Graduate Students Hold First Ever Conference

Chelsea Crenshaw (SEV) & Amy Burgin (KBS), Co-Chairs, and Tiffany Troxler Gann (FCE), former Co-Chair, Graduate Students Committee

LTER graduate students had a very exciting and rewarding 2005. Perhaps the highest point of the year was the first LTER Graduate Student Collaborative Research Symposium, which was held at the H.J. Andrews LTER, Blue River, OR from April 13-17, 2005. The symposium was conceived, organized and managed by graduate students Robert Daoust (PIE), Tiffany Troxler Gann (FCE), Harmony Dalgleish (KNZ), Stephanie Oakes (PAL), Rachel Michaels (VCR), Evan Kane (BNZ), and Tamara Heartsill Scalley (LUQ), with the invaluable assistance of LTER Executive Committee member and CAP lead PI, Nancy Grimm. Whendee Silver (LUQ) and Scott Collins (SEV) attended the symposium as plenary speakers, but stayed on and helped in other roles during the symposium. For more details please visit our Symposium website at http://student.lternet.edu/symposium/.

The graduate student committee (GSC) has emerged as a strong voice for LTER graduate students and is being received with very receptive ears by the LTER community.

A total of 66 graduate students comprising one to two representatives from 24 US LTER sites and 11 international students representing ILTER sites in China, Mongolia, South Africa, Austria, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Mexico, and Sweden, attended the symposium. Two post-doctoral and one undergraduate student also attended. Overall, 35 site presentations, 17 personal research presentations, 19 research posters, and 13 training sessions or student-led collaborative workshops were held during the meeting. Five teams formed during the workshops are currently working on data analysis of long-term data sets from all the LTER sites to be published in peer reviewed journals.

Other highlights

Six students were selected to participate in the ongoing LTER Planning Grant activities, and each was appointed to one of the six working committees. The students include Nancy Harris (LUQ), Jennifer Shah (SEV), Katie Bertrand (KNZ), John Parker (CAP), Amy Burgin (KBS), and Chelsea Crenshaw (SEV). They each have attended meetings and participated in the planning process, and will continue to participate in their committees and attend future planning meetings.
In late July, the student committee welcomed newly elected co-chair, Amy Burgin (KBS), following the end of Tiffany Troxler Gann’s tenure as the GSC co-chair.
During the annual Ecological Society of America meeting in Montreal, Canada, in August, the GSC and the ESA student section held a "lunch chat" during which students mingled with faculty members, LTER researchers and other professional scientists attending ESA. The informal setting allowed for great interaction, and turn out among the students and professionals was excellent.
Two graduate students have been invited to join the team that is organizing the 2006 All Scientist Meeting, which is scheduled for September 20-23 in Estes Park, CO.

This is only a short summary of LTER graduate student activities during the year. More students are doing incredible work, not only in research but also in education and outreach. Their involvement in large-scale, forward- looking projects illustrates the many opportunities for knowledge and growth within the LTER network. Best of all, there are continuing, excellent opportunities to become involved. Keep it up everyone!

Chelsea Crenshaw (SEV) & Amy Burgin (KBS), Co-Chairs, and Tiffany Troxler Gann (FCE), former Co-Chair, Graduate Students Committee