THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
SIGMA GAMMA EPSILON - DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCE NEWSLETTER #7
October 7, 2008
DEPARTMENTAL SEMINAR: On Friday, October 10, at 4 PM in room 125 TH, Gerald Dickens, Rice University & AAPG Distinguished Lecturer, will present “Early Cenozoic Climate and Carbon Cycling: The Sedimentary Record of Global Warming and Massive Carbon Input.” Coffee and cookies in room 135 TH at 3:30 PM. PHH
GEOLOGIC ORIENTATION (12:207) – This week’s orientation will be on Wednesday, October 8. Please meet with the following faculty:
· 4:00 PM – Jeffrey Dorale – 35A TH
· 4: 30 PM – Frank Weirich & the Hydraulics Lab – 242 TH CTF
DECEMBER 2008 GRADUATION DEADLINES:
October 14 Registrar’s Office Signed Application for Degree for all December graduates
October 27 Graduate College Plan of Study for December Master’s recipients
October 27 Graduate College Final Examination Requests for all December graduates (reminder – requests for a doctoral final exam must be filed at least three weeks prior to the exam date)
November 6 Graduate College First deposit of finished thesis
December 3 Graduate College Last day GC accepts Report of Final Exam
December 10 Graduate College Final deposit of thesis. gg
M.S. students Christy Kloberdanz and Timothy Nesheim are participating in an ExxonMobil field course on Reservoir Characterization and Modeling from October 13-17 in La Jolla, CA. JAG
WISE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP SERIES: Workshops for female post-comp PhD candidates:
· Strategies for More Efficient and Effective Literature Searches, Thursday, Oct. 9, 3:30-5:00 PM, Information Commons East – Hardin Library
· Developing a Research Statement in the Sciences and Engineering, Thursdays, October 16 & 30, 5:00-6:30 PM, MERF 2126
· Writing a Successful Research Grant Proposal, Mondays, November 3 & 17, 3:00 – 5:00 PM, 5-664 BSB gg
FREE opportunity for Environmental Science & Geoscience students: Meet and network with erosion & sediment control professionals, local state & government agencies and product vendors. Take advantage of this opportunity to diversify your knowledge in the growing Storm Water Quality industry.
Conference Highlights:
· Keynote Speaker: Chad Pregracke, Living Lands & Waters, “Helping Clean America’s Rivers” http://www.livinglandsandwaters.org/
· Rain Gardens: A Hands-On Training & Field Course
This free opportunity was provided by Darice Baxter, an Environmental Science & Geoscience UI Alumni, who serves on the board of directors for IECA's Great RiversChapter. Darice is the UI's Storm Water Environmental Specialist. This opportunity is only open to a limited number of students. Please register by October 15th, 2008. If you have any questions please contact her, via email darice-baxter@uiowa.edu. To register for this conference please contact the UI Center for Conferences at 335-4141. For additional information, please see Georgie in the main office. DB
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IOWA 2008 FALL FIELD TRIP will examine the Natural History of Bellevue State Park, Jackson County, Iowa on Saturday October 25. Participants will see a Silurian Mosalem Formation dolomites filling large erosional channel in the Ordovician Maquoketa Formation capped by the Silurian Tete des Morts and Blanding Formations. These rocks are exposed as very picturesque bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, and an interesting sequence of Mississippi terraces. In addition to the geology, participants will learn about the flora and fauna of the park as well as the archaeological history and more recent park history. Following the field trip, the GSI fall banquette will be held in a park lodge, with a banquette speaker yet to be announced. The field trip is free to all, with a nominal charge for the guidebook. For more information see the GSI web site (www.iowageology.org) for see Ray Anderson or Chad Fields at the Iowa Geological Survey. RA
69th Annual Tri-State Geological Field Conference, October 17-19, 2008, University of Northern Iowa. The trip will focus on Middle and Upper Devonian stratigraphy in northern Iowa with emphasis on the Lithograph City Formation. The evening banquet will feature a presentation on lithographic printing by Dr. Robert Glasgow, Professor of Print at the University of Iowa. The 2008 TRI-STATE geological field conference will be held from Friday evening through mid-day Sunday, October 17-19, 2008. Dr. John Groves, an alumnus from our department, is one of the coordinators of this field conference. Note that the deadline for pre-registration is October 3, 2008. For more information, please see Georgie in the main office. Any students interested in attending, please see Dr. Heckel. PHH
HONORS, AWARDS, PROMOTIONS, NEW APPOINTMENTS, ETC:
· The Geological Society of America's Structural Geology and Tectonics Division is recognizing Timothy Nesheim's funded GSA proposal for its exceptionally high merit in conception and presentation. Nesheim is one of three students nationwide being cited at the GSA Division meeting on Oct. 7.
· Mary Rose Bubb, Geoscience undergraduate, has been invited to accept membership in Phi Beta Kappa, UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences undergraduate honors organization. Election to Phi Beta Kappa is recognition of academic achievement.
· Dr. Holmes A. Semken received a National Science Foundation Grant (2 yr.); “Excavation, Osteology and DNA Determination of the Tarkio Valley, Iowa, Ground Sloths.”
· New leadership in the Geoscience Department for 2008-2009 includes:
o Laura Nuno – SGE President
o David Majewski – SGE Vice-President
o Myra Laird – SGE Treasurer
o Tawny Bailey – SGE Secretary
Congratulations, everyone! JAG/gg
ASSISTANTSHIP/FELLOWSHIP/GRANTS/SCHOLARSHIP/EMPLOYMENT/OPPORTUNITIES/
SYMPOSIUMS:
· The Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowships: The Hertz Foundation is offering fellowships in the sciences and engineering. They are looking for: 1) exceptional creativity; 2) broad understanding of physical principles; 3) outstanding potential for innovative research; 4) applying to or enrolled in a PhD program; and 5) American citizenship or permanent residency. Apply online at www.hertzfoundation.org. Application deadline is October 31, 2008.
· WISE Travel Grants to PhD-level women who meet certain criteria and are presenting at a professional conference. Application form and additional information is on the WISE website, www.uiowa.edu/~wise in the Grad/Post Doc section. Application deadline is Oct. 15.
· SEG Foundation announces the 2009-2010 SEG scholarship program. This program is open to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in applied geophysics, with an interest in physics, mathematics and geology. Apply online at http://foundation.seg.org. Applications must be supported by transcripts, two letters of recommendation and an original essay. Application deadline is March 1, 2009.
· Volunteer guides for Devonian Fossil Gorge: Volunteers are needed to work weekends at Devonian Fossil Gorge, helping visitors enjoy their experience by answering questions, pointing out fossils and explaining what they are and why they're there. A $20 stipend is available for each volunteer day or you can sign up for credit with a Geoscience Internship. Please email tiffany-adrain@uiowa.edu more information. TSA
· Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG) Brunton Award – AWG promotes the future of field mapping and data acquisition for the upcoming generation of women geoscientists. This award is to a female geosciences student at the senior level or beginning of their graduate studies who has a summer intern, excelled at field camp or performed field data collection that will lead to a senior or graduate thesis. Applications due October 31. For more information visit: www.awg.org/eas/brunton.html.
· The Corps of Engineers – Hydrologic Technician. This is a permanent, full-time position in Rock Island, IL. The work involves a variety of activities relating to water resources, including data collection and data management. The work environment consists of the office, field and the laboratory. Fellow employees generally have undergraduate or graduate degrees in engineering, biology, chemistry, geology, and ecology. Entry-level employees will primarily assist more experienced individuals; eventually working independently or with limited supervision. We are looking for applicants who have made substantial progress towards, or completed, an undergraduate degree in the sciences. Candidates should have successfully completed introductory courses in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science. Selection will be a competitive process. For more information on position requirements, individuals can look under the "Physical Sciences Group" at the following web site: http://www.opm.gov/fedclass/gshbkocc.pdf. Starting pay ranges from $30,000 - $48,000 per year depending upon education and experience. Employees are also entitled to full benefits, including vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, 401K plan, and health benefits. [Entered 09/23/08.]
· The Leifur Eiriksson Foundation Scholarship Program: Its scholarships provide essentially full support for up to one year of study for U.S. graduate students studying in Icelandic universities. Opportunities of U.S. students include research and study in oceanography, climate studies, geology, etc. The application for 2009-10 will be posted at www.leifureirikssonfoundation.org on October 1. Application deadline is December 5, 2008.
New items each week will begin in bold print. For additional information regarding the above announcements, please see Georgie in the main office. gg