Apply now for 2016-17 College of the Environment Scholarships (Current UW Students)

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The College of the Environment is pleased to announce the availability of undergraduate scholarships for the 2016-2017 academic year.

Scholarships for Returning Undergraduates:

  • College of the Environment Scholarships – open to all College of the Environment students
  • Clarence H. Campbell Endowed Lauren Donaldson Scholarship – open to students pursuing an Oceanography or Aquatic & Fishery Sciences major
  • Yakama Nation Endowed Fund for Student Support – open to any Yakama Nation tribal member who is a student in the College of the Environment

Details can be found at: https://environment.uw.edu/students/student-resources/funding/scholarships/

Application Deadline: March 25, 2016
Awards will be announced in late April 2016.

Eligibility:

Scholarships are available for undergraduate students pursuing a major in the College of the Environment. Previous recipients may re-apply. Award decisions are based upon a combination of academic merit and financial need. At this time, all College of the Environment Scholarships require that students have unmet financial need as determined by the University of Washington Office of Student Financial Aid. Thus, you must have a current FAFSA or WASFA on file to be considered for these scholarships.

Award Amounts: Award amounts for all scholarships vary depending on financial need, but typically range from $2,500-$6,500 annually. Award amounts will be distributed over the course of Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters during the 2016-2017 academic year, paid directly to the recipient’s student account.

To Apply:

  1. Complete the Scholarship Application Survey
  2. Submit the following to the Scholarship and Funding Committee Dropbox
    1. Unofficial transcripts from UW (or community college/HS transcripts if at UW less than 2 quarters)
    2. Personal Statement (1 page maximum) that indicates in the header which scholarship(s) you are applying for and includes the following separate sections:
      1. Statement of Academic and Professional Goals: Please include your intended major if you are undeclared. Please describe your academic and professional goals. Comment on your progress towards completing course requirements for your major/degree. Describe any other relevant experiences that have influenced your academic path.
      2. Statement of Financial Need: If applicable, please describe circumstances creating financial need and the impact of the scholarship on your annual financial need.

Questions? Contact coenvaa@uw.edu

ENVIR 495F: Environmental Communications (Winter 2016)

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How do journalists decide the environmental stories they write? How do advocates walk the line between “truth” and propaganda?
Is a picture really worth a thousand words and can the right picture help produce positive environmental change? What’s Twitter all about and how can I use it professionally?

These questions will be addressed in ENVIR 495F: Environmental Communication, Messaging & Outreach with instructor P. Sean McDonald. Register for his course, have fun, learn!

Course details:

ENVIR 495F: Environmental Communication, Messaging & Outreach
TTh 3:30p–4:50p
3 credits

Open to ALL majors (and counts towards Perspectives Human & Social Dimensions for Environmental Studies majors).

Learn how to put communications theory into practice and listen to guest speakers who are communications professionals. Focus on individual networking and marketing, presentation skills, and professional environmental communication for science, policy, advocacy, and business.

[time schedule]

New Oceanography course: Marine Biogeochemical Cycles

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New course for Winter 2016
Ocean 330 Marine Biogeochemical Cycles

The distribution of life and chemical elements in the ocean, the relationship between them and the physical processes affecting these patterns. Emphasis on how marine organisms and the structure of marine ecosystems influence the fate of carbon and other elements in the ocean.

Instructors- Gabrielle Rocap (rocap@uw.edu) and Alex Gagnon (gagnon@uw.edu)

Course Overview and Structure:

The oceans play a key role in the biogeochemical cycling of elements on our planet. This course will follow the flow of elements and energy through the open ocean from production to export, with a focus on understanding the key mechanisms that result in the patterns we observe.

Formal class meetings will consist of 3 format types. Twice weekly lectures (50 min) will present new material and concepts. Twice weekly seminar style classes (110 min) will be used for a mixture of in class activities, computer laboratories and small and large group discussions of readings that relate to the week’s topic. Finally, weekly quiz sections (50 min) led by the TA will provide an opportunity for group problem solving activities.

Prerequisites: OCEAN 210 and BIOL 200 and OCEAN295 or CHEM152 or CHEM220
The best-prepared students for this course will have backgrounds in the large scale circulation of the ocean (OCEAN 210) and the fundamentals of biology (BIOL 200) and chemistry (OCEAN 295 or CHEM152 or CHEM220). Contact the instructors if your background does not include these requirements; alternatives such as OCEAN 200, OCEAN/FISH/BIOL 250, or BIOL 180 may be accepted on a case by case basis.

To Register:

OCEAN 330 will temporarily be listed as OCEAN 497C. Please sign up for under this SLN. By the time Winter Quarter starts, it should have the correct number.

SLN:21898

OCEAN 497 SECTION C 5 ADV SPEC TOP: OCEAN
M W 1030-1120 OTB 205
T TH 0930-1120 OTB 205

Seasonal Marine Science Field Instructors, MarineLab (Key Largo, FL)

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Looking for a job that gets you out on the ocean? MarineLab is seeking seasonal marine science instructors for our education center in Key Largo, FL. Our waterfront facility provides quick access to the marine ecosystem protected by Everglades National Park, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Job duties include leading discussions and labs on subtropical marine topics such as seagrass, mangroves, and coral reefs; leading snorkeling field trips via boat to investigate local marine communities; supervising students in the water; and minor maintenance duties associated with upkeep of boats, labs and equipment. Instructors must be team-oriented and flexible; evenings and weekends are required.

Start date is January 27, 2016 and season ends on August 3, 2016. Salary is $300-$350/week and includes housing with wireless internet.

Requirements: Potential instructors MUST like interacting with children and youth from 5th grade through high school, have an enthusiastic, outgoing personality, and have a high tolerance for working outdoors in all kinds of weather. BA/BS in marine science or related life science; teaching experience; and current Lifeguard/FirstAid/CPR certification. SCUBA Certified applicants and those who have experience aboard boats will be given preference.

Closing date: November 30, 2015. Please complete the application found on our website at http://marinelab.org/Jobs.html and include a resume. Email to jobs@marinelab.org, fax to 305-451-3909, or mail to PO Box 787, Key Largo, FL 33037

Wildlands Studies Student Info Session Thursday, November 5, 4 pm Anderson 22

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Wildlands Studies field projects provide students with the opportunity to join backcountry study teams as working field associates, studying environmental impact assessment, environmental policy, geologic, climatic and topographic factors that support various habitats, and the relationships between environments and culture. Most participants are undergraduates who join us on site from all over North America and Canada. Each program grants 4-12 units of upper division semester credit that easily transfers to University of Washington. Project teams consist of 8-16 participants working with a course instructor who provides onsite instruction and directs all field study activities.

This season students can choose among twenty wildlife, wildland and cultural ecology field studies searching for solutions to environmental and cultural challenges. Field studies take place in: Yellowstone, Big Sur (California), Banff (Canada), California Channel Islands, Vancouver Island, Fiji, Belize, South Africa, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Thailand, Nepal, Indian Himalaya, Costa Rica, Panama, Baja, Australia, and New Zealand. Information on all of our programs is available on our website: www.wildlandsstudies.com. Our email address is wildlands@wildlandsstudies.com.

Please join us at the Student Information Session for PIZZA to learn how to participate.

Morris & Stewart Udall Scholarship

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  • Are you working towards positive solutions to environmental challenges or to issues impacting Indian country?
  • Have you demonstrated your commitment to one of these areas through public service?
  • Do you inspire and motivate others to take action?
  • Are you committed to making a difference through civility and consensus building?

The Morris & Stewart Udall Scholarship offer current college students an opportunity to share that commitment with others, next work with professional in the field and receive up to $5,000 for academic expenses. The Udall scholarship honors the legacies of Morris Udall and Stewart Udall, whose careers had a significant impact on American Indian self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources. The Udall is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree full time during the 2016-2017 academic year.

Applicants for the Udall Scholarship should be interested in the following issues:

  • Tribal Policy – For Native Americans and Alaska Natives working on an array of policy issues in Indian country
  • Native Health Care – For Native Americans and Alaska Natives pursuing health-related careers
  • Environment – For undergraduates interested in conservation and environmental issues

UW Seattle Campus Application Deadline: December 3, 2015
Application

Information session

3:00-3:50 p.m., Tuesday, Nov 17, 2015, MGH 173R Conference [RSVP]

UW Study Abroad Fair

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If you want to study abroad in the upcoming year, now is the time to start planning. UW Study Abroad is hosting their annual Study Abroad Fair. Meet with faculty and representatives of UW programs that travel all around the world and attend info sessions about how to fund your experience.

2015 Study Abroad Fair
Tuesday, November 10, 2015, 10 am – 2 pm
HUB Ballroom

Information Sessions
HUB 214

Study Abroad 101

Thinking about studying abroad, but don’t know where to begin? This session will focus on helping you understand the different ways in which you can go abroad. We’ll discuss the ins and outs of duration, location, costs, funding, as well as any questions you may have in order to help you find the right study abroad program.

Funding Your Study Abroad Program

Learn more about the various scholarships and funding options designated specifically for study abroad. Additionally, representatives from the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards will discuss strategies for writing your essay, making your application stand out, and becoming a competitive applicant.

Sea Pens: Light on the Seafloor

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Profile photo of Jonathan Allen

It’s easy to see where the orange sea pen gets its name. A soft-bodied invertebrate that lives on the ocean floor, sea pens look just like feathered quills once used for writing. And where there’s one sea pen, there are usually others – lots of them – all swaying in the ocean current gobbling up planktonic plants and animals as they drift by. They are pretty simple creatures, but they also possess a special ability shared with only a handful of other marine creatures – they are able to produce their own light, also known as ‘bioluminescence’.

 

It was an interest in bioluminescence that drew Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences senior Jonathan Allen to research the orange sea pen. He first studied bioluminescence in organisms in a course on hydrothermal vents – deep cracks in the ocean floor that emit superheated water – offered through the School of Oceanography (OCEAN 454). This interest led to a senior capstone project researching how or why the light generated by sea pens varies during the day or night.

“The mystery surrounding sea pens as well as other bioluminescent species fascinates me because it comes in so many different varieties and colors, and species use it for so many functions,” says Jonathan. “But largely we do not understand the purpose in many species. Some believe that bioluminescence is used to attract or “scare” away things that eat sea pens, but most of the species that prey on them do not rely on vision for finding prey. Bioluminescence is very energetically expensive to produce so it must be important to the animal in some way.”

Sea pens planted in buckets in the lab
Jonathan Allen
Orange sea pens in the lab for Allen’s research

Allen has been working with sea pens since July 2014 to find out if the production of a particular enzyme – Luciferas , which is necessary for sea pens to produce light – increases at night. To find out what’s involved with caring for live sea pens in a lab environment and see results from genetic sequencing of his samples, you can visit Jonathan’s Capstone Research Blog. He is still compiling his results, which will be presented as part of the SAFS Capstone Symposium at the end of this quarter. Jonathan plans to graduate from the UW at the end of autumn quarter 2015 with a Bachelor of Science with a Major in Aquatic & Fishery Science and a Minor in Marine Biology.

History of Friday Harbor Labs

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Students in the ENVIR 480: Sustainability Studio course focused on the UW’s environmental history this past spring, and student Sarah Geyer wrote a history of Friday Harbor Labs which you can read on “In Our Nature: the UW Sustainability Blog”. Find out how you can participate in a tradition of over 100 years of research and instruction at Friday Harbor labs here. The ENVIR 480 Sustainability Studio course is offered autumn, winter and spring quarters with a different emphasis each quarter.

“The history of UW’s Friday Harbor Labs“

Alexandra Ulmke asks: Can law save the whales?

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Student Alex Ulmke collecting data on whale from a boat in the Puget Sound
Alexandra Ulmke

At the beginning of her sophomore year, Alex Ulmke had no idea what to major in. She had grown up visiting her grandparents’ house on a Florida inlet with manatees swimming by, and she wanted to become a marine biologist to save them. During her freshman year at UW, she took study breaks to watch documentaries about whales. After taking a course from a UW professor who was researching whales and the Endangered Species Act, she figured out she could tailor her UW education to her fascination with marine mammal conservation. In her words:

“In the fall of my sophomore year, I was doing my usual close-your-eyes-and-point to pick classes. I landed on an Intro to Law, Societies, and Justice class (LSJ 200). That sparked it all for me, with the over-arching question in the class, “Can law save the whales?” The class explored law as a social mechanism in the broadest sense and applied it to Southern Resident Killer Whales in our area.

I love everything about whales; I cannot fathom that something can be so large and so smart, yet we know so little about them. Once I realized that this was my niche, I started taking classes that I could tailor towards this subject. Teachers are open to students’ passions and will often allow you to explore the avenue you want.”