Paleontological Society's Distinguished Speakers program

The Paleontological Society's Distinguished Speakers program brings excellent paleontologists right to your university! The PS and SVP will subsidize expenses up to $400 per visit. Hosts simply contact the speaker directly to arrange a date and title, with expenses to be reimbursed by the appropriate Society after submitting receipts.

This year there are two new names on the list – Ta-Shana Taylor (Univ. Miami, FL) and Yurena Yanes (U Cincinnati). They will overlap with the continuing speakers: Caroline Stromberg (Univ. Washington), Michal Kowalewski (Florida Museum of Natural History), and Tricia Kelley (UNC Wilmington). Each speaker has offered 3-4 talk titles (see details on the website and below).

The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology is also joining the program this year with three speakers for 2018-2020 – Larisa DeSantis (Vanderbilt Univ.), who will cover North American venues, Nadia Fröbisch (Museum für Naturkunde), who will cover European venues, and Karen Moreno (Universidad Austral de Chile), who will cover South American venues. SVP’s program will operate the same as ours and so our flier includes their roster to better to advertise the opportunities. 

In addition to nearby colleges, consider avocational fossil, lapidary, and environmental-interest groups (“Save the XX Watershed”). Our speakers for 2018-19 cover many topics, including conservation paleobiology, which has become a major draw, along with important issues in diversity and the teaching of evolution. Most have experience talking with youth groups and the general public, and are willing to run workshops.

Geobiology 2019- Save the Date

Hold on to your Geobiological tools, the first "save the date" for the 2nd Geobiology Society Conference is out! The conference will be held June 9th to 13th, 2019 at Banff, Canada!

Mark your calendars! More details soon.

Paleontological Field Methods Course

Looking for a paleontology field course for summer 2018? 

Check out: Paleontology Field Methods & Research (Univ Wash BIOL475A/ESS 449A;  3, 4, or 5 credits). This is the same course that Greg Wilson has taught in the past and is held in the type area of the Hell Creek Formation in northeastern Montana (made famous as the type location for T. rex and the epicenter of the K-Pg extinction debates)

Overview: This is a one-month (June 18 – July 17, 2018) introduction to paleontological field methods and research, in which students develop skills in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting field data and designing research projects by participating in ongoing paleontological research on the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction. Topics include excavation of fossils, identification and curation of fossils, collection/interpretation of stratigraphic and taphonomic data, and report writing.
Note that this is a University of Washington course BUT it is open to students from other institutions. In the past, approximately half of the students were from universities and colleges other than UW.

Course Details:
Lecture/Lab: 2 weeks (June 18-21, July 12-17) with intro lectures on principles in field paleontology, geology, and taphonomy as well as the scientific context of the research. Lab sessions to introduce the fossil vertebrates, curate collected fossil specimens, analyze data, and present final reports.
Fieldwork: 2.5 weeks (June 22 – July 11) at the Hell Creek State Park in NE Montana learning basic paleontology and geology field techniques, collecting fossils (verts, inverts, plants), gaining context of ongoing research, and engaging in group research projects.
Costs : Lab fee of $120, program fee of $850 to cover transportation, meals, lodging, and equipment for fieldwork, and UW tuition (see www.summer.uw.edu/registration-costs/tuition-fees/)
Entry Code: Students who wish to register for the class should contact instructor Dave Grossnickle (dmgrossn@uw.edu) for an entry code.

A PDF flyer can be found here: http://faculty.washington.edu/gpwilson/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/BIOL-475A-flyer-broad2018.pdf

Collections manager position, California Academy of Sciences

The Invertebrate Zoology and Geology Department at the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) is seeking a Collection Manager for Geology.  The Academy is the oldest natural history museum in the western United States and welcomes people of all backgrounds, identities, and beliefs to join us in achieving our mission to explore, explain and sustain life on Earth.

The Geological Collections at CAS contain over 8 million specimens, including one of the best collections of Pacific Basin invertebrates of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic ages and fossil fish, foraminifera and plants from California and the western U.S.  The mineral collection includes a meteorite and gemstone collection and is worldwide in scope. Also housed in the department is the world’s third largest collection of both fossil and recent diatoms.

Qualifications:  Candidates should have at least a Master’s degree in Earth Sciences or a comparable field; four years of experience in collections curation or closely related work; two years of experience supervising staff and volunteers; and two years of experience managing budgets.  Comprehensive knowledge of curatorial procedures, regulations, taxonomy, databases and the literature relevant to the Academy’s geology collections is also desired, as is experience with grant writing and field work.

Application Deadline: April 30, 2018.  A complete job description with further details about the duties and qualifications for this position can be found at:  http://calacademy.snaphire.com/jobdetails?ajid=IM4Y8

Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Paleontology (University of Manitoba)

The Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Manitoba invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor beginning as early as January 1, 2019 in the general area of paleontology. We especially welcome applicants with research interests in micro-paleontology, invertebrate or vertebrate paleontology, paleobotany, or ichnology, which are applied to areas such as biostratigraphy, biogeography and paleoecology. A focus on significant biotic events and their relation to Earth history, including evolutionary originations and extinctions in response to environmental changes, is an asset. Particular attention will be given to candidates that complement on-going research and teaching activities in the Department. Qualified applicants must have a proven record of excellence in research and the potential for excellence in teaching. The successful applicant will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in paleontology and Earth history/global change, and establish an internationally recognized, externally funded research program. Additional teaching may include courses in introductory geology and field methods.

The Department of Geological Sciences, housed on the banks of the Red River, provides an exciting environment for teaching and research. The Department is home to 12 tenured and tenure-track faculty members in the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources, and offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs in Geology and Geophysics. It has a well-established national and international research reputation with strengths in mineralogy, geochemistry, sedimentology, paleontology, geophysics, and environmental geosciences. The Department has an extensive paleontological teaching and museum collection, is home to the Ed Leith Cretaceous Menagerie, a popular outreach attraction, and has over $10 million of equipment housed in major, multi-user laboratories. To learn more about the University of Manitoba and the Department of Geological Sciences, please visit http://umanitoba.ca/geoscience/

Applications, as a single pdf file, should include: a cover letter outlining specific interests in the position, detailed curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy and interests, and a research plan. Please have three letters of reference sent directly to Mr. Georges Carrière, Department of Geological Sciences at Georges.Carriere@umanitoba.ca.

Applications, addressed to Chair of Paleontology Search Committee, must be sent electronically by April 30, 2018 to Mr. Georges Carrière, Department of Geological Sciences at Georges.Carriere@umanitoba.ca. Please refer to position #25529 in the application. Review of applications will begin May 2018.

The University of Manitoba is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from women, racialized persons/persons of colour, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of all sexual orientations and genders, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the “Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act” (Manitoba). Please note that CVs will be provided to participating members of the search committee and department.

2018 Division nomination deadline extended

A huge thanks to all of you who have sent us nominations for the 2018 GBGM division awards - they're excellent, and much appreciated! Although we now have nominees in each ctaegory (pre-tenure, post-tenure, and distinguished career), we still feel that we would like a larger pool to choose from in a couple of the categories (because we know that there are more amazing people out there!).

As a result, we are extending our nominations deadline to April 15th.

If you know of someone who you feel is deserving, please nominate them. Please use this nomination form to identify exceptional researchers who you think should be recognized, along with a justification (max. 500 words). Final nominees will be selected by the GBGM committee from amongst this pool, and awarded based the nominee’s complete portfolio (i.e., research, mentoring, service, and leadership). 

You can find all the nomination information (plus past awardees) here: http://gsageobiology.blogspot.com/2018/03/help-us-choose-2018-awardees.html