Full Professor of Biology in the Department of Geosciences at Southern Utah University. Her career as a scientist and educator put her in an excellent position from which to lead the Bureau of Land Management’s primary national monument focused on science.
Abstract
An Unexpected Party: How Partnering Outside of Academia Changed My Teaching and Career
Increasingly, ecologists are seeking careers outside of academia, but I never thought that I would be one of them. My decades-long academic career traversed a range of paths from research intensive positions at “R1” universities to teaching positions at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUI). Once I had settled into a teaching position in rural southern Utah, it was assumed that I had lost my opportunity to impact the world with my research. However, it was at this moment that I finally recognized the ways that my training could be leveraged in my community and beyond.
How does one start to partner with non-academic organizations? For some it begins with lofty goals of changing the world, but for me it began with my personal annoyance. I was annoyed that there were so few bike lanes in town, and I was annoyed that I couldn’t provide more opportunities for students to learn about Federal agencies and how to work for them. As academics, we know how to obtain and share data, so I used this skill to express my annoyance and, even more importantly, propose solutions. A second key skill from academia that I used to build partnerships was the skill of writing grant proposals, which is often perceived as a daunting and unappealing task. Surprisingly, knowledge of minutia was a sometimes useful skill to have. This combination of skills quickly led to partnerships with state and local government officials, Federal agencies, nonprofits, and Tribal Nations. These partnerships not only implemented valuable work, they also informed my teaching and ability to connect students to careers.
I became a Full Professor in 2023, which seems the least likely time to make a career change. However, I left academia to direct a “Friends Group” for one of the country’s most notorious national monuments, Grand Staircase-Escalante (GSENM). In the rest of this talk, I’ll define what Friends Groups are, describe the Conservation Lands system, identify how ecologists can work with or lead environmental nonprofits, and explain how recent Federal policies may lead to opportunities for conservation and ecology careers.
Sunday, August 4, 5:00 – 6:30 PM
Terrace Theater, Long Beach Convention Center
Monday, August 5th
Scientific Plenary and Awards Ceremony
Rodolfo Dirzo
Rodolfo Dirzo is currently Bing Professor in Environmental Science, in the Departments of Biology Earth System Science, Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and Associate Dean for Integrative Initiatives in Environmental Justice at Stanford University. Rodolfo Dirzo studies ecology, natural history, conservation biology, and biocultural diversity, with an emphasis on evolutionary ecology of species interactions in a changing world. He has a longstanding dedication to K-12, undergraduate, and graduate education, particularly with respect to engaging underserved communities.
Abstract
Inspired by the wonders of nature and empowered by the bonhomie of networks
It was not until my mentors and teachers empowered me with the understanding of the underlying frameworks and theories of ecology that my innate appreciation for nature as a rural child, became an intellectual passion, leading to my advanced training as an ecologist. The generosity and wisdom of my mentors, including Francisco Gonzalez-Medrano, Jose Sarukhan, John Harper, Peter Raven, Hal Mooney and Paul Ehrlich, have guided me at different moments of my career. They have also inspired me to put my best effort and passion towards my own mentoring and teaching. It is because of the bonhomie of these networks of mentors, mentees and colleagues, that I have had an opportunity to:
- admire and enjoy the beauty and wonders of biodiversity;
- examine how the ecology of species interactions structures biodiversity;
- understand how such interactions are being impacted by the human enterprise; and
- how this affects human wellbeing.
I will use some examples to highlight how the study of the ecology of Earth’s wondrous nature and the bonhomie of our mentors and mentees represent a synergy of hope in the Anthropocene.
Monday, August 5, 8:00 – 10:00 AM
Terrace Theater, Long Beach Convention Center
New Phytologist Foundation Keynote
Asmeret Asefaw Berhe
Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe is a Professor of Soil Biogeochemistry and Falasco Chair in Earth Sciences and Geology at the University of California, Merced. She previously served as the Director of the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Her research interest lies at the intersection of soil science, geochemistry, global change science, and political ecology. Prof. Berhe’s work seeks to improve our understanding of how the soil system regulates the earth’s climate and the dynamic two-way relationship between soil and human communities.
Abstract
Precipitation Disruption: When the Rhythm of the Rain Throws Soil Carbon Off-Beat
Climate change is causing major shifts in precipitation patterns globally. Across a variety of ecosystems, the changes in precipitation patterns are observed as increased or decreased amounts of precipitation, shifts in the type of precipitation, changes in the timing of precipitation, more frequent extreme events, and more. How these shifts in precipitation patterns affect the soil system’s ability to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide and store and stabilize organic matter varies as a function of a host of soil and ecosystem properties. Using insights derived from a combination of short- and long-term rainfall simulation experiments and field observation studies across California, plus theoretical work, this talk will discuss the effect of changes in the amount and timing of precipitation on fluxes, stocks, composition, and stabilization mechanism of soil carbon.
Monday, August 5, 10:30 – 11:30 AM
Terrace Theater, Long Beach Convention Center