ECE Events at ESA 2023!

Whether you want to show your appreciation for being awarded travel funds, love the resources in the monthly newsletter, have ideas for how the ECE Section can better serve you, or just want to meet others in this transitional phase of our careers, come hang out with the ECE Section at our events in Portland!

We are sponsoring and/or highlighting the following events – click the title to go to the conference program for more info.

DAILY Monday-Wednesday (August 7-9), 9:30 AM-6:30 PM Pacific

Our table in the exhibition hall will include the following:

• “Meet-Greet-&-Eat” Sign-Ups: Make new friends by signing up to meet for meals with a group! (Also, check Slack to find where the Early Career bunch headed that day and not have to eat alone).
• Prizes: Participate in our conference experience “checklist” to be entered in a drawing to win prizes.
• Swag and suggestion boards: Pick up section stickers or business cards, suggest section activities, sign up to write a post on this blog, and more!

Monday (August 7, 2023)

Career Central – ECE/EIC Networking, 10:30-11:30 AM Pacific

This is a networking opportunity for early career professionals to meet with a few of the Editors-In-Chief (EICs) of ESA journals, potentially including (EIC attendance not yet finalized) Drs. Kathryn Cottingham (Ecology), Rich Wallace (Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment), Juan Corley (Ecological Applications), and Manuel Lerdau (Ecosphere). Networking with EICs is a great way to learn what journals are looking for, how the review process works, and build connections for future original research submissions!

Career Central – Thriving in Graduate School, 1:30-2:30 PM Pacific

We will kick off the first full conference day with a talk on Thriving in Graduate School by our chair, Kathleen Carroll. Kathleen finished her Ph.D. in 2019 at Montana State University and will share insights and answer questions about the graduate school experience. Last year this was the most highly attended presentation at Career Central, so make sure you catch it!

Special Session 14 – Ecology Across Career Sectors, 3:30-5:00 PM Pacific

A degree in ecology can lead to a wide range of careers, but many early career ecologists are not aware of the diversity of opportunities available to them. In this session, ecologists across a range of careers and sectors will briefly present how they are using ecology in their current positions, followed by a panel discussion. Presenters will tell the story of a recent project, while making clear the organizational context of their work, such as where funding is obtained, how projects are prioritized, who their stakeholders are, and how professional success is demonstrated. Speakers include ecologists within government agencies, private industry, and non-profit organizations conducting original research, as well as those integrating ecology into business strategies, and strengthening STEM education through increasing equity and inclusion.

Early Career Ecologists Mixer & Business Meeting, 6:30-8:00 PM Pacific

Spoke and Fork at the Hyatt Regency Portland

Come network with other early career ecologists while enjoying craft cocktails, Pacific Northwest wines, locally brewed beers, and delicious food! Find out who is organizing the section, including who won the elections, who received awards, what events are planned for the next year, and share how the section can better serve you. The section will provide appetizers, and you are welcome to purchase drinks. Given our amazing turnout last year, we selected this location for its 55-foot granite bar and 100+ person capacity.

Tuesday (August 8, 2023)

(PRIVATE/PRE-REGISTERED) Mentoring Coffee Social, 7:00-8:00 AM Pacific

This event is a chance to meet your mentorship groups if you are part of the Early Career Ecologists mentoring program. If you are not part of this event, please get in touch with our section leadership to learn more!

Workshop 14 – Climate Change in the Classroom: Building Emotional Resilience to Eco-grief and Climate-anxiety in Ecology Courses, 11:45 AM-1:15 PM Pacific

Ecology and environmental science students who spend significant time studying climate change and other global crises often suffer emotional distress and anxiety related to their topics of study. This psychological impact has been referred to as “eco-grief” or “climate-anxiety” and often has a negative impact on students’ mental health. Students may be particularly vulnerable to eco-grief because as a demographic, they tend to suffer high rates of anxiety and frustration with the pace at which our society is currently addressing environmental crises. Given this phenomenon, what should be the role of educators in confronting eco-grief in ecology and environmental science classrooms? We will explore this question through an interactive workshop where we (1) review the literature and our own research on eco-grief (2) share observations of eco-grief in students and attempts to address it in the classroom, (3) develop activity ideas and classroom materials to address eco-grief in our classrooms. Participants can expect to interact with other ecologists, educators, and students and leave the session with an undergraduate-level lesson plan addressing eco-grief. Materials used in and produced during the session will be shared among all participants. We particularly welcome attendance and insight from graduate/undergraduate students on ideas for educators to address the mental health impacts of understanding the scope and scale of climate change.

Wednesday (August 9, 2023)

Workshop 27 – Data Science by Design: Integrating DS Skills into the Ecological Classroom, 10:00-11:30 AM Pacific

Data Science is a growing interdisciplinary field with many applications in ecology. When teaching life science courses, especially ecology, it is valuable for instructors to know how to incorporate data science skills into the course learning objectives. However, this process can be complex and challenging for a number of reasons. This workshop will review research results conducted by the NSF-RCN: Biological and Environmental Data Education Network (BEDE) and guide instructors through equity-focused practices associated with integrating data science into their courses. In this workshop, we will explore student and instructor barriers to teaching and learning data science in a higher education setting. This workshop is meant to cover all learning environments, from introductory to upper-division courses, and across coding languages. Special attention will be paid to ethics and inclusivity with respect to data science education. Dr. Emery will introduce a variety of resources at the instructor’s disposal, including how to use ChatGPT to promote students’ coding skills. After a discussion of the multiple ways to integrate data science into courses, participants will play with these resources and workshop with their peers on ways to modify their pre-existing courses or a course they plan to teach in the future. Dr. Emery will facilitate the group discussions and guide participants through the step-by-step planning process of bringing data science skills into the ecological classroom. Groups will then report out and compare approaches across the different classroom modalities and learning goals. Participants will leave this workshop with a clear plan of action to incorporate data science into their life science courses and help prepare students for a variety of future careers. All materials used in the workshop will be shared among all participants.

Career Central – Managing Career Transitions, 4:00-5:00 PM Pacific

Whether it’s going back to school, changing pathways, or re-entering the workforce after a break, career transitions typically aren’t easy. But these ecologists have all made important pivots of their own, and their experiences may help you find the right way to effectively make your own changes.

Ecological Trivia (Hosted by the Early Career Ecologists Section), 6:30-8:00 PM Pacific

All are welcome to compete at Ecological Trivia hosted by the Early Career Ecologists Section! There will be small prizes for trivia winners!

Thursday (August 10, 2023)

Workshop 39 – Share Your Science: Science Communication Tactics and Techniques, 10:00-11:30 AM Pacific

Effective science communication and engagement are critical for generating interdisciplinary research, engaging with non-scientists, and addressing societal issues. As we conduct rigorous science, it is critical we inform the public of its implications through engaging and accessible channels. This workshop will provide a hands-on experience through a series of activities for participants to hone their science communication skills to more effectively communicate their research to various audiences. This workshop will be an introductory level of science communication, for those just getting started or for anyone who wants to practice and receive feedback on their communication skills; no prior experience is necessary to participate. Participants will be asked to bring their submitted abstracts for their presentations during the meeting or write a paragraph about their research beforehand if they are not presenting. First, participants will swap their abstracts with another participant who will highlight any words, phrases, or sentences that they don’t understand. Then, participants will rewrite the marked phrases on their abstract with the intention of communicating their abstract with a general audience. Next, participants will repeat the exercise for a middle-school audience. Finally, there will be a brief discussion on various science communication strategies that participants can use (e.g., social media, blog writing, podcasts, etc.) to communicate their work. We will then break out into small groups to discuss effective communication strategies we can partake in based on time commitment, skills, and network. Each participant will complete the workshop with two brief narratives of their own research that are targeted for different audiences, as well as a concrete set of science communication skills and a curated list of science communication resources. This workshop will be useful to those interested in sharing their science outside of academia, to increase public awareness, gain funding or enhance interdisciplinary collaborations.