ANNOUNCEMENTS & KUDOS

Welcome to spring quarter!

In case you missed the great news last Thursday, we were thrilled to see three folks from SEFS win awards from the College of the Environment, including David Campbell for Outstanding Staff Member, Robert Swan for the Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist, and master’s student Jessica Hernandez for Outstanding Commitment to Diversity. Please join us in congratulating these deserving honorees, and you can toast them yourself when they receive their awards at the official celebration on May 17 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Fishery Sciences Building first floor lobby. Congratulations!

We’ll keep the kudos rolling for Jessica Hernandez, because she was also selected to receive a 2017 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. This fellowship program recognizes Jessica’s demonstrated potential to contribute to strengthening the vitality of the United States science and engineering enterprise, and we couldn’t agree more. Awesome work, Jessica!

Kudos, as well, for SEFS doctoral student Catherine Kuhn, who presented in the Evening Talks at ONRC speaker series on Friday, March 17: “River Chemistry from Space.” Catherine's research is on the human transformation of large river systems and explores the intersection of water resources, biogeochemistry and environmental change.

On the jobs front, David Diaz passed along an opportunity with the U.S. Forest Service to work as a GIS fellow through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). Supporting the Forest Service’s Office of Sustainability and Climate program, this opportunity is available for recent graduates who have completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree within the last five years. The fellow will participate in work on developing national web maps and AGOL story map applications, in addition to gaining experience on various GIS analytical and data management projects. Focus topics include climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans, drought risk assessments, carbon sequestration and flux, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy management. The internship pays a stipend, around $72,000 a year for someone with a graduate degree, less for undergrad, plus possibilities for additional allowances. The time period for the fellowship is for one full year with an option to extend up to two additional years. There is no closing date on the announcement, but learn more about the position and apply as soon as possible—and definitely before April 5. Email ejohnson02@fs.fed.us with any questions.

On the events front, we’re resuming our Student Brown Bag Lunch series this Wednesday, March 29, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Forest Club Room! Remember, there’s no agenda or formal structure; it’s simply a chance to relax and hang out with your fellow students (staff and faculty are also invited!). We’ll host these casual gatherings on the first and third Wednesdays of each month (barring any major events or other conflicts), and you are welcome to show up anytime during the hour. What you bring for lunch is up to you, but we will try to bring cookies!

On Tuesday, April 11, the Seattle Public Library invites you to a talk featuring author and Seattle Times environmental reporter Lynda Mapes about her forthcoming book, Witness Tree. Her talk will be held at the Central Library at 7 p.m.

Also, in honor of Earth Month 2017, you are invited to join a workshop featuring the Tilth Alliance and Washington Native Plant Society on Thursday, April 20, from 12 to 1 p.m. in the UW Tower Auditorium. Topics include Gardening With Natives, Stewarding Urban Parks and more. You can register online (with your NetID).

After all the fun news and congratulations, though, we have to end with some awfully sad news that Sarah Geurkink, our enormously talented and seemingly indefatigable manager of the UW Farm, has departed to take over as production manager at the Michigan State University Student Organic Farm. It’s an awesome opportunity for her, but we will all miss Sarah’s tremendous initiative and creativity. Good luck, Sarah, and stay in touch!

DIVERSITY TOPICS

Nothing to share in this issue, but please send us articles and updates that might be of interest to the broader community!

COMMITTEE NOTES

We have formed a new Building and Space Committee, which will meet monthly to discuss our ongoing building issues and projects, including faculty offices and labs, as well as the myriad lab safety and building concerns we face with our aging infrastructure. Please send questions or concerns to the committee to sefsbldg@uw.edu.

SEMINAR SCHEDULES

Wildlife Seminar: Mondays, 3:30-4:50 p.m., Kane 130

SEFS Seminar Series: On hiatus until Autumn 2017

PUBLICATIONS

Professor Josh Lawler is a co-author on a new paper in Resource and Energy Economics, “Identifying the impacts of critical habitat designation on land cover change.”

SEFS IN THE PRESS

Don’t forget to send us news clips involving you or your students!

ALUMNI UPDATES

SEFS alumnus Hunter Decker (’11, B.S.; ’12, MFR) is one of two foresters working for Clark County Public Works, and the department ran a great spotlight story on him this month (in print only, unfortunately). Great work, Hunter!