LATEST NEWS

Have questions about life outside of academia? The Diverse Careers Workshop, held Friday, June 21 at 1:00 PM at the Evolution 2019 conference in Providence, RI, offers information and resources for graduate students about a wide variety of evolutionary biology careers. The workshop will allow students to interact with PhDs in a variety of fields in small groups. Registration required; sign up during meeting registration. Learn more about past workshops here.

This year’s contest invites scientists and science educators (students, postdocs, faculty, and full- or part-time science communicators) to make a 3-minute-or-less video telling an interesting evolution story in a fun, creative way. The finalists will be screened at the Evolution 2019 conference on Saturday, June 22 at 7:30 PM. Learn more on the film festival website.

The SSE Diversity Committee is partnering with ASN, SSB, and the Story Collider to bring you “Stories from Outside the Distribution”, featuring personal accounts from a diverse group of evolutionary biologists. Sign up during meeting registration. $10 for students and postdocs; $15 for faculty.

Are you interested in promoting scientific research to the public and legislators, but are not sure how to get started? This event, which will feature a panel of experts in science policy, will equip you with the tools you need to begin engaging with key decision makers in your community. Sign up during meeting registration. $15, includes lunch.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our first honorary lifetime members, 2018 Nobel Laureates Dr. Frances Arnold, Sir Gregory Winter, and Dr. George Smith. They shared the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their pioneering work in directed evolution. You can read an article highlighting this award and its significance for evolutionary biology here.

The SSE Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) is in search of three additional PhD student members to serve in the 2020 cohort. The GSAC represents student and postdoc interests to the SSE Council and facilitates interaction among students and postdocs and between students, postdocs, and mentors. Their goal is to become a source of information for students to use both during their graduate school career and as they make career transitions. To learn more about how to apply, visit the GSAC page. Applications due April 15.

The GREG R.C. Lewontin Early Awards assist students in the early stages of their Ph.D. programs by enabling them to collect preliminary data or to enhance the scope of their research beyond current funding limits. Last year, 21 students received this award. Continue reading to hear from eight recipients about the impact of receiving this award. 

Are you interested in hosting a K-12 teacher in your lab this summer? The Teachers Researching Evolution program, run by BEACON Education and Outreach and supported by the SSE Education and Outreach Committee with funds from Wiley Publishers, will provide support for three teachers this summer. If you would like to host a teacher, please complete the interest form (https://goo.gl/forms/1pykVgnELNEOCzLy2) by Friday, March 22. Continue reading to learn more about how you can participate.

The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) seeks nominations of faculty members for four open positions on SSE Council to begin January 1, 2020. These positions include:

1. President-Elect (1 position, 3-year term)
2. Non-North American Vice-President (1 position, 2-year term)
3. Council Member (2 positions, 3-year terms)

To learn more about the responsibilities for these offices please see the SSE Handbook for Council and Committee Members.

If you are interested in nominating yourself or another individual for Council, please complete the nomination form by April 1, 2019, which is available here:  https://goo.gl/forms/P6H9Rj4H0r05GG1y1

On the form you will be asked to provide: i) the nominee’s name, ii) contact information, and iii) a brief rationale for the nomination.

SSE values diversity on Council, and we particularly encourage nominations of individuals that represent the full diversity of the evolutionary biology community, including (but not limited to) all aspects of identity and background, types of institution, or scientific approach. All candidates for election to Council must be SSE members at the time they are listed on the ballot. Nominations will be reviewed by the Nominating Committee (Marc Johnson, Anne Charmantier, and Johanna Schmitt) and the current SSE Council.

Questions can be addressed to the Chair of the Nominating Committee, Marc Johnson (marc.johnson@utoronto.ca).

We're excited to announce the launch of the new SSE Community Blog! Check out the welcome message from our new Blog Editor Fellow, Dr. Sasha Mushegian, and stay tuned for new posts starting this Friday, March 8!

Registration for Evolution 2019 is now open! The conference will be held in Providence, RI, USA from April 21-25. It is the joint annual conference of the Society for the Study of Evolution, the Society of Systematic Biologists, and the American Society of Naturalists. Members of any of these Societies receive discounted registration. Fees cover attendance at all scientific events over June 22-25, including concurrent sessions, symposia, spotlight sessions, plenary addresses, and three evening poster sessions with light food (drink tickets included). A small additional fee covers registration for the Super Social, to be held the last night of the conference at the riverfront Skyline venue. Childcare will be offered free of charge. Safe Evolution conference policies and response procedures will be in place to ensure a safe, inclusive environment for all participants. Learn more about the various travel awards, housing options, and special events on the meeting website. Early registration closes April 15!

Keep an eye out for the opening of registration for Evolution 2019 in Providence, RI on June 21-25. You can view registration rates on the meeting website. SSE members receive $100 off registration. A variety of travel awards are available to undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and international researchers. View the full list here. Graduate students will also have the opportunity to apply during registration to volunteer at the conference to receive a rebate equal to early student registration fees.

The GREG – R.C. Lewontin Early Awards are to assist students in the early stages of their Ph.D. programs by enabling them to collect preliminary data (to pursue additional sources of support) or to enhance the scope of their research beyond current funding limits (e.g. by visiting additional field sites, or working at other labs). Awards will be made up to $2500. Proposals are due February 15. Learn more and apply here.

The SSE Education and Outreach Committee is pleased to announce the T. H. Huxley award, which recognizes and promotes the development of high quality evolution education resources. This award provides funding for an SSE member to present evolution education resources at the National Association of Biology Teachers annual conference. If you have an interesting project or educational activity to share, consider applying for this award. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are especially encouraged to apply. Learn more here and apply by March 24.

Applications for international travel stipends are now open. These stipends are for students and young scientists to attend the Evolution meeting in Providence, Rhode Island on June 21-25, 2019. Awards may alternatively be used to attend the ESEB meeting in Turku, Finland from August 19-24, 2019. Learn more and apply here by March 31.

Applications for the SSE International Committee grants for the co-sponsorship of symposia organized by non-US based evolution societies are due March 31. The goal of these awards is to foster communication between scientists from different countries by stimulating scientific dialogue through co-sponsored symposia. Evolution societies with limited financial resources will have the opportunity to invite speakers (SSE members) to their meeting. This will provide growth opportunities for both societies, since it will not only benefit the hosting society but also create the opportunities for new collaborations for the invited speakers. Learn more here.

Applications for the SSE International Committee grants for international events are due March 31. These events are aimed at furthering the purpose of the Evolution Society by fostering international collaborations amongst evolution-oriented societies and scientists. Eligible events would include specialized symposia, workshops, and short courses in any aspect of evolutionary biology. The events could be hosted either in the US or abroad, and preference should be given to events that specifically include participants from countries other than the USA. Learn more here.

After a one-year hiatus, the Evolution Video Contest/Film Festival is back! The organizers took a year off last year for the Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology, but are excited to bring the 8th Annual Evolution Video Contest/Film Festival to this year’s Evolution Conference in Providence, RI on June 21-25.  Start working on your video now, because the deadline to submit is May 31st, 2019 (11:59 PM, EST). Continue reading to learn more.

As part of our ongoing efforts to grow and reflect our nature as an international society, SSE now offers free or 50% reduced SSE membership fees to researchers from lower-income countries through the Global Membership Assistance (GMA) scheme. This replaces the previous “Developing Nation” discounted membership. Please help spread the word and invite your non-member colleagues in these lower-income countries to consider taking advantage of this new program! Learn more here.

The SSE New Faculty Profile series highlights and introduces up-and-coming PIs in SSE. This month we highlight Dr. Scott Taylor. Dr. Taylor is an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder studying the genetic architecture of reproductive isolation and the genetic bases of traits relevant to speciation. Read his full profile here.

The SSE New Faculty Profile series highlights and introduces up-and-coming PIs in SSE. This month we highlight Dr. Katie McGhee. Dr. McGhee is an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Sewanee: The University of the South studying the role parental effects have in shaping offspring behavior in a variety of fish species. Read her full profile here.

On December 5-6, 2018, the American Institute of Biological Science (AIBS) held discussions on the challenges facing scientists who work within an international platform. The conference, titled "Next Gen International Biology," had participants from multiple countries, and included people involved in various branches of science, publishing, museums, and political representatives. SSE funded a representative from our Public Policy Committee, Amanda Moehring, to attend. Continue reading to hear more about her experience.

After a one-year hiatus, the Evolution Video Contest/Film Festival is BACK!  We took a year off last year, but are excited to bring the 8th Annual Evolution Video Contest/Film Festival to this year’s Evolution Conference in Providence, RI.  So start working on your video now because the deadline to submit is May 31st, 2019 (11:59 PM, EST). Continue reading to learn more.