News, News, News

ESGP Graduation and End-of Semester Social Celebration

Please join The Environmental Sciences Graduate Program for a graduation celebration and end-of-semester social on Tuesday, April 29, 4-6 pm at the Round Room in the Ohio Union. The Round Meeting Room is on the third floor of Ohio Union. We will be celebrating the up-coming commencement of our ESGP spring and summer graduates with warm wishes and gifts from ESGP-SA. Cheese, fruit, soup, wraps, cookies and drinks will be served. Family and friends are welcome.

Please RSVP before Thursday April 24, 2014 by emailing esgp.student.group@gmail.com.

Graduate School Financial Survey

On Thursday, April 17, Patrick S. Osmer sent an email invitation all Ohio State graduate students to participate in an online survey about personal financial circumstances. The study is being conducted by the Council of Graduate Schools, a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, dedicated solely to the advancement of graduate education and research, with a grant from TIAA-CREF. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, and responses are due by midnight on May 1, 2014. This project has a special emphasis on addressing the needs of and understanding the financial circumstances of graduate students.The findings will be available in 2015, an it is anticipated that many good recommendations will emerge that will be developed into best practices for universities to use to improve financial education for their graduate and undergraduate students.

For question or more information please contact Associate Dean Herness: herness.1@osu.edu.

Jobs and Internships

Internships with the Franklinton Gardens Urban Farm

The Franklinton Garden Urban Farm provides a community-based food advocacy initiative working to create a more healthful food reality in an urban food desert. Internships available year round for the Spring, Summer and Fall Seasons.Applicants can apply for summer term ASAP. Fall applicants apply by June 16, 2014. Franklinton Gardens strongly encourage local applicants and students, as they are unable to provide housing accommodations or a stipend this year. Late applications will not be given priority.

General Application Requirements

Franklinton Gardens is looking for creative applicants who are passionate about sustainable food production and food awareness issues.  Applicants should be driven workers and learners.  They should be comfortable executing tasks alone in an urban environment as well as collaborating on team efforts. Interns will be given a number of independent projects and responsibilities throughout the summer, thus they should be ready to assist as a major asset to our staff.  Preference will be given to applicants with experience working in the fields of farming, horticulture, landscaping, outdoor education, environmental restoration, ecology or equivalent education; additionally, applicants who have some background in food systems, nutrition, and social work, and strong passion for local food system reform qualify as well.  Additional prerequisites include the ability to lift 50 pounds and work full days outside in all weather conditions. Opportunities are available as an Organic Vegetable Apprentice,Season Extension Apprentice, Green Construction and Agricultural Infrastructure Apprentice, Community Engagement and Outreach Apprentice, Public Relations and Branding Apprentice, Medicinal Plants and Wild Harvesting Apprentice, and Nutrition and Food Preservation Apprentice.

For detailed job descriptions please visit: http://www.franklintongardens.org/intern/#1

To apply, please email megan.ogle@franklintongardens.org with a cover letter and resume attached as .docx or .pdf files.  Please indicate relevant experiences, motivations, and how you intend to use your experience with Franklinton Gardens in your future.  Please also indicate any college credit or other school requirements you may be looking to fulfill.  Applicants should specify which specific Apprenticeship they are applying for, or indicate an order of preference.  Non-apprentice interns looking for part-time (20 hours/week) opportunities may apply as general garden interns.

Director, Institute of the Environment & Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles

Application Deadline: Thursday, May 15, 2014

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) seeks outstanding candidates for the position of Director of the Institute of the Environment & Sustainability (IoES). The Director will have the academic rank of Professor and will hold a named chair.

The IoES’s primary mission is to identify study and provide solutions for regional and global environmental problems, and to educate the next generation of scholars and leaders. The Institute achieves this mission though its core faculty, affiliated faculty from across UCLA, undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and interdisciplinary centers and off-campus partnerships. Working both locally and globally, the IoES employs innovative cross-disciplinary approaches to address critical environmental challenges including climate change, water and energy sustainability, urban and business sustainability, and ecosystem and biodiversity conservation. Through its eight centers, the institute enables a wide range of research, education, and outreach activities that span the breadth of academic disciplines at UCLA, with the important goal of encouraging interdisciplinary research and policy. For more information about the IoES, please visit Institute of the Environment and Sustainability website.

For a full job description visit the National Council for Science and the Environment website.

Interested applicants may submit a cover letter outlining your interests in and qualifications for the position, including a succinct description of your vision for the future of environment and sustainability in a university setting, as well as a curriculum vita, to UCLA Academic Recruit. Please use job number: JPF0018.

Sustainability Education Coordinator, Chatham University

Application Deadline: Sunday, June 1, 2014

Chatham University, a thriving dynamic institution with three colleges and one school -- Chatham College for Women and the co-educational College for Graduate Studies, College for Continuing and Professional Studies, and the Falk School of Sustainability -- is seeking a full time 12-month Sustainability Education Coordinator for our Sustainability programs to begin no later than June 1, 2014. This is a two-year, grant-funded position.

Chatham University invites applications for a full-time position to support experiential learning associated with the innovative technologies at our new Eden Hall Campus. This individual will be responsible for developing and implementing outreach and education associated with new facilities, including development of programming and associated multimedia instructional materials; supporting educational visits to Eden Hall; offering topical courses in sustainability; participating in ongoing design and planning at the new campus; and supporting summer educational programs for international, high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. Much of this work will be in collaboration with Chatham University personnel and individuals from other institutions. We provide a collaborative, collegial environment in which to further the programs’ excellent reputation for interdisciplinary sustainability education, research and outreach.

For a complete job description visit the National Council for Science and the Environment website.

Interested candidates should visit the Chatham University careers website and follow the instructions to complete the application process. Applicants should also include a cover letter and resume in the application process.  Review of candidates will begin on February 16, 2014, but applications will be accepted until the position has been filled.

Seminars and Courses

ENR 5194: Group Studies: Climate and Sustainability

Summer 2014 August 3-9, 2014- Stone Laboratory Class
Instructor: Richard Moore moore.11@osu.edu
Credits: Undergrad/Grad 2 semester credit hours

An introduction to climate and sustainability designed for undergraduateand graduate students, professionals, and teachers. Corn production will be used to illustrate the concepts of climate change; examine links between climatic changes and our society; and investigate the impacts on and interactions among climate, local watersheds, society, and the environment. Topics will include the effect of corn production on climate, soil, water quality, local watersheds, and Lake Erie dead zones, as well as how climate changes will affect corn and soybean production through predicted increased temperatures, extreme storm events, changing phenology dates/growing seasons, and expanded pest ranges. There will be several field trips as well as guest lectures by OSU faculty working on an NSF grant in the Maumee watershed.Scholarships available for teachers. Contact Dr. Moore for details.

To register, visit the Stone Lab website.

Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy Lecture Series

Wednesday, August 6, 2014 (All day) to Wednesday, August 20, 2014 (All day)

University of Illinois at Chicago 2014 Program: UrbanENERGY

Hosted by the Energy Initiative (University of Illinois at Chicago) 

In partnership with Argonne National Laboratory; Clean Energy Trust; Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (University of Chicago); Energy and Sustainability Engineering (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign); Institute for Sustainability & Energy at Northwestern (Northwestern University); Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research (Illinois Institute of Technology)

What is SISE?

The Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy (SISE) is a two-week intensive workshop and lecture series for students and professionals interested in the title subjects: sustainability and energy.  From August 6-20, a diverse body of participants will converge on the UIC  campus and immerse itself in a broad spectrum of topics in energy and sustainable energy through daily presentations & panel discussions, collaborative research projects and mentoring, site tours of leading energy facilities in Chicago, and networking opportunities with energy & entrepreneurial leaders. The issues presented will be of interest to scientists, economists, political scientists, urban planners, engineers, architects, and entrepreneurs. This experience leaves graduates of the SISE program with a firm foundation for future careers in sustainability and energy, and inspires them to lead the next generation as thoughtful and informed global citizens.SISE is now accepting applications. 

Admission into the program is highly competitive. Only 50 participants will be accepted from a pool of national applicants.  Applicants accepted into the program can expect to receive lodging support for the duration of the 2-week program and some meals on weekdays. Many will receive partial support for travel costs.

Senior-level undergraduates (as of the fall of 2014), graduate students, and professionals working in the fields of sustainability and energy who are living, working, or studying in the United States are eligible to apply. An online application form, a resume, and three letters of reference are required. Applications will be accepted through July 1, 2014. More information is provided on the SISE website.

Workshops and Conferences

Workplace Charging Workshop

Tuesday April 29^th, 2014, 10am- 3 pm

Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center at the Ohio State University Campus)
2201 Fred Taylor Dr.
Columbus, OH43210 

Discover how your business can benefit from workplacecharging.Beapart of the future workplace,

draw in high-quality employees by showing leadership and help themwiththeir transportation needs. Learn how to enhance your bottom line; save money on fuel for your fleet vehicles by converting company cars to plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). 

For more information and registration visit the Eventbrite ticket website.

Miscellaneous

UCAT Invitation to Share Teaching Practices

The University Center for the Advancement of Teaching is now accepting semester reflections from University staff. Assessment and reflecting on the term is a helpful way to grow as a teacher and implement new strategies for the future. UCAT invites teachers to share with fellow colleagues something you have learned about your teaching this term and how this will affect your teaching in the future.

UCAT in interested in assignments or activities that worked surprisingly well and what made them effective, moments that a student “got it” and how your teaching encouraged these moments, and something that you did outside of your comfort zone and how it benefited your students. Other topics that may be discussed are observations made by a student or a colleague about your teaching and what your learned about how you teach as a result or an assignment/ activity that did not work the way that you wanted, what the challenges were with the assignment, and how you will change for the next time. Replies should be only 100-400 words.

Selected contributions will be shared in an upcoming blog, Twitter, or Facebook post. Please let UCAT know whether they have your permission to identify you as the author, or whether you would prefer that we share your response anonymously, or semi-anonymously (e.g., “a professor in Humanities”). Thank you in advance for sharing your teaching principles, practices, and experiences with UCAT. Please send responses to ucat@osu.edu by noon on Monday, April 28.

Earth Day Celebration

On Saturday, April 26, 11 am – 10 pm, show your gratitude for everything Mother Nature providesduring Columbus’s city-wide Earth Day celebration at the Columbus Commons, 160 S. High St.

The celebration will feature your favorite local bands, food trucks, kids' activities, environmental groups and businesses, and much more. Bring your friends and family for a full day or a few hours of fun in the heart of downtown Columbus. 

For more information visit the Green Columbus website.