Dr. Selfa's National Academies Presentation

Another congratulations to Dr. Theresa Selfa for having her work quoted in Scientific American for her presentation at the workshop "Nexus of Biofuels Energy, Climate Change and Health," for the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences last week.

The Scientific American article entitled "Rising Use of Corn Ethanol Stresses Midwestern Aquifers" discusses her work on socio-economic impacts of corn ethanol on small communities in Kansas and Iowa in a 2011 study. A link to the article is found here.

Graduate Assistantships for 2013-2014

Grad Students: Please check your email for the graduate assistantship application for the 2013-2014 academic year! 

Please submit to the Environmental Studies Graduate Office by MARCH 1st!

Contact Prof. Sharon Moran if you have any questions.

Grads: Graduating this spring?

Below you will find the important deadlines you should be aware of if you plan on completing your degree this spring semester.  If you are unable to meet the deadlines, your graduation may be pushed back a semester.  In addition, the attached degree completion document explains the process for appointing a chair, setting the defense schedule, and other pertinent information related to the completion process.  In addition you will find a graduation checklist to help you navigate through the paperwork our office requires before we can official grant the degree.

MPS, MF, and MLA students planning to finish this semester need to let OIGS know of your plans by April 24, 2013 to ensure your name is included in the convocation program.

If you are planning to attend convocation you will need to submit theRSVP card you will be receiving in your mailbox shortly.  A convocation mailing will go out to all students who have self-reported a spring 2013expected graduation in the MyESF Portal.  If you do not receive the mailing in the next couple of weeks and you are planning to graduate,please let Suzette Vandeburg know at  svandeburg@esf.edu

Action required if you wish to graduate in...	December 2012	May 2013	August 2013
Request Appointment for Defense of Thesis/Dissertation Examination Committee (Form 5B)	Friday, September 28, 2012	Friday, February 8, 2013	Monday, June 3, 2013
Latest day to defend to qualify for degree	Monday, December 3, 2012	Friday, April 26, 2013	August 2, 2013
MPS, MF and MLA students must notify OI&GS of their intent to complete the degree to be included in the convocation program	Friday, November 16, 2012	Wednesday, April 24, 2013	N/A
Submit a final, revised, and signed version of document and associated paperwork to Office of Instruction & Graduate Studies	Friday, December 7, 2012	Tuesday, April 30, 2013	Friday, August 9, 2013

Please note: Consult the Instructions for Completing a Thesis or Dissertationprior to submitting a final draft to your defense committee members. All committee members (Major Professor, Steering Committee, Readers/Examiners, and the Defense Committee Chair) must have a final draft at least two weeks prior to the defense. Students should notify the Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies via e-mail of the date, time, and location of the defense at least 2 weeks in advance of the defense or it may be rescheduled.

Summer 2013 Biomass Internship Opportunities

INFORMATION

Upstate New York is poised to become a focal point for the development of biomass systems for the production of heat, power, fuels and products. The shortage of well-trained professionals to meet the growing demand of the bioenergy field is one of the barriers to the development of biomass as a source of renewable energy. There is a growing need for a well-educated and skilled workforce with the background and experience to address the complexities of this rapidly developing industry. This internship project is designed to assist in producing knowledgeable and experienced professionals with the requisite analytical, creative thinking and problem solving skills to meet the growing demand of the bioenergy field in the region.

The Summer Biomass Internship Program is offered collaboratively by SUNY-ESF, the Syracuse Center of Excellence and the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity (CEO) and provides opportunities for qualified college students to work with an Upstate NY company that is focused on biomass products. This will provide students an opportunity to achieve their career goals by gaining experience in the biomass field while concurrently meeting workplace and industry needs by increasing the quality of postsecondary instruction in bioenergy. This program will help to build on connections between local firms working in the biomass field and college students studying in the region.

ESF Biomass Internship Site    Source: esf.edu

• Maximum funding from the program for a summer 2013 internship is $5,000.

• Interns are responsible for their own summer housing, meals, and transportation.

• Students will be hired by the company that is hosting the internship. The student should
make these arrangements after the internship has been awarded.

• To be eligible for this internship program a student must be enrolled in a part time or full
time undergraduate or graduate degree program.

• At the conclusion of the internship, students must complete a poster, presentation or report
(less than 2,000 words) that will be submitted to the firm that hosted them, his/her academic
advisor and the biomass internship program coordinator. Additionally, students will be required
to submit an abstract (less than 500 words) that describes their internship experience.

• Interns are strongly encouraged to submit a poster in collaboration with their faculty mentor
to the SyracuseCoE Symposium, SUNY-ESF spotlight on research or similar event.

• Students enrolled in the renewable energy minor or option at SUNY-ESF can make use of the
internship to fulfill some of the capstone project requirements. Contact Tim Volk at tavolk@
esf.edu for more information.

• Internships will be posted online at: www.esf.edu/outreach/projects/fff.htm and
internships.syracusecoe.org

IMPORTANT DATES
February 8, 2013: Student applications due. Firms hosting the internships will review
applications and rank the interns that applied for their positions.

March 8th, 2013: Staff from SUNY-ESF, SyracuseCoE and CenterState CEO will match
applications and responses from local firms and inform students about positions.

May 2013: Internship engagements may commence.

August 30, 2013: Internships must be completed.

September 13, 2013: Posters/reports must be submitted.

APPLICATION
Students may fill out the online application found at internships.syracusecoe.org and
include their resume and cover letter. Students may apply for more than one internship,
but a separate application with cover letter, must be filled out for each internship. If
applying for more than one internship, student must identify their priority for internships
in the space provided in the application.

CONTACT
Aimee Clinkhammer, Syracuse Center of Excellence
aclinkhammer@syracusecoe.org | 315-443-3741

Tim Volk, SUNY-ESF
tavolk@esf.edu | 315-470-6774

Feb 1st: Everything you need to know to defend!

Whether you’re planning on graduating this semester or just planning ahead for completing your degree in the future, there are specific processes and paperwork involved. To help you navigate this process, the GSA Professional Development Committee invites you to join us for an informative session:

Everything You Need to Know to Defend ... and OTHER Useful Information
Friday February 1st 
12:30-1:30pm in 110 Moon Library

With the help of Suzette Vandeburg and Scott Shannon from the Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies, learn the details of the paperwork timeline and process to graduate according to your schedule.  This session will review the details of the degree completion process, and open a conversation for any questions you may have to students who have been through the defense process.  Light refreshments will be served, but we invite you to bring your lunch along!

This event is sponsored by the Professional Development Committee of the GSA Senate and the Office of Instruction and Graduate Studies

Contact Abbie Larkin (amlarkin@syr.edu) with any questions regarding this event

Looking to Study Abroad in Fall 2013?

The Syracuse University Study Abroad Office has announced informational meetings for Fall 2013 study abroad opportunities. The study abroad agency hosting the meetings, World Partner, offers over 40 programs throughout the world. Gain a new perspective on the environment. The following informational sessions have been scheduled:

AUSTRALIA Partner Programs 

Friday January 25th at 1 PM 
Friday Feb 1 at 1 PM 

ASIA Partner Programs (India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea) 

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Photo Credit: Megan O'Connor

Thursday, February 7th at 10 AM 
Friday February 8th at 10 AM 

AFRICA Partner Programs (Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda) 
Thursday, February 7th at 11 AM 
Friday February 8th at 11 AM 

IRELAND Partner Programs 
Friday February 1st at 1 PM 

MIDDLE EAST Partner Programs (Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia) 
Thursday, February 7th at 12 noon 
Friday February 8th at 12 noon 

Don't miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime! Deadlines vary by program, so check it out soon!

For information on other programs or if you are unable to attend the designated information session, please schedule an advising appointment at http://suabroad.syr.edu/destinations/worldpartners/ or through the scheduling assistant on individual program pages. Please visit http://suabroad.syr.edu/dest/ for a list of programs. No RSVP is necessary for information meetings. Just come to the SUAbroad Office (106 Walnut Place). 

Dr. Theresa Selfa Invited to Speak at Institute of Medicine

The Environmental Studies Department is proud to announce that Dr. Theresa Selfa has been invited to speak at the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine January 24-25 in Washington, DC.

Dr. Selfa will be speaking on the topic of social ecological issues of bioenergy development in the U.S. and Latin America at a workshop series entitled "Nexus of Biofuels Energy, Climate Change, and Health." This workshop will bring together members of the bioenergy, ecology, and health communities to gain a better understanding of the connections between production and utilization of biofuels, and public health risks and benefits. The workshop will focus on air, water, land-use, food, and social impacts of biomass feedstock as an energy resource and these impacts on human health.

Congratulations to Dr. Selfa!