October STEMFest Cafes!

 This year, in response to concerns about the spread of the virus, Northern Illinois University will celebrate STEM the entire month of October, bringing a brand-new virtual experience! STEM Fest 2020 will be delivered online with a mix of live events at our regional centers and a blowout expo on October 31.  There will be something for everyone, kids through adults, experts, and educators to STEMmulate curiosity and help our youth and community members of all ages find their spark.  Our theme is Find Your Spark! This FREE family event was designed in response to the growing need for highly trained and talented individuals to pursue STEM careers. Through STEM Fest, NIU STEAM’s goal is to increase awareness of the critical role science, technology, engineering, and math play in our world every day.  More information is available on the STEM Fest website https://www.niu.edu/stemfest/index.shtml

 

As part of STEM Fest, NIU STEAM has scheduled a STEM Café/STEMFest Café each week during the month of October.  Find information about the line-up in the attached flyer.

October 7, Not-So Creepy Critters: Exploring Reptiles and Amphibians with

Dr.John Vanek; 

October 14, The Secret Lives of Rare Elements: Finding Critical Materials for

Green Energy with Dr. Mark Frank; 

October 21, Fear of First Contact: How Science and Fiction Inform Our Search for

Alien Life with Daniel Kraus, Patrick Tomlinson, and Dr. Clarence Chang;

October 28, The Science Behind Haunted Houses with Dean Paul Kassel and Dr. 

William (Jim) Langley, Jr. on Wednesdays starting at 6 p.m. online.

 

Learn more and register at go.niu.edu/StemFestWeekly   For those who would like more specific directions about how to connect, see the attached. The talk will begin promptly at 6 p.m. followed by discussion at 7 p.m. On a computer, the Chrome browser works best, and you will be asked to download the Adobe Connect app. For tablets and mobile phones, go to your app store and download the Adobe Connect mobile app before attending. You will be able to listen to the speakers and will have a chance to type in your questions.

 

Questions or need more information? Contact me at jdymond@niu.edu or 815-753-4751.

 

Cool seminar series at Oregon State

 There's some great folks coming up in this seminar series including
    David Quammen on Friday and Carl Zimmer next week: 
    https://nam03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffw.oregonstate.edu%2Ffw%2Fecology-evolution-and-conservation-biology-seminar-series&data=02%7C01%7CZ1865970%40students.niu.edu%7C273d755e85154f356a5408d85ffacc01%7Cea8733908c1c4231a7996b5a0235b2e6%7C0%7C0%7C637364878065941393&sdata=4itM9YAA58Z26FPFJPRfV0SOzq3fGggL9IhyM%2FOjMHI%3D&reserved=0

 

Biodiversity Research Opportunities for Students

Operation Wallacea has run biodiversity research expeditions for the last 25 years to a series of sites mainly in the Tropics www.opwall.com. The programme supports more than 200 academics and part funds 90+ PhD students and runs each summer from June to August. At each of the sites there are multiple scientists and participating students who rotate amongst all the projects to widen their experience or can use the set up to gather data for an independent research project.

One of our lead academics will be presenting about the program over the month of October where students can learn about how they could join the program and how the data collected are being used to help with wildlife conservation measures. More than 500 papers including some in high impact journals such as Nature and PNAS have been published from these annual programs, so students joining the field surveys are guaranteed a high level of academic involvement. 

 For example outside the main Opwall season (June to August) we make the facilities, equipment and existing university level lecture series about the ecology of the local area available to groups wanting to complete university field courses. In addition, we are running a field survey techniques and data analysis course in Florida next Spring Break. 

Opportunities to gain remote fieldwork experience in biodiversity and conservation research Operation Wallacea has run biodiversity research expeditions for the last 25 years to a series of sites mainly in the tropics (www.opwall.com), helping university students from around the world gain valuable experience and get their hands dirty with real biodiversity research. From tropical rainforests and European grasslands to coral reefs and Mediterranean seagrass meadows, our network of more than 200 academics lead cutting edge research projects that help to inform local conservation management strategies. More than 500 papers including some in high impact journals such as Nature and PNAS have been published from these annual programs, so by joining the field surveys you are guaranteed a high level of academic involvement. By working alongside these academics, students either gain broad experience as research assistants or to gather data for their independent research project (thesis). The expeditions vary in length from 2 to 6 weeks during the month of June to August.  Click here for our research assistant brochure or click here for the senior thesis brochure. One of our lead academics is presenting about the program over the month of October, where you can learn about how to join one of these expeditions and how the data collected are being used to help with wildlife conservation measures. The series of webinars being hosted by our academic are listed below, so please click on the webinar time and date that you can attend.  12pm (EST) Tuesday 6th October - Register here! 5pm (EST) Thursday 8th October - Register here! 1pm (EST) Monday 12th October - Register here! 3pm (EST) Wednesday 14th October - Register here! 7pm (EST) Monday 19th October - Register here! 6pm (EST) Thursday 22nd October - Register here! Expeditions were cancelled for 2020 but we are going ahead with a full range of expeditions for the 2021 season. The expeditions will be socially distanced (e.g. one tent per person) and if developments in the fight against the virus do not go as planned and we cannot run the 2021 expeditions, then anyone booked on for 2021 will get a cash refund.  When students sign up we give them support in how to fundraise and most students raise a good percentage or even all of the funds needed from grants, sponsorship and fundraising activities. Given the growing public concern about species extinctions and climate change getting support for joining real biodiversity research expeditions to remote areas of the tropics is increasingly possible. However, raising funds takes time which is why we like to introduce the programs to students as soon as possible in the new university year. We have recently put together a full introductory video, it is longer than any of our other videos but it gives a great amount of information about what we do and why (view here). For everyone who submits an expression of interest, a bespoke itinerary is created and sent to you, this is based on your interests and career objectives. To submit an expression of interest click here.

Internship Opening @ Illinois Agri-Food Alliance

 The Illinois Agri-Food Alliance has a new internship opening that would be a great fit for an undergrad, recent grad, or grad student interested in agri-food systems in Illinois. I am hopeful the posting can be circulated to relevant students in the Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability and Energy. 

 

The full posting is attached for a part-time (10-15 hours/wk) paid internship ($15/hr). The internship will be fully remote starting ASAP through December 2020 and will remain open until filled with applications being reviewed on a rolling basis starting next week.

 

Additional information about the Illinois Agri-Food Alliance is below.

ABOUT ILAFA

The Illinois Agri-Food Alliance (ILAFA) leverages the state’s world-class assets, institutions, and leaders via a collaborative network to create a more innovative, sustainable, equitable, and resilient agri-food system for the future. Its members connect around tipping points of commonality that are too complex to solve independently – from attracting, training, and retaining a top tier agri-food workforce to addressing impacts of climate change. By removing traditional barriers to collaboration and providing a supporting framework, ILAFA creates the enabling environment to shift mindsets, redefine models, and generate new value.

 

OUR MISSION

To boldly advance innovative ideas, approaches, and solutions through collaborative efforts that grow Illinois’ agri-food economy, support societal health and equity, sustain the environment, and enhance resiliency.

 

More info @ www.ilagrifood.org

Interesting job opportunities

Here's some interesting jobs that recent graduates might find interesting!

https://drawdown.org/careers/manager-of-storytelling

Manager of Storytelling | Project Drawdown About Project Drawdown. The World’s Leading Resource for Climate Solutions. Project Drawdown is a nonprofit organization that seeks to help the world reach “Drawdown”— the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. drawdown.org

 

 

https://drawdown.org/careers/lead-writer-researcher-drawdown-labs

 

Lead Writer & Researcher, Drawdown Labs | Project Drawdown About Project Drawdown. The World’s Leading Resource for Climate Solutions. Project Drawdown is a nonprofit organization that seeks to help the world reach “Drawdown”— the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. Since the 2017 publication of the New York Times bestseller Drawdown, the organization has emerged ... drawdown.org

 

Scholarship opportunity for students!

 

NIU Career Services’ Fall Virtual Career Events – Helpful Resources

Visit the Career Event Information for Students page and the calendar announcements for details on joining a virtual event and for updates. Attached are detailed “how-to” instructions for the day of attending a virtual event.

 

Helpful Resources

 

Students should be sure to attend the Career Fair Prep Virtual Workshop where they will learn valuable tips and tricks for navigating a virtual career fair, while also getting first-hand experience in the platform (Huskies Get Hired) where most of NIU’s virtual career fairs will take place this fall.

 

How to Navigate a Virtual Career Fair:  Students will log into their Huskies Get Hired (Symplicity) account at https://niu-csm.symplicity.com and click Student/Alumni. Navigate to: Resources | Document Library | How to Navigate a Virtual Career Fair

Quick Tour of Virtual Fairs for Students (Video): Students will log into their Huskies Get Hired (Symplicity) account at https://niu-csm.symplicity.com and click Student/Alumni. Navigate to: Resources | Document Library | Quick Tour of Virtual Fairs for Students

 

Planning to join the fair on a mobile device? Students can download the Symplicity Careers & Jobs app:

 

iOS:  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/symplicity-jobs-and-careers/id1239828027

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.symplicity.csmandroid&hl=en_US

 

If students need help on their resume or with interviewing, please have them visit the online resources available through Career Services for resume writing and interviewing.

 

As always, we are here to answer any questions that you or your students may have.

Huskies Get Hired (Symplicity) --Virtual Career Fair Instructions for Students

1.     Preferred Browsers:  Chrome and Edge

Log into your Huskies Get Hired (Symplicity) account at https://niu-csm.symplicity.com and click Student/Alumni

Trouble logging in:  Click Forgot Password 

Trouble connecting to Symplicity:  Copy and paste the URL, https://niu-csm.symplicity.com, into your browser.

2.     Navigate to Events | Career Fairs | Name of Fair you are Attending | Attend

3.     Upload your resume, if you have not already done so. This is the only way to pass a resume to an employer during the fair.

4.     Set your Status to Online

5.     Go to the Employer tab and search and filter to find employers of interest.

6.     To join a 1-on-1 chat click on Join Queue. The employer you are waiting for will show up under Upcoming Chats along with estimated wait times.

7.     When it’s your turn to video chat with an employer, you will see an alert pop up on the screen. Click on the alert to see instructions on how to video chat with the employer.

8.     When you are done with your video chat, click End Chat, and you can write notes and use it for follow up after the fair.

9.     When joining a chat, instead of downloading Teams, Zoom, GoToMeeting, etc., select the option to join the meeting online and it will be faster to join. 

10.  You can stand in three queues at one time.

11.  You can also join group video chats by clicking on Group Chat. If you are in a group video chat, campus resources can still contact you for 1-on-1 video chats.

12.  If you need to step away for a short break, set your Status to Busy. 

13.  If you need to leave the fair, set your Status to Offline. You will be removed from any queues that you are currently in.

14.  When the fair is over, you can access your notes, the representative’s name and email, and use this information for thank you notes or other follow up.

Enjoy the fair!