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National CSC Training Brings 70 Students and Early Career Professionals Together

Saturday, October 29, 2016
f_IMG_5363_2 Toni Klemm.jpg

 

The National Climate Science Centers Student and Early Career Training was held on the UMass, Amherst campus (host institution for the NE CSC) on November 2nd and 3rd.  There were 70 participants, from undergraduate to Post-doc level, early career professionals, and others who straddle a profession and education.  Joined by up to 30 facilitators, educators and guest speakers, participants came from across the Climate Science Center network; from Alaska, Pacific Islands, rural towns and metropolitan cities.  Virginia Burkett, Associate Director of Climate and Land Use at USGS, Alison Meadow, Staff Scientist - Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions, and Ezra Markowitz of UMass Amherst were the featured speakers at this event.

 

The proceedings, including resources and presentations is coming soon.  In the meantime, read the Early Career Climate Forum blogs (and video!):

Here are a few of the articles leading up to the event:

 

And from the UMass Amherst News and Media Relations, October 26, 2016: "Northeast Climate Science Center to Host Two-Day Training Event"

The NE CSC will host a two-day training event, the first of its kind, for as many as 70 graduate students and early career professionals who are part of the U.S. Department of Interior’s climate science center research network on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 2-3 on the UMass, Amherst campus.

Jeanne Brown, NE CSC communications and outreach manager, says, “We expect participants to come from all over the United States from as far away as the Pacific Islands and Alaska, as well as about a dozen of our local NE CSC Fellows.”

Richard Palmer, university director of the NE CSC and head of civil and environmental engineering, says center organizers are happy to be hosting the event. “Not only will this two-day training enhance the skills of our budding researchers, but it provides an opportunity to meet and make connections with researchers from a variety of backgrounds.”

Brown adds, “I think this will be quite a creative space for stimulating ideas on how to be better equipped to better manage wildlife, resources and natural systems in the face of climate change.”

Palmer, Brown and colleagues hope that among other things, participants will gain a better idea of how to identify stakeholders and develop research projects that directly answer natural resource management questions, learn how to develop useful climate adaptation tools as research products, improve their ability to communicate climate research results to a wide range of audiences, strengthen their own network and increase collaborations among CSC students.  

The two-day program will offer a combination of skills development and discussion on topics such as climate science communication, building relationships with Native American tribes and developing research portfolios. Brown says, “Just by being able to assemble these talented young scientists on our campus and giving them a chance to network and connect would be value enough of hosting this event. We are also fortunate to have the experience of some outstanding educators, researchers and communications specialists to help facilitate discussions.”

Mary Ratnaswamy, U.S. Geological Survey Director of NE CSC, says, “For the first time, students and early career professionals who do their work in the regional CSCs will be able to gather and join in discussions that will showcase the research and tools funded by the USGS through the CSC network since the onset of the program over five years ago.”

She adds, “It is very exciting to be able to host this national meeting which will provide early career scientists and students across our network the chance to learn from each other and a wide array of other professionals. Natural and cultural resource managers are eager to work with them to help develop critically needed studies on climate impacts and adaptation.”

NE CSC also has support for the training from the DOI National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center, the seven other regional climate science centers, the College of Natural Sciences, College of Engineering, UMass Graduate School and the departments of civil and environmental engineering, environmental conservation and geosciences.

See more on the training here >>