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CALL FOR PAPERS – SPECIAL ISSUE

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Taking learning online in ecology and evolution

Guest Editors: Christopher Lortie, Sehoya Cotner, Marcus Lashley

Purpose

To provide a rapid outlet to share timely innovations and discoveries for online teaching and learning in ecology and evolution.

Overview

Dear Colleagues,

These are challenging times. Uncertainty and adaptation is key in ecology and evolution, including how we teach, communicate, and do research. The current global crisis, sparked by COVID-19, has highlighted this uncertainty and demanded we adapt. At Ecology and Evolution, we want to provide the community with an opportunity to discuss and capture the challenges, but also celebrate the successes of online teaching, communication, and collaboration in our discipline.

We welcome submission for a Special Issue entitled ‘Taking learning online in ecology and evolution’. We envision articles that describe tools, techniques, strategies, engagement plans, technology development and use, challenges, and successes. We are particularly interested in contributions that address mechanisms to promote equity, diversity and inclusion through online teaching and distributed learning, and examples of technology and distributed approaches that promote engagement within one another and natural systems. Papers can include research articles, case studies, and perspectives that address these contemporary challenges and solutions. Short and concise contributions are welcome and encouraged.

Warm regards,

Drs Chris Lortie, Sehoya Cotner and Marcus Lashley

Contribution Ideas

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Meetings in the COVID era. How can conferences in ecology and evolution change and adapt to balance the needs of early-career researchers to connect, present, and develop their careers but also mitigate the risks and ecological costs of travel?
  2. Online scientific products. How can online and distributed teaching and learning promote a reset in how we value online contributions to learning?
  3. Open science. How can online and distributed teaching promote open science?
  4. Changes in pedagogy. New teaching and learning strategies that work/do not work.
  5. Tips, tools, and tricks. Github, Moodle, Blackboard, Google, etc. What works? How can educators best leverage these tools? For these articles, please provide resources for speedy adoption–links, worksheets, grading rubrics, etc.
  6. Equity. How best to deliver online teaching to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion.
  7. Strategies for adapting field courses or field exercises for online instruction. Using virtual field spaces, databases, etc.
  8. Backyard ecology and citizen science. Please ensure suggested strategies allow for appropriate social distancing.
  9. Other tools and strategies. Tools and strategies that can be used to promote online science communication to general audiences.
Questions? Please contact:

Dr. Gareth Jenkins (gjenkins@wiley.com) or Dr. Chris Foote (cfoote@wiley.com)

Follow this link for manuscript submission, and please specify in your cover letter that you are submitting to this Special Issue. The deadline for submissions is 30th June.

We look forward to reading your contributions!

Ecology and Evolution

Ecology and Evolution is a journal with a difference. Our overriding philosophy is to be “author friendly” and our editing practice is to “looks for reasons to publish”. Ecology and Evolution is one of the fastest growing journals in ecology and evolution, publishing a diverse-range of articles in these broad disciplines of biology, as well as a special and highly popular category established in 2017 called Academic Practice. Academic Practice articles relate to the application of scholarly approaches to the myriad roles we undertake in our professions as ecologists and evolutionary biologists – including taking learning online.

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CSEE 2018 student award winners

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Congratulations to the CSEE 2018 award winners:

First place oral ($525) – Jalina Bielaska Da Silva. Genetic mechanisms of aggressive sperm-mediated gametic isolation in Caenorhabditis nematodes.

Second place oral ($425) – Quentin Kerr. Temporal stability of genomic differentiation between seasonal spawning components in Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus).

Third place oral ($300) – Frances Stewart. Protected area networks are only as valuable as the working landscapes they conserve.

First place poster ($525) – Samuel Deakin. Spatial genetic population structure of Alberta’s bighorn sheep.

Second place poster ($425) – Katie Birchard. Circadian gene variation with latitude and breeding season in allochronic populations of two pelagic seabird species complexes.

Third place poster ($300) – Jamie Bain. The effects of agricultural intensity on stream metabolism.

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2018 EARLY CAREER AWARDS

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The CSEE Early Career Awards (ECA) recognize outstanding accomplishments and promising future research potential in ecology and evolution by scientists early in their careers. The evaluation committee was extremely impressed with the overall quality of applicants for the 2018 awards, so the process was both gratifying and difficult. This year’s recipients of the ECA were Stephen de Lisle (Postdoctoral Scholar, Lund University; Ph.D. University of Toronto) and Patrick Thompson (Postdoctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia; Ph.D. McGill University). Congratulations to Stephen and Patrick!

Stephen de Lisle

Postdoctoral Scholar (Lund University); Ph.D. University of Toronto

stephen-de-lisleStephen is an evolutionary ecologist interested in understanding how ecological processes drive evolutionary change within and between species. In particular, his research focuses on organisms with separate sexes to understand how and why selection and adaptation differ between males and females of the same species, and how the resulting evolution of sex differences influences both ecological communities and the dynamics of deep-time macroevolutionary diversification. In order to connect process and pattern across these disparate timescales, his research uses a wide range of approaches including ecological field experiments and surveys of wild populations, evolutionary quantitative genetics, and phylogenetic comparative methods.

Patrick Thompson

Postdoctoral Fellow (University of British Columbia); Ph.D. McGill University

patrick-thompsonPatrick Thompson is a community ecologist who seeks to understand the processes that maintain biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in changing environments. His research integrates theory and empirical methods in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems to study how changing land scape connectivity, food-web interactions, and adaptation combine to shape current and future communities. By developing and testing theory on how these processes interactively affect how communities respond to environmental change, his work advances our understanding of how communities operate and seeks to inform strategies for preserving biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the face of global change.

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Early Career Award 2018

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Deadline for receipt of all application materials: 26 January 2018

Award Description: The CSEE Early Career Awards recognize outstanding accomplishments and promising future research potential in ecology and evolution by scientists early in their career. Awards will be given to two candidates each year. They consist of a 10-year membership to CSEE/SCEE, $500 cash award, up to $1000 allowance for travel and accommodation to attend the CSEE meeting in Guelph, ON, in July 2018, and an invitation to give a keynote lecture at the annual meeting.

Eligibility: Applicants must be active researchers in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology who received their doctorate within five years of the application deadline, not including time taken for parental leave (i.e., one year of parental leave extends the eligibility period to six years post-Ph.D.). Candidates need to be Canadian citizens, or landed immigrants, or have completed their PhD at a Canadian University, or be currently working at a Canadian University.

Application/Nomination Procedures: Candidates may apply directly or may be nominated.  Established researchers are encouraged to nominate outstanding young scientists.  Nominations must contain all of the following supporting materials in the stated order: (1) a curriculum vitae, (2) a summary of research accomplishments (maximum 2 pages), (3) a 2-page statement of research plans for the next 5 years, (4) three recent publications, (5) names and addresses of 3 referees (including the nominating scientist where applicable) who will provide supporting letters. The 3 letters of reference should be sent separately from the candidate’s nomination package. All nomination materials and reference letters must be sent as PDFs to the chair of the CSEE Awards committee, Mark Vellend (mark.vellend@usherbrooke.ca).

Time lines: The deadline for receipt of all materials including letters of reference is 26 January 2018. The recipients will be notified of the award in early March and they will receive their award at the following annual meeting.

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PROFESSEURE RÉGULIÈRE OU PROFESSEUR RÉGULIER EN ÉCOLOGIE AVEC EXPERTISE EN BIOSTATISTIQUES, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT). Date de clôture: 7 août 2017.

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Établissement à échelle humaine, l’Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) exerce ses activités principalement en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, dans le Nord-du-Québec, dans le territoire des Hautes-Laurentides et auprès des Premiers Peuples. Depuis plus d’un quart de siècle, l’UQAT se démarque sur plusieurs plans : en enseignement, en recherche et création et en services à la collectivité. Grâce à son expertise reconnue, l’UQAT occupe une place de plus en plus importante non seulement sur l’échiquier régional, mais aussi sur la scène provinciale, nationale et internationale. Unique, le modèle de développement de l’université mise sur des partenariats sur tous ses territoires et assure ainsi l’accessibilité à la formation universitaire. L’UQAT a su élargir le spectre de ses champs disciplinaires qui font aujourd’hui sa renommée : création et nouveaux médias, développement humain et social, éducation, forêts, génie, gestion, mines et environnement, santé et Premiers Peuples.

Depuis la création de l’UQAT, la recherche en foresterie a toujours fait partie des différents plans de développement de l’établissement. Des choix stratégiques, dont une alliance avec l’UQAM, ont permis l’implantation d’une masse critique d’experts interdisciplinaires en « écologie et aménagement forestier durable » et en « valorisation, caractérisation et transformation du bois ». Ces choix permettent aujourd’hui à l’UQAT d’avoir un pôle de renommée en formation, en recherche et en transfert technologique, une expertise qui rayonne au Québec, au Canada et à l’échelle internationale. Avec la création de l’Institut de recherche sur les forêts (IRF) en 2011, l’UQAT s’est dotée d’une structure qui lui permet d’accentuer sa contribution à la science et à la technologie. À ce jour, l’IRF compte sur une équipe de dix chercheurs, une chaire industrielle, deux chaires de recherche du Canada, plusieurs laboratoires spécialisés, ainsi qu’un important réseau de partenariats et d’alliances ici et ailleurs dans le monde. L’Institut se distingue par plus de 3 M$ en recherche annuellement, la publication de plus de 50 articles par année dans des revues scientifiques reconnues, la formation d’un important contingent de personnel hautement qualifié, ainsi qu’un engagement dans le transfert de connaissances par l’organisation d’un nombre important d’activités de diffusion. Renouvelée en 2014, la Chaire industrielle CRSNG-UQAT-UQAM en aménagement forestier durable confirme l’importance de l’élaboration et de l’application de stratégies et de pratiques novatrices pour un aménagement écosystémique et durable des forêts. L’IRF intervient tant en Abitibi-Témiscamingue que dans le Nord-du-Québec avec des retombées significatives pour l’ensemble de la société québécoise.

L’Institut de recherche sur les forêts souhaite pourvoir le poste de :

PROFESSEURE RÉGULIÈRE OU PROFESSEUR RÉGULIER EN ÉCOLOGIE AVEC EXPERTISE EN BIOSTATISTIQUES

Concours no 2017-10
Date : Le 19 mai 2017

FONCTION :

La personne retenue devra être en mesure de développer une programmation de recherche en écologie et en conservation des espèces dans les paysages forestiers. Elle devra avoir un intérêt pour faire des recherches en partenariat avec des entreprises et des organismes gouvernementaux associés aux domaines forestiers et/ou miniers. La personne recherchée devra être apte à œuvrer dans une université de petite taille en région ayant, entre autres, pour mission de contribuer au développement socio-économique de son milieu. Au niveau de l’enseignement, le professeur sera appelé à dispenser des cours portant sur l’analyse et la modélisation des données écologiques dans la cadre de la maîtrise en écologie de l’UQAT (c.-à-d. cours ECL7102 et ECL8202). Il devra aussi contribuer à l’encadrement de projets de recherche d’étudiants inscrits sous sa supervision à la maîtrise en écologie (http://www.uqat.ca/programmes/irf/?lang=fr&menu=mat-eco) et au doctorat en sciences de l’environnement (http://www.uqat.ca/programmes/irf/?lang=fr&menu=doc-env), programmes de 2e et 3e cycles offerts à l’UQAT.

EXIGENCES :

  • Détenir un doctorat en biologie, en foresterie, en sciences de l’environnement, en biogéographie ou une discipline connexe, avec une expertise en biostatisques;
  • Détenir également une productivité scientifique importante;
  • Maîtriser le français à l’oral et à l’écrit : la candidature d’une personne qui ne maîtrise pas le français pourra être considérée sous réserve de certaines conditions.

AUTRES CRITÈRES CONSIDÉRÉS COMME UN ATOUT :

  • Un stage postdoctoral ainsi qu’une expérience en milieu industriel ou gouvernemental.

LIEU PRINCIPAL DE TRAVAIL : Rouyn-Noranda

DATE D’ENTRÉE EN FONCTION : 13 novembre 2017

DURÉE DU CONTRAT : 2 ans (poste menant à la permanence)

TRAITEMENT : Le traitement est établi en fonction des qualifications et de l’expérience de chaque candidat selon la convention collective en vigueur.

Conformément aux exigences prescrites en matière d’immigration au Canada, ce concours s’adresse en priorité aux citoyennes et citoyens canadiens ainsi qu’aux résidentes ou résidents permanents. L’UQAT souscrit à un programme d’égalité en emploi (groupes visés : femmes, membres de minorités visibles et ethniques, Autochtones, personnes ayant un handicap).

DÉPÔT DE CANDIDATURE :

Un dossier de candidature comprend : un curriculum vitae, une lettre de motivation dans laquelle vous décrirez notamment votre philosophie d’enseignement et les grandes orientations de votre programmation de recherche proposée), deux lettres de recommandation, le diplôme de doctorat ou une lettre de la direction de thèse mentionnant la date du dépôt de la thèse.

Particularité : Pour que votre candidature soit considérée, vous devez y joindre un formulaire d’accès à l’égalité en emploi dûment rempli. Veuillez l’imprimer à partir du site : www.uqat.ca/emplois.

Toute candidature sera traitée confidentiellement. Les personnes intéressées doivent faire parvenir leur dossier complet, en spécifiant le numéro du concours, avant 16 h 30 le 7 août 2017, à l’attention de :

Monsieur Louis Imbeau, codirecteur
Institut de recherche sur les forêts
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue 445, boulevard de l’Université
Rouyn-Noranda (Québec) J9X 5E4
Téléphone : 1 819 762-0971, poste 8335 Télécopieur : 1 819 797-4727
Courriel : louis.imbeau@uqat.ca

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2017 Early Career Awards

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The CSEE Early Career Awards recognize outstanding accomplishments and promising future research potential in ecology and evolution by scientists early in their careers. We are delighted to announce that the recipients for the 2017 awards are Dr. Emily Darling, from the University of Toronto and the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Dr. Sean Anderson, from the University of Washington. We look forward to hearing their plenary talks at the CSEE meeting in Victoria.

Congratulations to both recipients, and hats off to all candidates for the very high calibre of their submissions.

Dr Emily Darlingedarling

Emily is a community ecologist and conservation biologist who is motivated to understand how human activities are altering coastal and marine ecosystems. Her research focuses on three interrelated themes: quantifying interactions between multiple stressors and the prevalence of ecological synergies, coral life histories and trajectories of community change on coral reefs, and managing marine ecosystems for resilience to climate change. Her work integrates multiple approaches, ranging from literature reviews, meta-analyses, and statistical analyses of long-term monitoring data, to quantitative field experiments and socio-economic surveys to understand the complex ecological dynamics of coastal systems.

 

sandersonDr Sean Anderson

Sean is a quantitative population biologist who links theory with data through statistical and simulation models to improve predictions about ecological systems and inform management and policy decisions. In particular, he is interested in how we can estimate population status with limited data and in the role of variance, risk, and extreme events in population dynamics. Because these problems are complex, a large part of his research involves method and software development and is often highly collaborative. His work spans across taxa (e.g. birds, moths, grizzly bears, sea cucumbers, salmon), ecosystems (marine, freshwater, terrestrial), methods (empirical, simulation, theoretical), spatial scale (regional, national, global), and time periods (modern, historical, paleontological).

 

 

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IPBES Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production

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CSEE is proud to have supported engagement with IPBES, the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, assisting Dr. Peter Kevan as a lead author on the IPBES’ recent report: Assessment on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production. This report makes critical use of science to which CSEE researchers have contributed, bringing our research contributions into the global policy arena. The full report and the Summary for Policy Makers can be found here.

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CSEE response to US executive order on immigration

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Friday, February 3, 2017

CSEE response to US executive order on immigration

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The Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution (CSEE) expresses its deep concern over the recent Presidential Executive Order that prevents citizens from seven predominantly Muslim nations from travelling through or to the United States.

Scientific progress depends on the open exchange of ideas and transfer of knowledge through international research collaboration, field work, conferences, and workshops. The ban imperils these activities for many researchers, including those working in or working with colleagues in Canada, whether they are students, professors, or practicing scientists in industry, government, and non-governmental sectors.

CSEE embraces principles of diversity and tolerance that are vital to the success of Canadian science and society, but intolerance can create real threats. Recent events reconfirm the truth of Nobel Laureate Lester B. Pearson’s words, “Misunderstanding… arising from ignorance breeds fear, and fear remains the greatest enemy of peace.”

We support calls from organizations, like the Royal Society of Canada and Ecological Society of America, that this travel ban should be ended. CSEE suggests that our members work with their home institutions and in their communities to accommodate those who have been, or will be, displaced by this order.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Kerr, President

Isabelle Côté, Vice President

Miriam Richards, Secretary

Yolanda Morbey, Treasurer

Melanie Jean, Graduate Councillor

Alison Derry, Councillor

Julie Lee-Yaw, PDF Councillor

Chris Eckert, Councillor

Jill Johnstone, Councillor

Andrew Simons, Councillor

Mark Vellend, Councillor

Jeannette Whitton, Councillor

Jeffrey Hutchings, Past President

Judy Myers, Past President

Spencer Barrett, Past President

Doug Morris, Past President

 

About CSEE: The Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution (CSEE) is a non-partisan group of practicing ecologists and evolutionary biologists at all career stages throughout Canada.

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CSEE members lead engagement with Species At Risk Act regulation updates

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CSEE Biodiversity and Conservation Committee

Environment and Climate Change Canada posted a suite of draft policies related to the implementation of the Species at Risk Act (SARA).  The public consultation period on these policies is open until March 31st 2017. A working group comprising  CSEE members Jeannette Whitton, Jeremy Kerr, Scott Findlay, Sarah Otto, Jeff Hutchings, and Arne Mooers authored and submitted a policy critique which is available as a pdf here.

While noting that Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has recognized some of the problems and has taken initiatives to address them through the proposed policy suite, their analysis identified a number of limitations in the proposed policy suite that they judge will continue to reduce the efficacy of SARA.

To follow up, contact Jeannette Whitton, chair of the CSEE Biodiversity and Conservation Committee.

 

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