2022’s Top Stories

February 20, 2023
Volume 44 | Issue 1

Greetings! Thanks for hanging tight during The Profile’s hiatus (and my parental leave). Stop by the office when I'm in if you'd like to see baby pics :) –Aimee Gillespie

Here’s the latest from the SWAC community.


2022’s Top Stories

A collage of several photos of researchers in the Soil, Water, and Climate community.

From Midwestern family farms to undescribed soils in Central Africa; from local climate predictions to historical air samples preserved in ice; from our award-winning faculty to our diverse student body, the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate has made an impact near and far this past year. These are the ten stories that resonated the most on the SWAC and LAAS websites in 2022.


Welcome

SWAC welcomes our new Assistant Teaching Professor Dr. Kari Wolf


Headlines

Committee considers what one state can do about climate change
Climate scientist Dr. Heidi Roop addressed the Minnesota House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee. 

Utility workers are seeing the consequences of increasingly extreme weather firsthand
Postdoc Dr. Katerina Gonzales is featured on the Yale Climate Connection podcast.

Oilseeds could help farmers and soil alike
Dr. Jess Gutknecht is featured in a story on Great Lakes Echo. 

Read more SWAC News


Events

Save the date! The 2023 Larson Allmaras Lecture will take place on Friday, April 28, 2023. The speaker will be Dr. Sieglinde "Sieg" Snapp. More details will be shared soon.

APS Grad Club Kernza® Pancake Feed
Thursday, February 23 | 8:30 to 10:30 AM | Borlaug Hall Atrium 
An optional $5 donation will be accepted to support future APS Grad Club Events. *May be rescheduled due to the winter storm this week.*

See more SWAC Events


Recent Publications

Here are a few recent publications by people in Soil, Water, and Climate:


Seminars

LAAS Graduate Student Lightning Talks
Wednesday, March 1 | 3:30 PM | S415 Soil Science Building & Zoom

Catch up on the most recent seminar

View the seminar series.

Other Seminars

The Minnesota Climate Action Framework (Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership)
Sharon Stephens and Amanda Farris
Tuesday, February 21 | 12 PM | Zoom

CANCELED: Harnessing Agroecology to build climate resilience (Agronomy and Plant Genetics)
Amelie Gaudin, University of California Davis
This seminar will be rescheduled in the fall. 

Road salt impacts: Stormwater, surface water, groundwater, ecosystems and drinking water supplies (Stormwater)
Joel Moore, Towson University
Thursday February 23 | 10 AM to 12 PM | Hybrid event

Adaptive divergence and climate change: Why an evolutionary perspective matters for predicting sensitivity to increasing temperatures (Conservation Science)
Chris Funk, Colorado State University
Friday, February 24 | 12 PM | Zoom


Teaching and Learning

The impact of online teaching on underrepresented students’ self-efficacy and motivation (Pedagogical Innovations Journal Club)
Thursday, February 23 | 12 PM | Zoom
In this session, we discuss these results in light of psychosocial theory and suggest pedagogical and structural changes that can support more equitable outcomes.

Introduction to Anti-Racist Pedagogy at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI)
Thursday, March 30 | 1 PM | Zoom
Anti-racist pedagogy acknowledges that structural racism is reproduced in our courses. Participants will be introduced to anti-racist pedagogy in the context of the UMN as a PWI. We will distinguish anti-racist pedagogy from inclusive teaching and explore anti-racist pedagogy in course goals, course policies, and course assessments. 

View more workshops and events from the Center for Educational Innovation


Academic & Career Development

Exploring Identities & Embracing Challenging Conversations
Wednesday, February 22 | 2:30 to 4 PM  | Online
This workshop introduces graduate students and postdocs to the core concepts around equity, diversity, and social justice. We will begin by deepening our understanding of our own identities and how to work towards allyship and advocacy in our roles. 
Facilitator: Dr. Kelly Collins, Director of Education Program, Office for Equity and Diversity, UMN.

Making the most of your presentation featuring Dr. Jean-luc Doumont
Monday, February 27 | 1:30 to 3:30 PM | 335 Borlaug Hall
Strong presentation skills are a key to success for researchers and other professionals alike, yet many speakers are at a loss to tackle the task. Systematic as they usually are in their work, they go at it intuitively or haphazardly, with much good will but seldom with an effective outcome. This lecture proposes a systematic way to prepare and deliver an oral presentation: it covers structure, slides, and delivery, as well as stage fright.

Teaching Assistant and Postdoc Professional Development Program Webinars
This program offers graduate students and postdocs formal recognition for investing in teaching-related professional development. After attending six live or recorded webinars and completing the capstone activity, you'll receive a formal letter of recognition from the Center for Educational Innovation and the option of accepting a digital badge.

View more workshops and events from the Graduate School.


Opportunities 

Academia 

Postdoc in atmospheric science at the University of Michigan 

Assistant professor in watershed sustainability at Colorado State University 

Director of the School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 

Jobs and Internships 

Field research scientist at the University of Minnesota

Research hydrologist at the USGS Central Midwest Water Science Center 

Director of business development at Climate Central 

Visit the Job Board


This is #SWAC

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If you have news to share, reach out to Aimee Gillespie.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day.