- GSA NEWS

"The Art and Science Behind the Syracuse Bike Plan"

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:35:50 -0800

Do you ride a bike? A unicycle? Do you want to? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then please join us for the final installment of the Graduate Student Speaker Series (noon in Moon) tomorrow!

Meghan Holtan and Lindsay Perez
Friday, April 27th
Moon 110 at noon
(Light refreshments provided)

End of Semester BBQ May 4th, 4-8pm

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:31:52 -0800

DON'T MISS: "SHIFTING PARADIGMS SEMINAR"

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:21:18 -0800

Dr. Peter Reich, Distinguished McKnight University Professor and F.B. Hubachek, Sr. Chair in Forest Ecology and Tree Physiology; Resident Fellow, Institute on the Environment (IonE), University of Minnesota
Wednesday, April 25th, 5pm. Illick 5 (Reception to follow)

"Global environmental change & the terrestrial biosphere: linking plant traits with community and ecosystem dynamics"
Dr. Reich's research focuses on the impacts of global environmental change on terrestrial ecosystems. This includes effects of climate change, elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide, other air pollutants, land use/management, fire and biotic invasion on health, biodiversity, and sustainability of forest and grassland ecosystems both in Minnesota and globally. His work simultaneously attempts to bridge the fields of physiological, community, ecosystem, landscape, and global ecology.

GSO Earth Day Events

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 06:47:20 -0800

See below for details on GSO Earth Day Activities.

TUESDAY! "Water, Technology, and Sustainability: Are we Engineering Vulnerability?" 4pm, Nifkin

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:49:29 -0800

(Co-sponsoring with the ESF Women's Caucus, EFB Department)
Dr. Lilian Na'ia Alessa, Professor of Biology and Director, Resilience and Adaptive Management Group, University of Alaska Anchorage
Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 4-5 pm, Nifkin Lounge or Marshall Auditorium, Marshall Hall

"Water, Technology and Sustainability: Are we Engineering Vulnerability?"
Water resources continue to challenge societies around the world. As part of the solution, water technologies ranging from reclamation, to storage to household level conservation hardware have been implemented. In this talk we explore the role of technology in achieving water sustainability and question the increasing effort to 'engineer' water efficiency. We will challenge the dominant belief that with better technology we will be able to achieve resilience and demonstrate the need to approach water issues from a human hydrological perspective.

Opportunity At Syracuse University: White House Young America Series

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:02:43 -0800

April 18th, 2012, 6-9 p.m. See the website for more details: http://www.syr.edu/whitehouse/

SHIFTING PARADIGMS - "Nature's Materials: Growing Plastic Replacements From Mushrooms" (4/10 - 5pm, Nifkin)

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:04:22 -0800

Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre were fascinated by mushrooms growing on wood chips, and observing how the fungal mycelium strongly bonded the wood chips together. This inspired them to think of new ways of using mycelium as a resin. They formulated a new process for binding together insulating particles, creating some remarkable materials that could replace Styrofoam™. Rather than just decreasing the environmental impact of conventional polystyrene foams, this invention created a whole new paradigm where composite materials are literally grown, harnessing the incredible efficiency of nature. Their company has won numerous awards and has grown to 35 full-time employees.

TED talk:

Volunteer Opportunity: Edward Smith School

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:26:53 -0800

What/Where: The PTO of Edward Smith (located within walking distance of ESF, on the corner of Lancaster Ave and Broad Street) is planning on a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Evening open to Edward Smith Families and Staff.
When: Thursday, April 26th, 2012 from 5:45 until 8:00 p.m.
Who: ESF Graduate Students are encouraged to volunteer! To do so, contact Kay Scott.

Listed below is the schedule for our STEM evening:
5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Set-up for Engineering Open Activities, Centers, Show and Meal
5:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Meal for families, staff and volunteers of STEM evening.
5:45 p.m. - 6:30p.m.   Variety of “Open STEM Activities” & Center Sign-Up
6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.   STEM Science Show by Dr. Gary Scott, SUNY-ESF
7:00 p.m. – 7:20 p.m.   Center Activity (see below Center Activities)
7:20 p.m. – 7:40 p.m.   Center Activity (see below Center Activities)
7:40 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.   Center Activity (see below Center Activities)
8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.    Clean-up

We are looking for ESF Student Volunteers to help with the center activites and we could also use a few volunteers to help with the open activities.
Center Activities: ·
Trebuchet Demonstration and Marshmallow Catapult Build, children have the opportunity to learn about the mechanics of the trebuchet and catapult and then build their own marshmallow catapult and practice.   Leader: Lillian Jeng ·
Make your own ice-cream:   Children will learn about changes in matter and solutions and have the opportunity to make their own serving of ice-cream. Mrs. Kwiek and Edward Smith Science Students (will need additional leader) ·
Computer Programming:   Leader: Michael Wheeler, see below for sample of the programming language or http://scratch.mit.edu ·
Laser Engraving:   With help from the Nottingham HS Students and Mr. McGinty ·
Robotics: Leader: John Ashby ·
DNA of Strawberries: Leader: Mary Terrinoni ·
Squishy Circuits:   Leader to be determined ·
Plant and Organic Matter Identification:   Leaders: Valerie and Stephan

“Open STEM Activities” will include: Duplo Block Building, KNex, Lincoln Logs, Wood Blocks, Toilet Paper Tube and Paper Cup Towers, Calculator Riddles, Small Paper Box Building, X-ray Viewing, Color Spinners, Make a Flip Book, Pixel Magnification, plus other ideas. We would not be able to pay the volunteers but we could at least provide dinner which will be pasta, pizza, salad and dessert.

First Annual Elevator Pitch Contest: Our Winner and Runners Up

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:43:31 -0800

Many hearty congratulations to the winner of our contest, Jenn Yantachka! We are in the process of working with the Office of Communications on the web feature on her research, and will post a link to that as soon as it is available. In the meantime, you can see her brief bio here (at the bottom of the page). Congratulations also to Anna Stewart and Roman Yavich, our runners up. To everyone who made it, the talent within the graduate student body was on full display.

Many thanks as well to our sponsors: the Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies, the Office of Communications, and the Department of Environmental Resources Engineering.

GSO Sponsored Event

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:33:22 -0800

Davíd Carrasco

Neil L. Rudenstine Professor of the Study of Latin America, Harvard Divinity School

and Harvard FAS Department of Anthropology will give a lecture "An Indigenous American Pictorial Epic: Storytelling from the 16th Century Mexican Codex-Mapa de Cuauhtinchan (Place of the Eagle's Nest)" On Friday, April 6, 2012 at 7:00 in Hendricks Chapel. With performance by The Brazilian Ensemble at 6:30. Co-Sponsored by the Undergraduate Anthropology Club, the Religion Graduate Organization (funded by the GSO), and the Native American Studies Program.