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AWG E-MAIL NEWS 2006-27
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CONTENTS
1) GSA ANNOUNCEMENTS
2) AWG LOGO PRODUCT UPDATE
3) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY REVIEW: SEPTEMBER 2006
4) ASSOCIATION FOR GENDER EQUITY LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION 28TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
5) PLUG THE POWER OF SCIENCE INTO PUBLIC POLICY: BECOME AN AAAS SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY POLICY FELLOW
6) POSITION OPENINGS
2006-067 Michigan State University Department of Geological Sciences: Solid-Earth
Geochemistry/Geodynamics
2006-079 Oberlin College: Tenure-Track Opening in Petrology
2006-083 University of Kansas: Geochronology
2006-090 Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Department of Geography and
Geosciences: Tenure-Track Position
7) CONTACT INFORMATION
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Thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue of E-mail News
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1) GSA ANNOUNCEMENTS
Seminar
Governance of a Non-Profit Organization, a half day, no-cost seminar will be presented from 8 a.m. to 1 pm Friday, October 20, 2006. The seminar will be held in the Fairmont Room of the Best Western City Center at 501 North 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, as part of the Fall AWG Board of Directors Meeting. Colleagues and friends are invited to join the board for the seminar, and to participate in a working session following the seminar. If you are interested in serving on the AWG board or any other non-profit board, this meeting is for you. Please RSVP to Nadine Langley by e-mail to president@awg.org no later than 5 p.m. PST October 16th.
The Fall 2006 AWG Board of Directors meeting will be held October 20th and 21st, 2006, at the Best Western City Center. If you have any concerns or issues you would like for the board to consider, please send an e-mail to Nadine Langley (president@awg.org), your regional delegate, or any board member. Members are welcome to participate in Friday’s seminar and work session, and on Saturday’s business meeting.
Lunchtime Discussion
Issues Facing Women Department Chairs, Deans, and other Academic Leaders
Tuesday, October 24, 2006, Lunch 12:15-1:15 GSA ¬ Philadelphia Convention Center, Room 106B Sandwiches Provided
Topic: Leading to Promote Change
1. Introductions
2. Department Chairs as Leaders in Changing the Culture
3. Small-Group Discussions on the topics below
- Mentoring early career faculty
- Developing leadership
- Managing the workload as an academic leader
4. Final comments and next steps
Conveners: Marjorie Chan (University of Utah) and Heather Macdonald (College of William & Mary)
Sponsored by the Association for Women Geoscientists and the GSA Committee on Minorities and Women in the Geosciences. We are very grateful for funding provided by the AWG Foundation & the GSA Committee on Minorities and Women in the Geosciences.
Please contact Heather Macdonald (rhmacd@wm.edu) if you have any questions.
Call for Volunteers
The AWG booth is displayed at professional geoscience conferences and conventions to inform others about our organization, and to provide a venue for interaction with the geoscience community. Perhaps you found out about AWG at one of our booth functions. Volunteers are needed to staff the booth at upcoming conferences, including the fall American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco from December 11 – 15, 2006. If you are looking for a way to spend a couple of hours between talks at AGU this year, consider making a commitment to staff the AWG booth. You will find it an interesting and rewarding way to meet and talk to current members and potential members, and others in the geoscience community. If you are interested in volunteering to staff the booth at AGU, please send an e-mail to Jean Hsieh at pac-del@awg.org.
Geoscience Days for K-12 students
The 2006 Geological Society of America's Annual Meeting will convene in Philadelphia on October 22-25; the meeting theme is The Pursuit of Science: Building on a Foundation of Discovery. The GSA Committee on Minorities and Women in the Geosciences has developed TWO fantastic Geoscience Days, pairing geoscientists attending the meeting with local middle-/junior-/ high school students and teachers to share geoscience education and career materials and experiences (details follow below). Food, buses, and program have been arranged - now we need volunteers to spend part of a day with these Philadelphia Public school students to share wisdom, fun, and the joys of a geoscience career. 6-8 volunteers are needed for each day.
We are still developing the schedule, but the activity will be from about 9 am - 1 pm. We ask the geoscientists to ride on the school bus with the students from the schools to the sites and back - that is when the real career conversations happen.
GIS Geoscience Day - Tuesday, October 24. Activity: Cartographic Modeling Lab, University of Pennsylvania. There are workstations with ArcGIS installed on them in the lab. Students will explore the Cartographic Modeling Lab (CML) spatial analysis system using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, the interactive applications of the Philadelphia Neighborhood Information System, GIS data from the City of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, and the Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA) public access geospatial information clearinghouse. ESRI is also a partner in this activity.
Environmental Geoscience Day -- Wednesday, October 25. Activity: Environmental geoscience field trip in urban geohydrology. Students will visit a Philadelphia municipal water facility in the morning (e.g., Belmont Water Treatment plant), and have a guided tour/presentation of at least two sites at Mill Creek, a City of Philadelphia/Penna. DEP neighborhood project (stream excavation, recovery, high-tech materials, urban farm).
To volunteer, please contact Cassandra Runyon, Chair, GSA Comm. on M&W, at runyonc@cofc.edu, or Deborah Nelson, GSA, at dnelson@geosociety.org.
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2) AWG LOGO PRODUCT UPDATE
As many of you know, AWG recently contracted with CafePress to market many of our logo products. Last week, we discovered that CafePress also represents another organization with the acronym “AWG”, Average White Guys. A search on CafePress using only the letters AWG yields a web page that lists our products mixed with theirs. We are aware that some of their messages are in direct conflict with the goals and images of AWG. At this time, we are working with CafePress to resolve the problem. Additionally, we have had some difficulty with posting more than one logo on our product page, so you may have to visit more than one page to view our entire product line (we’re working on that problem, too!). If you would like to view and purchase the Association for Women Geoscientists logo products, please paste the URL http://www.cafepress.com/assocwomengeos directly into your web address line. If you would like to view The Hands That Cradle the Rock products, paste the URL http:/
/www.cafepress.com/awghands into your web address line. If you search for the products on the CafePress site, use the complete name and not our initials. Stay tuned for updates on the AWG logo products!
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3) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY REVIEW: SEPTEMBER 2006
NOTE: Summaries of the first 16 items on the Monthly Review are provided in the text of this email. To view all of the summaries (items 1-34) please go directly to the Monthly Review page, http://www.agiweb.org/gap/email/review0906.html
1. Congress Adjourns with Budget Undone
2. Senate Introduces National Competitiveness Investment Act
3. House and Senate Miles Apart on Offshore Drilling Legislation
4. BP Pipeline Shutdown Prompts New Legislation
5. House Approves Alternative Energy Bill
6. House Introduces Bill to Create an Independent Mineral Resource Agency
7. Open Access Legislation Garners More External Support
8. House Approves NOAA Organic Act
9. Senate Introduces Hurricane Research Bill
10. House and Senate Nearly Finished with Water Resources Bill
11. Senate and House Approve Drought Legislation
12. Geological Society of America Holds Drought Briefing for Congress
13. NASA Resignations
14. Mark Myers Becomes the 14th Director of the USGS
15. Scientists and Engineers Visit Congress in September
16. Congressional Visits Day: May 1 and 2, 2007
17. EPA Issues New Rules on Soot
18. CBO Report Calls for Cap on Greenhouse Gases
19. DOE Completes Climate Change Technology Program Strategic Plan
20. Army Corps of Engineers Lacks Plan for Katrina Levees
21. Report on Critical Need for Hurricane Research: Public Comments Requested
22. National Academies Report Calls for Changes in K-8 Science Education
23. Report on Gender Bias in Academia
24. Vatican Astronomer Replaced Because of Evolution Dispute
25. Physics Papers Free Online with One Small Catch
26. Consortium to Hold Technical Forums on Oil and Natural Gas
27. Weather and Climate Community Will Meet to Develop Priorities
28. Scientists and Engineers for America Advocates for Scientific Integrity
29. Earth Science Week: October 8-14
30. State Department Science Fellowships: AIP and NAS
31. 2007-2008 William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship
32. AGI Government Affairs Internships
33. Key Federal Register Notices
34. New Updates to the Web Site
1. Congress Adjourns with Budget Undone
The 109th Congress adjourned on September 29th with lots of work left to complete when they return after the mid-term elections for at least one lame duck session from November 13-17. The biggest task to complete is the fiscal year 2007 budget for much of the federal government. Congress is likely to try to combine many separate bills into one large appropriation bill called an omnibus and if this happens, then policymakers are also likely to try to balance budget priorities for such an omnibus by applying a small rescission (probably about 1%) across all programs. It is also possible that Congress will not be able complete their budget work in November and may return for an additional lame duck session in January.
Congress passed only two of 12 fiscal year 2007 appropriation bills - one for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and one for the Department of Defense. The DHS appropriations bill contains a continuing resolution for the other appropriation bills that have not been completed. The resolution extends to November 17 and maintains the funding of all government agencies, except DHS and DOD, at the lower value of three possible levels: the fiscal year 2006 budget, the House-approved funding or the Senate committee approved funding. The House completed work on all 11 of their appropriation bills, however, the 12 Senate bills have not been considered by the full chamber and thus remain with their respective committees.
Lawmakers have also been working on a variety of non-appropriation bills related to research, education, natural resources and natural hazards. Summaries of the most recent actions on some of these bills are provided in other sections of this monthly review. Additional information about these bills and other congressional activities are available on AGI’s Government Affairs web site at: http://www.agiweb.org/gap/index.html
A table of the appropriation bills and their current status is available on Thomas at:
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app07.html
A summary of appropriations for fiscal year 2007 that are of particular interest to the geoscience community are available on AGI’s Government Affairs web site at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/issues/alphalist.html#approps
2. Senate Introduces National Competitiveness Investment Act
Concern about Americans’ decreasing ability to compete in math, science, and engineering and its effect on U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace has prompted the introduction of the bipartisan National Competitiveness Investment Act (NCIA) (S.3936) on September 26, 2006.
Senate leaders Bill Frist (R-TN) and Harry Reid (D-NV), as well as the chairs and ranking members of several key committees have joined together in a bipartisan fashion to create this new legislation. The new bill combines the American Innovation and Competitiveness bill (S.
2802), a Commerce Committee initiative and the Protecting America’s Competitive Edge (PACE) Energy Bill (S. 2197), an Energy Committee initiative with education incentives to promote science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and critical foreign language education, from the Housing, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
If passed, the NCIA would authorize doubling of National Science Foundation (NSF) basic research over the next five years as well as increased funding for basic research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Department of Energy’s Office of Science and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The bill would also provide early career research grants to young investigators. The NCIA would create a DARPA-modeled energy program, ARPA-E, in order to fund exploratory, high-risk energy projects. The NCIA would also create a new teacher’s institute aimed at new math and science teaching techniques, bolster recruitment and training of new math and science teachers, sponsor K-12 level math and science teacher scholarships, and encourage more students to take advanced placement (AP) and international baccalaureate (IB) courses.
On the House side, the Early Career Research Act (H.R.5356) and the Science and Mathematics Education for Competitiveness Act (H.R. 5358) have similar components as the NCIA and would be the likely pieces of legislation that would be combined with the NCIA if the Senate and House can move their bills forward during the lame duck session.
For summaries and the full text of the bills, visit Thomas at:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.05356:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.05358:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:s.02197:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:s.02802:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:s.03936:
3. House and Senate Miles Apart on Offshore Drilling Legislation
The House and Senate were unable to settle their differences on offshore drilling legislation before the recess and it remains unclear whether they can resolve these issues when they return in November. The Senate bill, the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (S.3711) and the House bill, the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act (DOER, H.R. 4761) set very different limitations on new offshore drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico. The extent of the drilling and the sharing of the royalty revenues remain the most contentious issues to resolve.
Within the House bill, part of the federal revenue generated from offshore drilling royalties would fund the Energy and Mineral Schools Reinvestment Fund Act (EMSRA). Funds would be distributed to petroleum, mining, applied geology and geophysics schools to support education and research and to encourage the growth of professionals in the energy workforce. Additional funds would be available for K-12 science education. The House bill would also establish the National Geo Fund to fund geologic mapping, geophysical and other seismic studies, earthquake monitoring programs, and preservation and use of geologic and geophysical data.
For summaries and the full text of the bills, visit Thomas at:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:s.03711:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04761:
4. BP Pipeline Shutdown Prompts New Legislation
Both chambers of Congress moved forward this month toward a pipeline safety overhaul stimulated by significant corrosion problems in BP’s Prudhoe Bay pipelines along the North Slope of Alaska. BP was forced to halt production after a spill of over 200,000 gallons of oil in March
2006 followed by a smaller leak in August. The shutdown of Prudhoe Bay prompted a stream of congressional hearings and new legislation in September.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-AK) introduced the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2006 (H.R. 5782) in July, which would regulate low-stress pipelines in “unusually sensitive areas.” H.R. 5782 was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce where it remained with little activity until the BP pipeline problems emerged. After several hearings on the BP pipeline problems in the House, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) and Ranking Member John D. Dingell (D-MI) introduced bipartisan amendments to H.R. 5782 which would enhance operator inspection and cleaning rules on most rural low-stress pipelines with a few exceptions, regulating more pipelines than the original bill.
In the Senate, Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) introduced the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 (S. 3961) on September 27th, which regulates the same low-stress pipelines as the Barton-Dingell amendment. Both plans call for the authorization of grants for pipeline damage prevention programs, public summaries of enforcement actions against pipeline operators and minimum standards for integrity management programs for gas distribution in areas close to residences.
Barton expressed confidence that legislation would be passed by the end of the year.
For House bill H.R. 5782, please see
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.05782:
For Senate bill S. 3961, please see
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:s.03961:
For summaries of recent pipeline hearings, please see http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis109/energy_hearings.html
5. House Approves Alternative Energy Bill
On September 29th, hours before Congress adjourned, the House approved the Alternative Energy Research and Development Act (H.R. 5656) which brings together a series of smaller bills considered by the Science Committee. The bill authorizes $402 million for alternative energy research, particularly biofuels, hydrogen, plug-in hybrid vehicles and green building technology. The bill also requests a National Academy of Sciences study of the Advanced Research Projects for Energy (ARPA-E) initiative. The initiative was suggested in the National Academy report, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” and has been proposed in several competitiveness bills introduced in 2006. There is no comparable bill being considered in the Senate and this bill is not likely to advance in the lame duck session.
The full text of the bill is available on Thomas:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.05656:
6. House Introduces Bill to Create an Independent Mineral Resource Agency
On September 14th, the House introduced legislation to create an independent mineral commodity resource administration within the Department of the Interior. The legislation, entitled “The Resource Origin and Commodity Knowledge (ROCK) Act” (H.R. 6080), sponsored by Thelma Drake (R-VA) would establish an administrator (appointed by the President) who would report directly to the Secretary of the Interior. The bill would require the transfer of not less than 200 full time equivalent positions from the U.S. Geological Survey and not less than 100 full time equivalent positions from the rest of the Department to this new agency.
The new agency would provide mineral commodity data that is currently produced by the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, the new administrator would be required to prepare an analysis of “the foreign and domestic mineral commodities that will be required by the United States to sustain the energy supply, demand, and prices projected by the [Energy Information Administration’s] Annual Energy Outlook analysis.”
The bill was referred to the House Committee on Resources and the subcommittee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on the bill on September 20th. David Kanagy, the Executive Director of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, one of AGI’s Member Societies, testified at the hearing about the need for unbiased, timely and accurate mineral commodity data. There is no comparable legislation currently being considered by the Senate and the House bill is unlikely to advance through the 109th Congress during their brief lame-duck session.
The full text of the bill is available on Thomas:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.06080:
7. Stalled Open Access Legislation Garners External Support
An open access bill introduced in the Senate in May 2006 is still awaiting congressional action. The Federal Research Public Access Act of 2006 (S. 2695) would require each federal agency with extramural research expenditures of over $100 million to develop a specified federal research public access policy that is consistent with and advances the purposes of the agency. The bill is sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and is still waiting for consideration within the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which is chaired by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME). There is no comparable legislation that is currently being considered in the House and given the limited amount of time left for the 109th Congress to complete their work; it is very unlikely this bill will be approved by the Senate, let alone Congress.
There has been some strong support for open access legislation from external groups, such as health and patients rights advocates, a spectrum of organizations that favor open access and universities. This strong external support has kept policymakers from both chambers looking for ways to include open access in legislation. Although the House did not introduce a separate bill on open access like the Senate, there is language in the House fiscal year 2007 appropriations bill for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that would require the NIH Public Access Policy to be mandatory, instead of voluntary and there is language in a House bill for the reauthorization of NIH that would require greater oversight of the public access policy to determine if it is effective. The House has not approved either bill and there is no such language in the related Senate bills. At this time, it seems likely that the House language will be dropped when the two chambers conference on these bi
lls in order to complete the approval process in a timely fashion. Given the strong external support for open access, the 110th Congress is likely to pursue this issue again.
8. House Approves NOAA Organic Act
On September 20, the House Committee on Science approved the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Organic Act (HR 5450) introduced by House Science Environment, Technology, and Standards Subcommittee Chairman Vernon Ehlers (R-MI). According to a Committee press release, this bill would clarify and codify the functions and responsibilities of NOAA for the first time in the agency’s history. It would also increase congressional oversight of the agency.
The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative, made up of members of earlier ocean advisory committees, said that more than 20 measures have been proposed since 1971 in order to codify the agency, yet none have ever been carried out to completion. As a result, NOAA still operates under an Executive Order from 1970.
Although HR 5450 has advanced further in the House than previous bills, no comparable legislation has been passed in the Senate. Moreover, the legislation lacks a provision on oceans and fisheries, areas under the jurisdiction of the House Resources Committee. Prospects of completing NOAA’s codification this year seem slim given the limited time for lame duck congressional sessions and the gaps in the current legislation.
For a complete copy of the bill, click here.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.05450:
9. Senate Introduces Hurricane Research Bill
Senators Mel Martinez (R-FL), Bill Nelson (D-FL) and David Vitter (R-LA) announced the introduction of a new bill entitled “The National Hurricane Research Initiative” at a September 25th press conference in the Capitol. The new bill would provide funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve understanding of hurricane movement and intensity and how hurricanes interact with the coast and the built environment when they strike land. The bill is partially based on recommendations from a draft report of the National Science Board entitled “Hurricane Warning: The Critical Need for a National Hurricane Research Initiative”. See summary below for more information about the draft report and an opportunity for public comment on the report.
There is no comparable legislation currently being considered in the House, so this bill is unlikely to advance in the 109th Congress. It may be re-introduced, however, when the 110th Congress begins a new session in January, 2007.
10. House and Senate Nearly Finished with Water Resources Bill
The two chambers ran out of time to reconcile their differences on two bills meant to re-authorize the Water Resources Act. The Senate version, S.728 costs $15 billion, while the House version, H.R. 2864 costs $12 billion. Besides the differences in costs, the primary sticking point is probably the Senate provision on Army Corps of Engineers reform, stricter mitigation requirements and corps independent review. Congressional experts also hinted that lawmakers are uneasy about passing a pork-laden bill before the mid-term elections. It is very likely that Congress will reconcile their differences during the lame-duck session and send a bill to President Bush to sign in November.
The full text of the bill is available on Thomas:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.02864:
11. Senate and House Approve Drought Legislation
During the last week in September, the Senate and the House approved bills establishing a National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The system would create an early-warning system for droughts and improved drought mitigation and response tactics. According to a Senate press release, President Bush has also expressed his support for a NIDIS system.
NOAA reported that droughts cost $6 to $8 billion in estimated losses to the U.S. economy each year. The bill’s co-sponsor Senator Ben Nelson (D-NB) said the program would take pressure off Congress to pass emergency aid when crops fail during dry years. “We could mitigate losses and ultimately limit the need for large drought relief packages,” he said.
The Senate bill (S. 2751), also co-sponsored by Pete V. Domenici (R-NM), would authorize $59 million through fiscal year 2012 for the program. The House bill (H.R. 5136), co-sponsored by Ralph Hall (R-TX) and Mark Udall (D-CO) would authorize $81 million through 2012. Although the bills differ, some lawmakers think it will be easy to settle these differences and get the bill approved by Congress during the lame-duck session in November.
For a complete copy of HR 5136, please see
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.05136:
For a complete copy of S 2751, please see
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:s.02751:
12. Geological Society of America Holds Drought Briefing for Congress
The Geological Society of America (GSA) in cooperation with the Congressional Hazards Caucus sponsored a briefing on drought on September 27. The briefing, entitled “Drought: Strategies to Ensure Adequate Water Resources for Future Generations” featured three speakers, Dr. Stephen Wells, President of the Desert Research Institute and current President of GSA, Dr. Donald Wilhite, Director of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Ms. Hope Mizzell, the State Climatologist of South Carolina.
Wells and Wilhite focused their talks on the preliminary science and policy roadmap from a GSA meeting on drought, held September 18-20. Mizzell discussed the impacts of drought on South Carolina and emphasized that drought is not just an issue for states west of the Mississippi. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) spoke at the briefing about the importance of additional data and research on drought to help mitigate the impacts of future drought events. He also summarized the status of recent drought legislation in Congress (see the NIDIS summary above). A summary of the briefing and the presentations of the speakers are available on the Congressional Hazards Caucus Alliance web page at www.hazardscaucus.org/events.html
13. NASA Resignations
Mary Cleave the associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate has announced that she will resign this spring, according to a news report in Science Magazine. Cleave, a former astronaut with more than 262 hours in space, was a research psychologist and environmental engineer before becoming an astronaut and she worked on several earth-observing missions for NASA laboratories after her tenure in space. She was named the associate administrator for science by Michael Griffin, shortly after he became the NASA administrator. Cleave has had the difficult task of dealing with cuts to space, planetary and earth science programs and trying to explain the rationale for these cuts to the research community.
In late August, three prominent scientists on the NASA Advisory Committee (NAC) resigned after conflicts with Michael Griffin about research priorities. The NAC was re-organized last year and is now directed by geologist Harrison Schmitt (former Apollo astronaut and Senator). The NAC has been having trouble offering advice to Griffin on the appropriate balance of science and space exploration and this difficulty has sparked the resignations. Charles Kennel, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, California resigned as the chair of the NAC, while former NASA space science chief Wesley Huntress, who is now the director of the Geophysical Laboratory at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and Provost Eugene Levy of Rice University were asked to step aside by Griffin.
14. Mark Myers Becomes the 14th Director of the USGS
Mark Myers became the 14th Director of the United States Geological Survey on September 26, 2006 after he was unanimously approved by the Senate on September 14th.
Mark Myers previously served as the Director of Alaska's Division of Oil and Gas, a position that he held for five years. He is also a past president and board member of the Alaska Geological Society; a certified professional geologist with the American Institute of Professional Geologists; a certified petroleum geologist with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists; and a licensed geologist with the State of Alaska. He received his doctorate in geology from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in 1994, specializing in sedimentology, clastic depositional environments, surface and subsurface sequence analysis and sandstone petrography. Myers earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in geology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
15. Scientists and Engineers Visit Congress in September
The Coalition for National Science Funding, which AGI is a member of, sponsored congressional visits by engineers and scientists on September 13th. About 80 visitors, from 27 societies visited more than 100 staffers for congressional members from 25 different states. At least 10 geoscientists from the American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America were among the participants. In some cases, visitors were able to meet directly with their Members of Congress. During an evening reception the night before, Congressmen Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Sherwood Boehlert (R-OH), Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Bart Gordon (D-TN) gave speeches and met with scientists and engineers. The participants were also given information about congressional activities and how to conduct a congressional visit during an afternoon orientation the day before.
Overall it was a good opportunity to be a citizen scientist, highlight the importance of science and engineering, learn more about Congress, talk to policymakers and network with other scientists and engineers with shared policy concerns.
16. Congressional Visits Day: May 1 and 2, 2007
Congressional Visits Day (CVD) has been scheduled for May 1 and 2, 2007 by the Science, Engineering and Technology Working Group (SET). The American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America are members of SET and encourage geoscientists to sign-up with their respective societies to participate. AGI is also a member of SET and can help geoscientists affiliated with AGI’s other Member Societies participate in these visits. Please contact Linda Rowan, AGI Government Affairs for more information [rowan@agiweb.org].
SET CVD is an annual two-day event that brings scientists, engineers, researchers, educators, and technology executives to Washington, DC to raise visibility and support for science, engineering, and technology. Uniquely multi-sector and multi-disciplinary, the SET CVD is coordinated by coalitions of companies, professional societies and educational institutions and it is open to all who believe that science and technology are the cornerstone of our Nation's future. The two-day event consists of a series of briefings and meetings highlighted with visits to your Congressional delegates.
The objective of SET CVD is to raise awareness of the long-term importance of science, engineering and technology to the Nation through face-to-face meetings with Members of Congress, congressional staff, key Administration officials and other decision-makers.
Details about previous CVD events are available at:
http://www.aas.org/policy/cvd/index.html
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Monthly Review prepared by Rachel Bleshman, AGI/AAPG fall intern and Linda Rowan, Director of Government Affairs.
Sources: SPARC Open Access Newsletter, Science, National Academies, Weather Coalition, Independent Petroleum Association of America, Thomas, New York Times, Congressional Quarterly, Energy and Environment Daily, House Resources Committee, The Informer, NOAA Office of Legislative Affairs, American Institute of Physics and the Federal Register.
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4) ASSOCIATION FOR GENDER EQUITY LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION 28TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Moving Research to Practice: Gender Equity in a Diverse Society
Call for Presentation Proposals
Time and place: July 8-11, 2007 at the Marriott Mission Valley Hotel, San Diego, CA
Presentation proposals due November 10, 2006
The mission of the Association for Gender Equity Leadership in Education (AGELE) is to provide leadership in the identification and infusion of gender equity in all educational programs and processes, and within parallel equity concerns, including, but not limited to, age, disability, ethnicity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status (www.agele.org <http://www.agele.org/).
Session content: Presentation proposals must address the mission of AGELE. Proposals that address the connection of research to practice (conference theme) are more likely to be successful.
Registration: All presenters at the AGELE conference are required to register and pay the full conference registration fee ($325). Presenter registrations are due March 2, 2007.
A/V Equipment: AGELE will provide (at no cost) an overhead projector, screen, flip chart paper and pens. All other equipment, such as TV/VCR, PowerPoint projector, and computers, will be the responsibility of the presenter to provide. This additional A/V equipment may be rented through the hotel at the presenter's expense.
Format of Sessions: A variety of formats are available. We recommend that significant time for participant interaction be included, and that presenters infuse their gender equity in education work with parallel equity issues wherever possible. Time slots of 2.5 hours for seminars, and 1 hour and 15 minutes for workshops are available.
– Research-based Seminars: Proposals must bring a research-based, in-depth approach to the topic.
– Workshops: Proposals must include hands-on activities for, and/or active involvement of participants.
– Topical Panels: These self-organized panels must present varied perspectives of the same topic.
Please complete: Cover Sheet and Description of Presentation forms, found at www.agele.org (http://www.agele.org/).
Submit by e-mail or fax no later than November 10, 2006 to:
David Cherry, Director
West Regional Equity Network (WREN)
Region IX Equity Assistance Center
The University of Arizona College of Education
Tucson, AZ
E-mail: dcherry@email.arizona.edu
520-626-4603
Notifications of selected presentations will be made on or about December 30, 2006 and presenter registrations are due March 2, 2007.
For More Information
For further information on this Call for Presenters, contact: David Cherry, AGELE Conference Chair, West Regional Equity Network (WREN), dcherry@email.arizona.edu.
For general information on the AGELE 2007 Conference, contact: Ed Little, AGELE Conference Liaison, Vancouver School District, Washington, elittle@vansd.org.
For a conference registration packet or registration questions, see the AGELE web site at www.agele.org <http://www.agele.org/> or e-mail Marta Larson, AGELE Business Manager, at AGELEbusiness@yahoo.com.
Thank you for your active participation in gender equity leadership in education!!
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5) PLUG THE POWER OF SCIENCE INTO PUBLIC POLICY: BECOME AN AAAS SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY POLICY FELLOW
There's no better way to serve society with your scientific expertise! For more than 30 years, the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships have provided scientists and engineers with a unique public policy learning experience and an opportunity to apply their knowledge and analytical skills to national and international issues in the policy realm. Career-advancing opportunities are available with Congress and nearly a dozen federal agencies. The six fellowship areas are:
- Congressional
- Diplomacy
- Energy, Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources
- Global Stewardship
- Health, Education & Human Services
- National Defense & Global Security
Eligibility & Criteria
AAAS seeks candidates from a broad array of backgrounds and a diversity of geographic, disciplinary, gender, and ethnic perspectives. Fellows come from a range of sectors, including academia, industry and non-profits, representing a spectrum of career stages, from recent PhD graduates to faculty on sabbatical to retired scientists and engineers.
Fellows also have ranged in age from late twenties to early seventies. Regardless of background, career stage or age, successful applicants must:
– Hold a doctoral-level degree (PhD, MD, DVM, DSc, PharmD, and other terminal degrees), in any physical, biological, medical, or social science, any field of engineering, or any relevant interdisciplinary field. Applicants with a master's degree in engineering and at least three years of post-degree professional experience also qualify. NOTE: All requirements for the terminal degree must be completed by the application deadline;
– Have solid scientific and technical credentials and the endorsement of three references;
– Hold U.S. citizenship;
– Show a commitment to applying their scientific or technical expertise to serve society;
– Be good communicators, both verbally and in writing, to decision-makers and non-scientific audiences; and
– Demonstrate integrity and good judgment and display leadership qualities.
NOTE: Some program areas and agencies seek additional qualifications. See the website (http://fellowships.aaas.org) for details.
Placements
Placements are available in Congressional offices and more than ten federal agencies. The fellowships are year-long opportunities, beginning 1 September and ending 31 August. Extension or renewal of fellowships is sometimes possible, depending upon the program, approval of the host office, and availability of funding.
Support
Annual stipends will begin at approximately $65,000 for the 2007-2008 fellowship year. Fellows also receive a relocation allowance (for some agencies), health insurance reimbursement, a travel allowance, support for placement, an eight-day intensive orientation, and a year-long program of professional development activities that include monthly seminars, training workshops, networking gatherings, and a year-end retreat.
Apply
AAAS accepts only online applications. Please visit the AAAS Fellowships website for full details on criteria, guidelines, program areas, application instructions, and to access the online application. The application period for 2007-2008 Fellowships will begin in August 2006, and the deadline is 20 December 2006.
For more information contact :
Brianne S. Miers
Manager, Communications & Marketing
Science & Technology Policy Fellowships American Association for the
Advancement of Science 1200 New York Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: 202.326.6481
Fax: 202.289.4950
E-mail: bmiers@aaas.org
URL: http://fellowships.aaas.org
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6) POSITION OPENINGS
2006-067
Michigan State University Department of Geological Sciences
Solid-Earth Geochemistry/Geodynamics
The Department of Geological Sciences at Michigan State University announces an academic year tenure-track position in solid-earth geochemistry/geodynamics beginning Fall 2007. The position is at the Assistant Professor level. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a strong, externally funded research program, be committed to excellence in teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate level, and be able to contribute enthusiastically to both the intellectual and collegial life of the department. This position is open to candidates with a PhD in Geological Sciences that focuses on chemical evolution of the crust and mantle, and applied processes; field experience is desirable. Post-doctoral experience and the ability to complement one or more existing departmental strengths is desirable.
Additional information on the Department can be obtained on our web page at http://www.geology.msu.edu/.
Michigan State University is an Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Institution and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation. Review of applications will begin December 20, 2006 and continue until the position is filled. Interested applicants should forward a curriculum vita, official transcripts, a statement of teaching and research interests, and the names and contact information for three references to:
Ralph E. Taggart, Chair
Department of Geological Sciences
Michigan State University
206 Natural Science Building
East Lansing, MI 48824-1115
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2006-079
Oberlin College
Tenure-Track Opening in Petrology
The Department of Geology at Oberlin College invites applications for a full-time continuing
(tenure-track) faculty position in the College of Arts and Sciences. Appointment to this position will be for a term of four years, beginning first semester of 2007-08, and will carry the rank of Assistant Professor. The incumbent will teach courses in the general area of petrology, including but not limited to a course (with laboratory) in igneous and metamorphic petrology. We are especially interested in individuals with broad interests who are willing and able to teach outside of their specialization.
Among the qualifications required for appointment is the Ph.D. degree (in hand or expected by August 2007). Candidates must demonstrate interest and potential excellence in undergraduate teaching. Successful teaching experience at the college level is desirable. The incumbent will also be expected to participate in the full range of faculty responsibilities, including academic advising, service on committees, and sustained scholarly research.
The Department consists of six faculty members. We have about 25 majors, with approximately equal numbers of men and women. The faculty encourages students to conduct Honors and other research projects; many of our students eventually earn Ph.D.'s in earth sciences. The Department has excellent petrographic microscopes for research and teaching, an extensive petrological teaching collection, plus the facilities and a technician to make thin sections. A JEOL 5600LV scanning electron microscope with an Oxford 7444 EDS analyzer and a cathode-luminescence detector and a Philips XPERT XRD diffractometer are available for both teaching and research. Oberlin recently joined the Keck Geology Consortium, and the College has yearly competition for small research grants.
To be assured of consideration, a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, graduate academic transcripts, and at least three recent letters of reference should be sent to Steven Wojtal, Chair, Department of Geology, 52 W. Lorain Street, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio,
44074 by November 10, 2006. Application materials received after that date may be considered until the position is filled. Salary will depend on qualifications and experience.
Oberlin College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the development of a climate that supports equality of opportunity and respect of differences based on gender, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation. Oberlin was the first coeducational institution to grant bachelor's degrees to women and historically has been a leader in the education of African-Americans; the college was also among the first to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from individuals who would contribute to the diversity of our faculty.
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2006-083
University of Kansas
Geochronology
The Department of Geology at the University of Kansas seeks applications for an academic year, tenure-track faculty member in the field of geochronology. We are seeking an individual with expertise in tectonic or petrological applications of high to moderate temperature geochronology and analytical methods (e.g., TIMS, MC-ICP-MS, etc.) who will complement existing programs in tectonics, petrology, and geo- and thermochronology. The successful candidate will be expected to establish an externally funded research program, direct graduate students, and participate in teaching at graduate and undergraduate levels, including courses in the fields of geochronology, petrology, and isotope geochemistry. Refer to www.geo.ku.edu and links for additional information about our department and the University of Kansas. Appointment will begin August 18, 2007, with a later starting date possible.
Applicants must have a completed Ph.D. degree by the starting date. A letter of application outlining research and teaching interests, a complete resume, and names and contact information of at least three persons, who can be contacted for letters of reference, should be sent to Dr. Daniel Stockli, Department of Geology, University of Kansas, 120 Lindley Hall, 1475 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045 (tel. 785-864-7714, fax 785-864-5276, e-mail:
stockli@ku.edu). Review of complete application will begin on December 20, 2006, and will continue until the position has been filled. EO/AA employer. The University is committed to increasing the ethnic and gender diversity of its faculty, and we strongly encourage women and minority candidates to apply.
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2006-090
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Department of Geography and Geosciences
Tenure-Track Position
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania has a full-time, tenure-track position for an Instructor/Assistant Professor (AA# 41-6-06) to teach an upper level course in Stratigraphy and Sedimentation and other introductory level geosciences courses to complete a 12 contact-hour time per semester teaching load. Ph.D. is required; exceptional ABS near completion will be considered with a contingency contract.
The preferred candidate will have experience in teaching basic undergraduate courses, a strong commitment to excellence in teaching at the undergraduate level in an outdoor field setting, and an interest in supervising student research. Finalists for this position must communicate well and successfully complete an interview process, as judged by the department faculty. Recommendation for hiring is needed by the majority of the regular, full-time dept. faculty. The successful candidate must demonstrate an ability to work with diverse populations.
Please submit the names of three references and curriculum vitae to Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Attn: Dr. Dale Springer, Search Committee Chairperson, Department of Geography and Geosciences, 400 East Second Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815 (dspringe@bloomu.edu). For full consideration, completed applications must be received by November 28, 2006.
Bloomsburg University of PA encourages applications from historically under-represented individuals, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities and is an AA/EEO employer. Visit our Department website: http://departments.bloomu.edu/geo/.
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7) CONTACT INFORMATION
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