Conference Goals
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Raise awareness of ongoing Stanford graduate and post doctoral research projects, needs and opportunities relating to environmental issues
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Build and sustain working connections between Stanford graduate students and post doctoral scholars from different departments working on environmental issues
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Develop skills for interdisciplinary environmental collaborations
Description of Conference Sessions
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Plenary "Doing interdisciplinary environmental research"
An interdisciplinary environmental research team (including faculty members, post doctoral scholars and/or graduate students) will describe the process of interdisciplinary work, including: the initiation of their projects, major challenges faced, methodological tensions and unique rewards of interdisciplinary research.
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Student panel sessions
Each session will include a set of research and (where possible) entrepreneurial perspectives, from graduate students and post doctoral scholars, on a similar environmental topic. Topics and panel members will be chosen in advance to ensure a diversity of perspectives. Rather than focusing on data, presenters will discuss their particular perspectives on the topic, including:
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central research questions or opportunities
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critical methods and research strategies (for a non-expert audience)
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anticipated findings and possible outcomes.
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Poster sessions and reception
Food will be served as conference attendees network and share their own research projects through posters.
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Woods Institute communication and leadership training
An abbreviated version of the Woods Institute communication and leadership courses.
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Proposal development
To foster working connections between students and build capacity to plan interdisciplinary projects, we will invite participants to form working groups to conceptualize and present:
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brief research proposals,
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potential business ventures,
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interdisciplinary courses, or
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future ideas for YES.
Seed grant money will be awarded to the best proposal.
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Keynote Address
By well-known environmental researcher / practitioner, Dr. Sylvia Earle (http://www.deepsearch.org/sylvia.html