Environmental Sciences Graduate Program

We are pleased to announce that the application for the 2021 Environmental Fellows Program is now open! The Environmental Fellows Program is a nationally competitive summer fellowship program for masters and doctoral students that seeks to place students traditionally underrepresented in the environmental field and those committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in summer fellowships with environmental foundations and their grantees.  

Application OPEN NOW!  The deadline to apply is January 15th, 2021.

The Environmental Fellows Program involves:

·       A 12 -week fellowship at either an environmental grantmaking foundation or at one of their grantees. Past placement sites include Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment; Appalachian Voices; Natural Resources Defense Council, New England Grassroots Environment Fund, the Erb Family Foundation and many more! 

·      A 4-day spring program orientation.  

·       A stipend of $11,000 plus a travel allowance for participating fellows.  

·       Participation in the Environmental Grantmakers Association Retreat.

·       Fellows work on a variety of environmental issues including but not limited to environmental health, energy justice, marine conservation, transit solutions, food justice, and more!  

·       Fellowship placement sites are available across the country in major cities and rural locations. Some of our past placements have been located in: The Greater Boston area, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, and Richmond, Virginia.  

 ·       Fellows receive training in diversity, equity, and inclusion; institutional culture; and professional development. 

·       Please share this opportunity (and the attached flyer) with any graduate or doctoral students at your school or other colleges/universities who have an interest in exploring the world of environmental grantmaking/philanthropy and/or are passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the environmental field.

Want to learn more! 

Join us for an information session on Thursday, November, 19th from 6-7pm ET.  Register here  (Registration will be available until 5:30 pm the day of the event.)

You can find more information about the Environmental Fellows program and how to apply at https://efp.seas.umich.edu/.  Please address any questions about the Environmental Fellows Program to Dr. M’Lis Bartlett at seas-efpoffice@umich.edu. 

Thank you for your interest, we look forward to hearing from you!

Dr. Dorceta Taylor, Program Director, Yale University 

Dr. M’Lis Bartlett, Program Manager, University of Michigan

National Conservation Training Center: Training Announcement. Registration deadline: November 12, 2020. Natural resource and conservation professionals are tasked with understanding the impacts of a changing climate and using this knowledge in making decisions. This 8 week online course is designed to cover the fundamentals of climate science, provide an overview of tools and resources for climate adaptation, and increase climate literacy and communication skills. The course is designed to encourage networking among conservation professionals engaged in the management of fish, wildlife, habitat, and cultural resources and provides participants an opportunity to interact with experts as they address case studies across multiple habitat types. For more information and to register, click here.

Native American Natural Resource Scholarship. Deadline: December 1, 2020, 5:00 p.m. PST. The Intertribal Timber Council (ITC), in partnership with the USDA Forest Service Research and Development is pleased to announce scholarship opportunities for Native American graduate students who are planning or currently conducting tribally relevant research in a natural resource issue. Award: Varies, not to exceed $5,000. Purpose: The ITC Education Scholarship is designed to support tribally relevant, natural resource based, research being conducted by Native American scholars enrolled in a graduate program. https://www.itcnet.org/about_us/scholarships.html

NOAA Climate & Global Change (C&GC) Postdoctoral Program. Application Deadline: January 8, 2021
UCAR’s Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) manages the NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Program on behalf of the NOAA Climate Program Office. https://cpaess.ucar.edu/cgc

Sapsik’ʷałá (Teacher) Education Program. The deadline for applying is January 15, 2021. The Sapsik’ʷałá (Teacher) Education Program is seeking highly qualified American Indian/Alaska Native/Indigenous applicants for our cohort to begin classes in June 2021 at our beautiful campus on Kalapuya Ilihi (Eugene, Oregon). Sapsik’ʷałá students engage in a rigorous full-time 12-month program and receive an MEd in Curriculum and Teaching in partnership with the UOTeach master’s / licensure program while gaining Indigenous methodologies for teaching. Please see the attachments to learn more about program provisions, and our admissions checklist for details on how to apply.  Please contact sapsikwala@uoregon.edu if you have additional questions.

We are pleased to announce that our Environmental Sciences graduate student, Bao Khanh Nguyen, will defend for their Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree as follows:

Time: Nov 9, 2020 01:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Topic: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the trading, tourism service and residential complexes area in Ray River, Phuoc Thuan Village, Xuyen Moc District, Ba Ria- Vung Tau Province, Vietnam

Information on Zoom Meeting available via email, or contact esgp@oregonstate.edu for more information.

SWS 2021 Annual Meeting Abstract Submission SWS is now accepting abstract proposals for the 2021 Annual Meeting on June 1-4, 2021. The abstract submission deadline is Friday, January 1, 2021. All wetland professionals are invited to submit their research as an oral or poster presentation. If you are a presenter in an accepted symposium proposal, be sure to submit your individual abstract coinciding with the symposium. For more information about the submission process, please visit the abstract submission web page. Symposia Thank you to everyone who submitted a symposium proposal for the 2021 Annual Meeting. View a complete listing of all accepted symposia. Theme The theme for next year is Wetland Science 2021: Adaptation Drives Innovation. We have selected the very industrious and innovative North American beaver (Castor canadensis) as the conference mascot. Their current role and profound historical influence on watersheds, wetlands and hydrology is a growing field of study and restoration. They also provide a model of wetland management and integration of habitats with relevance to our work.

Course Time/Credits: CRN 36890, Winter Term; 4 Jan – 19 March 2021, 3 term/quarter credits

Course Location: Ecampus online program; Oregon State University (OSU); Corvallis, OR.

Course Description: Serves degree- and non-degree-seeking graduate learners wanting soil science knowledge but having minimal science background. Understanding soil physical, chemical, and biological properties promotes informed soil management and supports individual to global societal values. Curriculum facilitates graduate degrees or certificates; continuing education/licensure renewal requirements (CEUs), professional development units (PDUs) for K-12 and college science teachers, and self-improvement goals of natural resource organization members or private individuals.

Prerequisite Graduate standing: a 4-year undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.
Applies to degree- and non-degree-seeking learners.
Note: Undergraduate seniors from any discipline may also register with Primary Instructor approval.

Call OSU Ecampus 800-667-1465 /541-737-9204.

Review Graduate Admission requirements and register online. Download a General Syllabus from the Ecampus Winter 2021 SOIL 511 course web site. Or, contact Dr. Liegel for more information.

Why Take SOIL 511?

An interactive Discussion Forum framework supports student-student, instructor-student, and student-curriculum learning interactions. Using critical thinking, learners link
Discussion Forums with new weekly knowledge to identify, analyze, and summarize a chosen “Soils Problem” or “Soils Topic” in a short, <7-page Case Study that replaces a Final Exam. Prior case study topics have included: How does soil moisture affect plants/veggies grown in condo patio pots vs. private home and community gardens? What soil properties might help spread the sudden oak death pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum, in Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests?

OSU has partnered with TurboVote, which provides you with the information you need to vote with confidence. Sign up for election reminders, get help with voter registration, learn about voting by mail — all in one place!

Sign up before the October 13th Oregon voter registration deadline by visiting http://oregonstate.turbovote.org/?r=CLUB

Interventions and Communication Strategies to Reduce Health Risks of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposures Request for Applications (RFA) and Informational Webinar COVID-19 Update: EPA is providing flexibilities to applicants experiencing challenges related to COVID-19. Please see the Flexibilities Available to Organizations Impacted by COVID-19 clause in Section IV of EPA’s Solicitation Clauses. EPA is announcing a new research funding opportunity: The Interventions and Communication Strategies to Reduce Health Risks of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposures Request for Applications (RFA).URL: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants/interventions-and-communication-strategies-reduce-health-risks-wildland-fire-smokeOpen Date: October 9, 2020 Closed Date: December 15, 2020Informational Webinar: https://reduce_wildland_fire_smoke_info_webinar.eventbrite.com Background: EPA, as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing research that will address behavioral, technical and practical aspects of interventions and communication strategies to reduce exposures and/or health risks of wildland fire smoke.Exposure to high levels of air pollution, such as during wildland fire smoke events, has the potential to cause serious health problems. Populations differ in their vulnerability to high air pollution events, and each person’s health impact is dependent on their personal exposure and any underlying health conditions. To improve individual and public health, this RFA will seek to understand what actions might be effective for reducing adverse health outcomes of ambient and indoor exposures to wildland fire smoke, and how best to communicate these actions to various groups. Applications should address at least one of the following Research Areas: Assess the effectiveness of various types of interventions in reducing exposures and associated health risks of wildland fire smoke exposure at the individual or community level; and Develop and assess the effectiveness of health risk communication strategies in supporting actions to reduce wildland fire smoke exposure. The STAR Program’s goal is to stimulate and support scientific and engineering research that advances EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. It is a competitive, peer-reviewed, extramural research program that provides access to the nation’s best scientists and engineers in academic and other nonprofit research institutions. STAR funds research on the environmental and public health effects of air quality, environmental changes, water quality and quantity, hazardous waste, toxic substances, and pesticides. This RFA is also supported by EPA’s Air and Energy research program, which supports research needed to inform decisions regarding air quality to protect public health and the environment. How to Apply: Interventions and Communication Strategies to Reduce Health Risks of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposures RFA.Learn more about the A-E Program.Learn more about EPA Research Grants.Informational Webinar for applicantsDate: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020 Time: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Register: https://reduce_wildland_fire_smoke_info_webinar.eventbrite.com

Climate Change Resilience: A Case for Human-Machine Collaboration in Solving Humanity’s Most Urgent Threat 

Meghna Babbar-Sebens
Associate Professor of Water Resources Engineering

Oct. 27, 2020
Noon to 1 p.m. (PT)
Free and open to the public

Register here

Failure to mitigate impacts of climate change and adapt to related stresses, extreme events (such as floods, droughts, and storms), and natural hazards have been identified as the most likely global risks by World Economic Forum in a recent 2020 report. A collective will is critical to tackling these risks. But how do we mobilize a collective problem-solving process in communities for identifying opportunities to build resilience to climate change and adapt to learned lessons? In this presentation, we will examine whether a collaboration between humans and machines could create new ways for communities to create solutions for this intractable problem. We will also explore what such a collaboration might look like in watershed communities prone to flooding. 

Meghna Babbar-Sebens is an associate professor of water resources engineering in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Oregon State University. She is also co-director of the OSU-Benton County Green Stormwater Infrastructure facility. Babbar-Sebens’ research interests lie in the area of water resources and environmental systems analysis. She and her students conduct interdisciplinary research in the fields of hydroinformatics and artificial intelligence to develop innovative and effective monitoring, simulation optimization, and decision support technologies for sustainable planning and management of water-based systems, including watershed systems, stormwater infrastructure, and systems at the nexus of food, energy, and water sectors.

Effective today, all OSU competitive Graduate School awards are now open for your review. While there are different submission deadlines for various awards, announcing all of the awards at once allows units plenty of time to prepare their nomination materials and processes. You may submit your nominations at any point between the award’s official open date up to the submission deadline.

This summer, the Graduate School made a number of changes that we believe are in the best interest of students and academic units. These changes are listed below.

• The Graduate School is pleased to announce the new Promising Scholar Fellowship. This award is intended to support the recruitment of graduate students from historically underrepresented backgrounds who demonstrate scholarly promise at OSU. This award—formerly offered as partial tuition support for former McNair Scholars – has been expanded to include additional scholar programs and a 9-month fully funded fellowship with an accompanying tuition waiver.

• The Thesis or Dissertation Completion Award, has been separated into two different awards: the Thesis Completion Award (for master’s students) and the Dissertation Completion Award (for doctoral students). The Graduate School anticipates awarding 8-10 students per award, per award period.

• The Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring by a Graduate Student or Postdoc Award, has been separated into two different awards: one specifically for graduate students and one specifically for postdocs.  Recipients will have direct and significant involvement with undergraduate student researchers, a demonstrable commitment to the research mentorship of undergraduate students, and a record of effectiveness and impact with respect to undergraduate student research and success.  

• The Graduate School has increased the request amount for the Professional Development Award. For this award, graduate students may now submit proposals for reimbursement up to $500 for trainings, resources, and activities that contribute to professional skills development.

• Formerly offered as the Diversity Advancement Fellowship, the Graduate School has renamed this award as the Prestigious Diversity Fellowship. It remains a lucrative financial award that supports new graduate students with their transition to graduate education and celebrates their future contributions at OSU.

For your reference you can find a complete list of Graduate School competitive awards here: or at gradschool.oregonstate.edu/awards

Additionally, the nomination deadline for the following Graduate School awards is October 5, 2020:

Delson Bridge to the Future Fund

·       The Delson Bridge to the Future Fund assists domestic and international graduate students in the final phase of their graduate education to pay research expenses, publication costs, and other incidentals that stand in the way of completing their graduate studies at OSU. Graduate programs that become aware of emergency situations involving students at the end of their programs may submit requests for limited assistance to offset financial difficulties and promote degree completion. For the 2020-2021 award cycle, we plan to offer up to three awards at $1,000 each. Awards will be made on a one-time only basis, typically during a student’s final term in the graduate program, and are intended to help offset the cost of degree completion.

·       Nomination period September 1, 2020 – October 5, 2020

Jesse M. Bell Memorial Graduate Student Loan

·       The Jesse M. Bell Memorial Graduate Student Loan Program, created by the estate of Jesse Bell, provides loans for meritorious graduate students. These non-need-based loans are available on a one-time basis to domestic and international enrolled graduate students to assist with educational expenses associated with their advanced degree. Loans up to $5,000 are anticipated and will be dependent upon the merits of the case, the loan demand, and the current balance available in the loan fund.

·       Nomination period September 1, 2020 – October 5, 2020

Thank you in advance for all you do to support our graduate students. We look forward to reviewing your nominations and making awards to your students. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the information listed above please email me or Graduate.Scholarships@oregonstate.edu.

The Oregon State University ESGP Group is hosting a beach clean-up in Newport. We will be starting at Don Davis Park (Ocean Shores State Recreation Site) and walking toward the North Jetty. 

Gloves and trash bags will be provided. Feel free to bring your own supplies such as drinking water and any gear for all weather!

Please be aware that we are going to be practicing all COVID-19 regulations. Please bring a face covering (not provided on site) and review all local and Oregon State University regulations before the event.  There is a maximum limit of 10 volunteers.

Link for event:
 https://www.solveoregon.org/opportunity/a0C1I00000Rbh0j

Link for sign-up sheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12tpHMn8UYKI27MlrtBeLhducZAe7tyo1sCS0ACBn220/edit?usp=sharing

Information for the public transit schedule (Coast to Valley Transit):
Depart Corvallis Downtown Transit Center at 9:35 am
Arrive Newport City Hall at 10:55 am (1 mile walk to the park)
Depart Newport City Hall at 3:20 pm
Arrive Corvallis Downtown Transit Center 4:41 pm

The fare is $20 round trip and only exact change is taken ($10 per trip).