October 17-19, 2016
CCMIT Conference Center
Baltimore MD

Workshop Information

Workshop Agenda

Keynote Speaker: Kevin Doyle, Green Economy

Preparation and Materials

Panel and Working Group Outlines

Survey Findings

Network Planning: Where to Start

Framing Paper: The State of Network Evaluation

Evaluating Networks for Social Change: A Casebook

Network Health Scorecard

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Next Generation Careers – Innovation in Environmental Biology Education (NGC) will organize a workshop to explore the potential of a new network to address opportunities and issues facing the preparation of undergraduate students in a changing, and often, idiosyncratic field.  About 40 representatives from academia, private sector, government, and non-governmental organizations will be invited. The workshop will be held from October 17-19, 2016 in Baltimore at the CCMIT conference center. This workshop is made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation and is an incubator project in the Research Coordination Network – Undergraduate Biology Education track (RCN-UBE).

Who Should Apply

We welcome practitioners  (in agencies, business and nonprofits), undergraduate faculty, program administrators, career counseling professionals and others who are committed to placing students in careers and graduate programs to apply. Graduate students seeking careers in applied environmental biology, early career faculty, adjunct faculty and individuals from underrepresented minority groups are especially encouraged to apply. Faculty who are teach both Math and Biology are also encouraged to apply.

Participant Selection:  We seek participants from a broad range of sectors and experience.  Participants will be selected based on geographical location, sector, gender and cultural diversity; interest and relevant experience in workforce development issues; and the resources they bring towards the future RCN-UBE.

Workshop Goal

The goal of the workshop is  to seed a new network to support workforce development for college graduate career progression into environmental biology, including fields such as ecology, evolution, conservation, plant biology and natural resource management.

By working together, the network will develop materials, programs and career development tracks designed for 21st century STEM professionals in environmental biology and inform the broader community of the nature of education and skills that are necessary for future jobs in this ever-changing field. This project addresses the goals and programs of NSF’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education initiative, particularly the goal of building the professional STEM workforce for tomorrow.

Workshop Objectives

• To explore the current workforce development focus and strategies employed in undergraduate environmental biology programs
• To identify alignment opportunities and gaps in current workforce development strategies
• To promote networking and synergies among professionals in academia, business and industry, government and nonprofit sectors in workforce development strategies

Workshop Activities

(subject to change)

• Presentations on findings of the job ad scan, surveys and focus group sessions
  • Highlights of Information gathering activities may be found here
• Working groups such as on
  • engaging underrepresented minority student
  • career counseling
  • curriculum innovation
  • professional development
  • role of professional societies

• Networking opportunities

• Poster session on workforce development strategies / projects

Expected results

The workshop is expected to generate recommendations for:

• The formation of future working groups to develop resources that will address the gaps in innovative career development in environmental biology fields
• A plan to provide faculty professional development sessions at professional society meetings and other networks associated with this project as well as other potential formats.
• Distribution networks supported through professional societies, community college organizations, graduate student unions, university and college career development offices, and graduate schools.

The recommendations generated will provide the foundation for a full RCN-UBE proposal that will provide support for network activities for five years.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact
Teresa Mourad (PI)
Director, Education and Diversity Programs
Ecological Society of America
gro.asenull@aseret
202-833-8773