Integrative Approaches to Natural History: A Student Symposium: November 9-12, 2001: Ventura, California

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

The organizers are requesting funding to support a student-organized symposium and workshop to be held at the next annual meeting (November 9-12, 2001) of the Western Society of Naturalists (WSN). The symposium, entitled "Integrative Approaches to Natural History", will explore the role of non-traditional research to the study natural history. The proposed speakers represent diverse fields, ranging from evolutionary biology and ecology to molecular biology; some work in terrestrial systems and some in marine systems. The common thread uniting these scientists from different disciplines is the way that they use techniques from other fields of biology (e.g. genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology) to gain insight into the ecology and evolution of their systems. The workshop, entitled "Communicating Science to Non-scientists", will be an interactive tutorial on how to disseminate research results to the media, policy makers, and general public. Therefore, unlike most symposia and workshops at ecology or evolutionary biology meetings that focus on specific topics within a field, these events seek to cut across diverse biological fields to discuss general themes in the way scientists conduct and disseminate their research. The purpose of the symposium and workshop is not only to explore these important and timely topics, but also to provide students with the valuable experience of organizing and running their own events and participating in the governance of a scientific society.