LATEST NEWS

It’s election season again! This year we’ll be voting in a new President-Elect, the Non-North American Vice President, and two new Councilors. Candidate statements will be posted soon on the website, with polls opening in early November. Please join me in thanking our outgoing officers for their hard work and dedication: Past President Hopi Hoekstra, Non-North American VP Tracey Chapman, and Councilors Daniel Matute and Trisha Wittkopp. A big thank you also to our Nominating Committee, Marc Johnson, Anne Charmantier, and Annie Schmitt for their work selecting the new candidates. 

The 2020 SSE Council Ballot will include a proposed amendment of the Constitution to create a new position of Treasurer. Members will be able to vote on this proposal during the 2020 SSE Council election in November 2019.

Unlike most professional societies, the SSE has Constitution that do not define a position of Treasurer. Instead, the Bylaws specify that the Executive Vice President (EVP) is “responsible for the administration, management and operation of the Society” (SSE Bylaws, Article 3).  

In 2017, SSE Council voted to significantly expand its activities and programs, at which point the duties of the EVP became unmanageable for one person.

SSE Council proposes the creation of a separate office of Treasurer to begin January 2020. This proposal requires amendments to the Constitution and approval by a majority of votes submitted by members via ballots (SSE Constitution, Article 7). The text of the proposed amendments can be found here.

In November 2019, SSE members will receive an email ballot requesting a vote on the establishment of a Treasurer for the Society along with their preferences for candidates of other elected offices.

The Treasurer, like the EVP and the Secretary, will normally serve a three-year term. However, in order to avoid coincident turnover in these positions, the term for the first treasurer will be two years (i.e., Jan 2020–Dec 2021); each subsequent term will last three years.  

Proposed responsibilities of the SSE Treasurer

The Treasurer shall manage financial records for the society. The term will be three years with the possibility of re-election to the position. Stipend will be set at $10K per year.

Duties will include the following: 

1. Coordinate with EVP in planning the annual budget and serve as a member of the SSE Finance Committee
2. Monitor and assess annual income and expenditures in relation to the budget
3. Coordinate payment of all invoices, grants, prizes, awards, stipends and reimbursements and keep all receipts related to reimbursements
4. Coordinate with investment advisor regarding the management of the investment accounts
5. Coordinate with tax accountants and the financial manager for filing of appropriate annual tax information
6. Present Treasurer's reports to Council at annual and mid-year council meetings

We welcome your questions and comments on this proposal. To make your voice heard, please leave a comment here. SSE members must sign in to make a comment. 

The American Society of Naturalists, the Society for the Study of Evolution, and the Society of Systematic Biologists announce the call for nominations for the 1st annual ASN/SSE/SSB Inclusiveness, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Award. The IDEA Award will be given to a person at any career stage who has strengthened the ecology and evolutionary biology community by promoting inclusiveness and diversity in our fields. The award can also be presented to a group. The recipient will receive a plaque at the annual meeting of ASN/SSB/SSE and a $1000 honorarium.

***Eligibility Note: No contemporary officer, editor, member of diversity committee, or meeting organizer of the three societies is eligible for the award.***

Nominations should be submitted by January 15, 2020. Continue reading for nomination instructions.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued an invitation to researchers to register as potential reviewers for the 2020 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). The NSF writes, “Serving as a GRFP Reviewer is an excellent opportunity to apply your research and career expertise to help identify future science and engineering leaders. It is also a great opportunity to become familiar with the NSF Merit Review process.” Learn more and register here.

In the New Faculty Profiles, we invite highlighted faculty to discuss their research, describe how SSE has impacted their career, and share any tips or stories they may have for other researchers. Find out how to submit a nomination here. This month we highlight Dr. Nancy Chen.

In the New Faculty Profiles, we invite highlighted faculty to discuss their research, describe how SSE has impacted their career, and share any tips or stories they may have for other researchers. Find out how to submit a nomination here. This month we highlight Dr. Natalie Steinel.

From our Blog Editor, Sasha Mushegian: 

This fall, we’d like to hear your stories about learning. How did you learn a skill or concept that you needed to do the science you wanted to do? What winding paths has your learning taken, and what approaches and resources helped you? How do you learn completely new things among all the other responsibilities and needs you have as a scientist and human? If you are an educator: is there a particular curriculum or teaching approach that allowed your students to master a skill in a way you’re proud of? And what kinds of collaborative skill-sharing processes have you taken part in as a scientist in a community of learners?

Send your stories of everyday learning, as well as everyday creativity and everyday failure, to blog@evolutionsociety.org. Read more on the blog. 

The SSE Sponsorship Highlights present personal stories from individuals who have received SSE funding. This month we highlight the Diverse Careers Workshop at Evolution 2019. Continue reading to hear more about the workshop from the Diverse Careers Committee.

In the New Faculty Profiles, we invite highlighted faculty to discuss their research, describe how SSE has impacted their career, and share any tips or stories they may have for other researchers. Find out how to submit a nomination here. This month we highlight Dr. Lauren O'Connell.

In the New Faculty Profiles, we invite highlighted faculty to discuss their research, describe how SSE has impacted their career, and share any tips or stories they may have for other researchers. Find out how to submit a nomination here. This month we highlight Dr. Kevin Arbuckle.

Due to a budget surplus from the Evolution 2015 meeting in Guarujá, Brazil, this year the tri-societies (SSE, ASN, and SSB) were able to offer US$500 travel stipends to 20 Brazilian researchers to attend Evolution 2019 in Providence, RI. Continue reading to hear from some of the recipients about what this funding meant to them.

SSE is pleased to announce the Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards, our new research grants for advanced PhD students. These grants are part of the Graduate Research Excellence Grants award program. These awards are to assist students in the later stages of their Ph.D. programs. Funds can be used to enhance the scope of dissertation research, such as to conduct additional experiments or field work. Awards will range from $2,000 - $3,500 and approximately ten awards will be made. This award is not limited to students in the United States. Proposals are due September 15.

Miss a talk at Evolution 2019? Check out the more than 350 talks from Evolution 2019 that have been uploaded to the meeting YouTube channel.

This month on the blog, read recaps of the ASN Symposium on science communication, the SSE Diverse Careers workshop, and the SSB Spotlight Session on phylogenomic methods. Stay tuned for more recaps later this month!

In the New Faculty Profiles, we invite highlighted faculty to discuss their research, describe how SSE has impacted their career, and share any tips or stories they may have for other researchers. Find out how to submit a nomination here. This month we highlight Dr. Seema Sheth.

In the New Faculty Profiles, we invite highlighted faculty to discuss their research, describe how SSE has impacted their career, and share any tips or stories they may have for other researchers. Find out how to submit a nomination here. This month we highlight Dr. Yoav Ram.

The SSE Sponsorship Highlights present personal stories from individuals who have received SSE funding. This month we highlight the Undergraduate Diversity at Evolution (UDE) grants, which provide funding from SSE and the BEACON center for undergraduates to attend the annual Evolution meeting. Recipients are paired with mentors, attend a professional development workshop, and network with program alumni at a UDE social event. Continue reading to hear from Morgan Lloyd, one of this year’s recipients.

SSE is pleased to announce the Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards, our new research grants for advanced PhD students. These grants are part of the Graduate Research Excellence Grants award program. These awards are to assist students in the later stages of their Ph.D. programs. Funds can be used to enhance the scope of dissertation research, such as to conduct additional experiments or field work. Awards will range from $2,000 - $3,500 and approximately ten awards will be made. This award is not limited to students in the United States. Proposals are due September 15. Submissions now open!

Each year, the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) organizes an opportunity for scientists to inform the nation's science policy. The Biological Sciences Congressional District Visits event enables scientists to meet with their federal or state elected officials in their home state--not in Washington, DC--and allows policymakers to learn first-hand about the science and research facilities in their district. Registration is free and closes July 10. Learn more here.

This month on the blog, hear from Evolution meeting organizer Mitch Cruzan on “How to throw a five-day party for 1,800 of your closest friends”, and from outgoing Evolution Editor-in-Chief Mohamed Noor for a behind-the-scenes look at the journal publication process.

Dr. Ferris is an assistant professor in the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University studying the genetic, phenotypic, and environmental basis of adaptation and speciation in Mimulus. Read her full profile here.

Dr. Ogbunu is an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Brown University studying the complex interactions underlying disease phenomena across many scales. Read his full profile here.

The SSE Sponsorship Highlight presents personal stories from individuals who have received SSE funding. This month we highlight the recipients of the 2018 Graduate/Postdoc Travel Supplement, which provided a travel stipend to the Evolution 2018 meeting in Montpellier, France.

Congratulations to the 2019 Graduate Research Excellence Grant - R. C. Lewontin Early Award recipients! This award provides research funding for students in the early stages of their Ph.D. programs to collect preliminary data or to enhance the scope of their research beyond current funding limits.

Context statement: We received 157 GREG-R.C. Lewontin Early Award applications. The evaluation committee, Chaired by VP Tracey Chapman, selected 24 proposals for funding. Based on inferences from given names, 56.7% of Lewontin applicants and 62.5% of the winners are female. The evaluation committee consisted of 6 females and 3 males; 3 reviewers are GSAC members.  

Congratulations to the 15 finalists for the W. D. Hamilton Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Presentation! The finalists will present their research during the Hamilton Award Symposium at Evolution 2019 in Providence, RI, USA on Saturday, June 22 between 11:15 am and 5:30 pm. Don't miss this showcase of outstanding graduate research.

Context statement: We received 109 Hamilton Award applications. The evaluation committee, co-chaired by Katy Heath and Joel McGlothlin, selected 15 finalists. Based on inferences from given names, 62.5% of Hamilton Award applicants and 73.3% of the finalists are female. The evaluation committee consisted of 3 females and 4 males.

Beginning at Evolution 2019 in Providence, our meetings will include a group of vetted and trained attendees who will serve the community as Evo Allies. The role of an Evo Ally is to serve as a visible colleague who is available to offer support to Evolution Meeting participants who are targets of, or who witness, inappropriate behavior. The Evo Allies will be trained by our professional safety officer, Dr. Sherry Marts. Evo Allies do not participate in any aspect of investigating reports or sanctioning. Evo Allies commit to creating safe spaces at the meeting by serving as active bystanders.

This year’s Evo Allies are: Dean Adams, Cecile Ane, Rayna Bell, Dan Bolnick, Butch Brodie, Jeremy Brown, Kelsey Byers, Daren Card, Nancy Chen, Sam Church, Nancy Emery, Anahi Espindola, Gabby Guilhon, Tracy Heath, Emily Josephs, Laura Lagomarsino, Chris Moore, Corrie Moreau, Susan Perkins, Samantha Price, Leslie Rissler, Sharon Strauss, Josef Uyeda, Jodie Wiggins, and Melissa Wilson. Look for their Evo Ally badges at the meeting. Read more about Safe Evolution here.