Monday seminar

Putting a number of acronyms together in one sentence (see posting below) try this one:

The EEMB seminar on Monday at 4:00 in the MSRB auditorium, will be Mercedes Pascual, a current visitor at NCEAS, discussing "Disease dynamics in a changing world."

Actually that sounds kind of interesting. I'll probably be there......

Here's a handy field guide in case this is your first college seminar.

Acronymorama

Because many of the departments and programs on campus have long names almost everyone speaks in acronyms which, as a relative newcomer, I know can be frustrating. So here is a handy guide to some of the ones you'll hear thrown around a lot in the Biology Colloquium. If you come across ones I should add please let me know (via the comment tool or by e-mail). I'm not aiming to be comprehensive, just trying to cover perhaps the most common dozen or so. I'll kick off with a few common ones and will add to this list through time. I'm sure there are some I'm forgetting.

In alphabetical order

• CCBER - Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. With a name that long almost everyone uses the acronym (pronounced 'see-bear').
  
• EEMB - Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology. One of the two Biology departments. again because of the length almost everyone refers to it as E-E-M-B.
  
• ES - Environmental Studies. An interdepartmental program with 12 full time faculty members, many of whom hold joint positions in other departments. Usually referred to as E-S.
  
• L&S - The College of Letters and Science. This one you probably know.
  
• MCDB - Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. One of the two Biology departments. Almost everyone refers to it as M-C-D-B.
• MSI - Marine Science Institute. A very successful ORU (organized Research Unit) on campus. Mainly housed in the MSRB (Marine Science Research Building). Three for the price of one....
  
• NCEAS - The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. Because it is housed downtown, because most undergraduates do not interact with it, and because it is always referred to as 'En-Seas' this research center can be one of the more obscure aconyms to figure out.
• REU - Research Experiences for Undergraduates. NSF (National Science Foundation) funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution.
• URCA - Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities. Although part of L&S you will interact with this office when you seek research funding. Usually pronounced Ur-Car.

Devereux Slough Internship

Field researcher needed

Two internships are available as part of a long-term monitoring and ecological study of the Devereux Slough ecosystem. Devereux slough, located at the University managed Coal Oil Point Reserve, is a seasonally flooded coastal wetland. The internship will consist of weekly monitoring of water quality, fish surveys, data entry, data analysis, and updating educational postings. Most of the work will be conducted in the field and give participant ample opportunity to gain experience in numerous field sampling techniques.

The intern must be a UCSB student, able to commitment to a regular schedule of 3-4 hours/week, reliable, independent, and willing to learn. The project is funded by the Coastal Fund, and the intern will receive a $300 stipend upon successful completion of the Fall internship requirements.

To apply send resume and class schedule/time availability to Tara Longwell at longwell@lifesci.ucsb.edu

CCBER Seminar series for Fall 2008

CCBER is very pleased to announce that Biological Invasions of Plants and Animals will be the topic of our Fall Restoration Ecology Seminar.

*Biological Invasions: Management and Impacts*

*CCBER Classroom 1013, Harder Stadium: 6-7pm Monday nights
Lisa Stratton & Carla D’Antonio

*September 29* – *Introduction*: Schedule, readings and expectations: Lisa Stratton & Carla D’Antonio

*October 6th * –* Prof. Jonathan Levine* - *Understanding biological invasions from introduction through impact*

*October 13th * –* Prof. Carla D’Antonio *– *Ecosystem impacts of invasive plant species: Examples from the western USA.*

*October 20th * - *John Knapp *(Director of Native Range) *The role of prioritization in invasive plant management*

*October 27th * – Tom Dudley – *Biocontrol and the SW Willow Flycatcher*

*November 3rd * – *Wayne Chapman* (CCBER)– *Invasive plants and Restoration: challenges and vignettes*: *Considering the functional role of non-natives*

*November 10th * – *Deborah Gordon * – *The ecology of Argentine ants in California*

*November 17th * – *Peter Schuyler *– *Challenges in controlling non-native animals on California Channel Island and Hawaiian Islands*

*November 24th * – *Roland Knapp* (Research Biologist, UCSB) – *Thinking outside of the lake: fish impacts on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada*

*December 1* – Final discussion

Welcome

Welcome to the CCS Bio Blog. This Blog functions as the website for the introductory biology series you will take in CCS:

• Fall: Biology colloquium CS10
• Winter: Introductory Biology CS20
• Spring: Introductory Biology CS30

We will use it as a class website (files will be posted under 'links' to the right) and seminar announcements etc will be posted straight to the blog. We also hope you will use it to post items of interest to other students. You can scan back through previous postings to get an idea of the sorts of material that are suitable. They are also categorized if you look at the list of labels (also to the right).

We also hope this will become a CCS biology home on the web. Past students will remain on the list of authors and will be encouraged to continue to post. Interesting research paper, upcoming seminar announcements and research opportunities are all welcome.