2010 ORBS Conference
10 April 2010
Opportunities for Research in the Behavioral Sciences
Theme: Expanding research opportunities: the future
Location: UCSD, Natural Sciences Building Rm. 1205
Conference is free. There is no registration fee
ORBS MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the ORBS (Opportunities for Research in the Behavioral Sciences) Program is
to provide research opportunities in the Behavioral Sciences for minority and underprivileged
high school and college students in the San Diego area. The goal of ORBS is to encourage
students to attend or transition to four-year colleges and to generate a greater interest in and
awareness of careers in the sciences.
GOALS FOR ORBS CONFERENCE
The ORBS program is ready for the next stage, expansion. Together with researchers in San
Diego and Panama, we are ready to build a new program to provide underrepresented
undergraduate students to participate in an intensive research and career-development
program that we hope will inspire and motivate them to pursue a career in Biology related to
our natural world.
This new program, Undergraduate Research in Ecology, Behavior, and the Environment, will
provide students with coursework training, nine months of research in San Diego, and end
with three months of research in the rain forest in Panama. Thus, students begin in their local
community and move on to the tropical forest where they can directly experience the
immense complexity and underlying fragility of one of earth’s most diverse ecosystems. Our
goal is to provide these research experiences to underrepresented undergraduates and
motivate them to pursue graduate studies in Ecology, Behavior, and the Environmental
Sciences. Minority students from San Diego Community Colleges, local universities, and
UCSD will work with internationally recognized scientists in San Diego at UCSD, the San
Diego Zoo, and Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute and in Panama through the Smithsonian
Tropical Research Institute.
The UREBE program is being submitted for highly competitive NSF funding at the end of
April. If funded, this ORBS 2010 Conference will allow students to get a sense of the
research opportunities available and help with outreach.
Objective 1: Recruitment and outreach. We will let students know about the research opportunities
available at UCSD, Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute, and the San Diego Zoo Institute for
Conservation Research. Student research will be presented at a separate event later in the
academic year as part of a larger symposium dedicated to student research presentations.
Objective 2: Networking. We will gather together the different parties (students, recruiters, and
researchers) to meet and discuss the expanding and improving research opportunities for
underrepresented students.
Objective 3: Defining needs. There are special challenges that many students face while engaging
undergraduate research, particularly when they are not familiar with research culture and expectations.
Latest update: 3/6/16, 6:34 AM
We will have an open discussion at the end of the conference, following a presentation about these
needs, to learn more and to plan.
Questions? Please contact the conference organizer, James C. Nieh, jnieh@ucsd.edu, (858) 822-5010
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Latest update: 3/6/16, 6:34 AM
MAPS, DRIVING DIRECTIONS, & PARKING
The conference is being held at the University of California, San Diego in the first floor
lecture hall of the Natural Sciences Building, Rm 1205. Additional map information can be
obtained at http://maps.ucsd.edu/Viewer.htm?Map=Visitor
From the south, drive up I-5 and exit west on La Jolla Village Drive. This road
becomes North Torrey Pines Road. Make a right turn east onto Revelle College Drive
and park in P104 (the rectangle). Parking is free on the weekends in “S”, “A”, and
“B” spots. Follow the dashed line to the building entrance. The circle marks the
location of the lecture hall.
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Latest update: 3/6/16, 6:34 AM
This is an aerial view showing the parking lot. The circle
marks the lecture hall.
The Natural Sciences Building
2010 ORBS Conference Program
Opportunities for Research in the Behavioral Sciences
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Latest update: 3/6/16, 6:34 AM
Theme: Expanding research opportunities: the future
Location: UCSD, Natural Sciences Building Rm. 1205
http://www.biology.ucsd.edu/labs/nieh/UREBE/Homepage.html
Opening remarks
12:30-12:35
James C. Nieh
UCSD, Section of
Ecology, Behavior, and
Evolution
Research opportunities for students (20 min talk, 5 min Q&A)
12:35-12:55 pm
David Holway
UCSD, Section of
(Ecology)
Ecology, Behavior, and
Evolution
12:55 -1:15 pm
Jonathan Shurin
UCSD, Section of
(Ecology)
Ecology, Behavior, and
Evolution
1:15-1:35: pm
Uromi Goodale
UCSD, Section of
(Ecology)
Ecology, Behavior, and
Evolution
1:35-1:55 pm
James Nieh
(Behavior)
UCSD, Section of
Ecology, Behavior, and
Evolution
Conference goals
Ecology and behavior
of social insect
invasions
Predators and
dynamics of
ecosystems
Climate change
impacts for California
plant communities and
ecosystems
Honey bee
communication
15 min break, refreshments will be served in the lobby
Integrating Programs: resources and needs across San Diego (15 min)
2:10-2:30 pm
Ann Bowles
Hubbs-Seaworld
Sensory and Behavioral
(Behavior)
Research Institute
Ecology Research in an
Oceanarium Setting:
What Can Students
Learn?
2:30-2:50 pm
2:50-3:10 pm
3:10-3:30 pm
3:30-3:50 pm
3:50-3:55 pm
David Woodruff
(Conservation & the
Environment)
Lisa Norstrom
(Conservation)
Minou Spradley
(Recruitment,
retention, & outreach)
Open forum
discussion
James Nieh
UCSD, Section of
Ecology, Behavior, and
Evolution
San Diego Zoo
Institute for
Conservation Research
San Diego City College
Animal species and
their conservation
All conference
participants
UCSD, Section of
Ecology, Behavior, and
Evolution
How can we best
meet student needs?
Closing remarks
Local species
conservation through
science
Ensuring success for
all students
PLEASE STAY A FEW MINUTES FOR A GROUP PHOTO IN THE LOBBY!
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Latest update: 3/6/16, 6:34 AM
PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS & PROGRAMS
Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute
Miracosta College
San Diego City College
San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research
University of California San Diego
PARTICIPANT CONTACT LIST
Ann E. Bowles
Senior Research Scientist
Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute
2595 Ingraham St.
San Diego, CA 92109
(619) 266-3870
annb1@san.rr.com
David Holway
Associate Professor
Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution
UCSD, Mail Code 0116
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
dholway@ucsd.edu
Erin Charlens
Counselor
San Diego City College
1313 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 388-3540
Jeffrey Mehr (not yet confirmed)
Adjunct Faculty
San Diego City College
1313 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92101
jmahr@sdccd.edu
Elsa Cleland*
Assistant Professor
Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution
UCSD, Mail Code 0116
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
office
ecleland@ucsd.edu
James Nieh
Associate Professor
Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution
UCSD, Mail Code 0116
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
office (858) 822-5010
jnieh@ucsd.edu
Uromi Goodale
Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution
UCSD, Mail Code 0116
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
uromi.goodale@gmail.com
Lisa A. Nordstrom
Scientist, Applied Animal Ecology
San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation
Research
15600 San Pasqual Valley Rd.
Escondido, CA 92027-7000
LNordstrom@sandiegozoo.org
Marilyn Harvey
Director, Student Transition Services
San Diego City College
1313 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 388-3951
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Latest update: 3/6/16, 6:34 AM
Jonathan Shurin
Associate Professor
Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution
UCSD, Mail Code 0116
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
jshurin@ucsd.edu
Minou Djawdan Spradley
Interim Dean of Arts, Humanities, and
Communications
San Diego City College
1313 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92101
mdspradl@sdccd.edu
Eri Suzuki
Adjunct Faculty
Miracosta College
1 Barnard Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056
esuzuki@miracosta.edu
San Diego City College
1313 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92101
esuzuki@sdccd.edu
Ron Swaisgood*
Brown Endowed Director’s Chair of Applied Animal
Ecology
San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research
15600 San Pasqual Valley Road
Escondido, CA 92027-7000
rswaisgood@sandiegozoo.org
Gabriele Wienhausen
Associate Dean for Education, Division of Biological
Sciences
UCSD, Mail Code 0376
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
Office (858) 534-3105
gwienhausen@ucsd.edu
David Woodruff
Professor
Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution
UCSD, Mail Code 0116
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
dwoodruff@ucsd.edu
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*Individuals in the San Diego area who are not able to attend, but who are interested in participating
in underrepresented education programs, particularly UREBE and ORBS.
THANKS
I would like to thank the many individuals and groups whose hard work made this conference possible:
Dean’s Office of the Division of Biological Sciences (who financially supported this conference)
Biological Sciences Students Association at UCSD
Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution Club at UCSD
Project Assistant, Marie Stark
All of the people who helped to advertise the conference
The students from the Nieh lab who helped with conference setup and cleanup
And of course all the participants!