SSE 2018 May Newsletter
ABOUT
In this issue:
- New study on gender equity at Evolution meetings
- Sponsored Symposia at Evolution 2019
- GREG – R.C. Lewontin Awards
- Additional Grants to Students in Puerto Rico
- New Faculty Profiles Series: Dr. Wright and Dr. Stoddard
- Thank you and Congratulations to Heather Cacanindin
- SSE Sponsorship Highlight: AIBS Congressional Visits Day
Gender Equity at Scientific Events
Last month, Evolution Letters published a study by Florence Débarre and colleagues about gender representation at evolution conferences. The study used select data from the SSE membership database and the annual Evolution meeting. The results indicated that the proportion of invited women speakers at conferences is higher when there are more women among the organizers and when organizers consider gender when choosing speakers. SSE will use the findings from this study to better engage a diversity of scientists at future meetings. Read the full paper here.
Sponsored Symposia at Evolution 2019
The SSE Council invites proposals for two SSE-sponsored symposia to be held in conjunction with the 2019 annual meeting in Providence, RI. The Council considers the novelty of the topic and likely interest among its members. We encourage proposals from sub-fields or taxonomic groups that have been underrepresented in past symposia. Please note: The SSE Council considers the diversity of participants as an important criterion for symposium selection. Proposals are due July 15, 2018. Learn more about the selection process and how to submit your proposal here.
GREG – R.C. Lewontin Awards
Congratulations to the 22 recipients of the 2018 Graduate Research Excellence Grant (GREG) R.C. Lewontin Award! This award assists students in the early stages of their Ph.D. by enabling them to collect preliminary data or to enhance the scope of their research. Thank you to our members whose donations helped fund these awards! This year’s recipients are:
Aaron-Jay Alcala, University of Georgia; Abrar Aljiboury, Syracuse University; Christina Balentine, The University of Texas at Austin; Noori Choi, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Derek Filipek, University of Kentucky; Kerry Gendreau, Virginia Tech; Aaron Griffing, Marquette University; Sonal Gupta, University of Michigan; Natalia Gutierrez-Pinto, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lucas Henry, Princeton University; Jessica Hernandez, Virginia Tech; Anna Hiller, Louisiana State University; Michael Itgen, Colorado State University; Deidre Keating, University of Georgia; Olivia Kosterlitz, University of Washington; Emily Laub, University of Michigan; Emily Levy, Duke University; Rachel MacTavish, University of Georgia; Emily Powell, University of Miami; Bryan Reatini, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Alexander Shephard, University of Minnesota Twin Cities; and Ken Thompson, University of British Columbia.
Additional Grants to Students in Puerto Rico
Thanks to additional donations received earlier this year, SSE and ASN were able to award financial aid to seven additional graduate students in Puerto Rico whose research was impacted by Hurricane Maria last year. Thank you to all who donated!
New Faculty Profile Series – Dr. Wright & Dr. Stoddard
The New Faculty Profile series highlights and introduces new Principal Investigators who are SSE members. This month we highlight Alison Wright and Cassie Stoddard. Dr. Wright is a NERC Independent Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield studying evolutionary conflicts of interest between males and females and the genomic mechanisms that lead to their resolution. Read her full profile here. Dr. Stoddard is an Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University studying avian vision and coloration as well as the development and structure of avian eggs. Read her full profile here.
***Want to be featured in a future New Faculty Profile? Email Kati Moore at communications@
Congratulations and Thank You
Congratulations to Heather Cacanindin, who recently became the new Executive Director of the Botanical Society of America (BSA). BSA handles much of the “business” side of SSE, including managing our membership database, maintaining our website, and disbursing checks for our many awards and prizes. Heather has been instrumental to SSE for several years as our Membership and Marketing Director, and we look forward to working with her in her new role.
SSE Sponsorship Highlight: AIBS Congressional Visits Day
Last month, SSE funded 4 members to attend the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) Congressional Visits Day and the AIBS Communications Bootcamp in Washington, DC. The event included an advocacy-training program and congressional meetings with elected officials. Three of the attendees share their experiences below. Read their full statements here.
“This 3-day event was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about science communication, science policy, and meet with my Congressional Representatives and their staff. It was exciting and empowering to share my experiences on the importance of science funding with those who are responsible for funding NSF.” – Elizabeth Carlen
“Delving into the realm of policy can be a difficult endeavor for scientists, and there are limited opportunities for guidance or training. This program provided me with a strong foundation on effective communication with policy makers at the local, state and national level, and with strategies to discuss important, and timely, scientific issues.” – Matthew Rubin
“The funding I received from SSE to attend this workshop was indispensable in allowing me to attend, and the experience has encouraged me to continue to be involved in science policy. My biggest takeaway from the visit was that scientists can make a difference in policy-making, and opportunities like this are a great way to get more scientists involved.” – Jeremy Davis
Jeremy Davis with SSE Public Policy Committee member Courtney Fitzpatrick at the AIBS Congressional Visits Day.
Many thanks to all of you for your dedication and involvement in the Society!
Sincerely,
Hopi Hoekstra
SSE President
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