[Plsugs] PLS Opportunities! Professional, Academic, Scholarships & More

Wed Jan 20 14:28:45 MST 2021

Dear PLS students,

*This email will be best read on your computer as it is very lengthy and there are a lot of hyperlinks*

This email is filled with upcoming opportunities and deadlines!

ACADEMICS

  1.  New Major/Minor: Applied Biotechnology

The new School of Plant Sciences major/minor, Applied Biotechnology, is live. If you are interested in this major please contact the Academic Advisor, me, Maya Azzi (mazzi at email.arizona.edu<mailto:mazzi at email.arizona.edu>) for more details or feel free to schedule an appointment with me.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/JOBS

  1.  Mini Symposium: Agriculture Biotechnology

Link to website/registration: https://innovatebio.org/event/agricultural-biotechnology-emerging-technologies-and-insights

Event Date(s): Thursday, January 28, 2021 - 01:00pm to 04:00pm EST
Event Details: InnovATEBIO National Biotechnology Education Center and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory invite you to a mini-symposium on emerging technologies in Agricultural Biotechnology.
High school and college faculty and students are welcome to attend this free webinar. Registration is required.

1:00 pm EST
Agricultural Genomics: The Rise of Genomes
Doreen Ware, Ph.D., Molecular Biologist, USDA Agricultural Research Service and Adjunct Professor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York
Breeding for 2050 and beyond will require designing plants for new environments and preparing them for new diseases, while they are still offshore. Key to this effort will be access to high-quality genomes and annotations for agricultural species and their pests. The genomes of many plants have been sequenced over the past decade, but these are usually limited to one reference assembly. The available genomes are often fragmented and missing complex repeat regions—and so lack sufficient high-level representation of genes and functional variation within a species. We are now entering an era where genome assemblies are reaching a theoretical maximum of contiguity and completeness—at ~0.1% the cost of 10 years ago. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to access genomic information to dissect complex agronomic traits and to provide insights into species evolution.

2:00 pm EST
Emerging Trends in Agricultural Diagnostics
Zach Bateson, Ph.D., Research Scientist, National Agricultural Genotyping Center, Fargo, ND
Pests and pathogens account for up to 30% of the annual losses in food crops worldwide. All agricultural commodities are negatively impacted by pests, either directly in the field or indirectly through the supply chain. Molecular diagnostics to identify and manage threats in agriculture lag behind diagnostic applications in the medical sciences, despite deep connections between agriculture and human health. In this webinar, I describe the diagnostic biotechnology used at the National Agricultural Genotyping Center (NAGC) and how diagnostic data provide insights into emerging threats across the agricultural community. Specifically, I discuss research underway at the NAGC that helps: 1) identify drivers of colony losses impacting the honeybee industry, 2) quickly detect herbicide resistant weeds, and 3) measure environmental pathogen densities to develop predictive models for crop diseases. While the research is diverse in scope, the diagnostic methods take advantage of a commonality across all pests and pathogens—the genetic code.

3:00 pm EST
Clones, Carbon and Climate Change: The Epigenetics of Oil Production
Rob Martienssen, Ph.D, Professor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY
The African oil palm is the most efficient oil bearing crop, but demand for edible oils and biofuels, combined with sustainability concerns over dwindling rainforest reserves, has led to intense pressure to improve oil palm yield. The fruit abnormality, mantled, is a somaclonal variant arising from tissue culture that drastically reduces yield—and has largely halted efforts to clone elite hybrids for oil production. Using epigenome wide association studies, we found that loss of methylation of a LINE retrotransposon related to rice Karma predicts mantled fruit. Identifying “bad Karma” in cloned plantlets allows growers to cull mantled palms before they reach the field. Since many palms in a given plantation are low-yielding, the broad introduction of high-performing clones promises to reduce the land needed to meet world requirements for palm oil.

  1.  Job opportunity: For individuals Graduating in May 2020

The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) is in the process of hiring several entry level staff position.  Those who are interested in applying for a Civil Engineering, Soil Conservationist, Foresters  and Soil Conservation Technician positions, who have graduated or scheduled to graduate by May 2020 with a degree in Civil Engineering  and Natural Resources, to send a copy of their resume for a cursory review to patti.jacksonkelly at usda.gov<mailto:patti.jacksonkelly at usda.gov>, prior to applying for positions on line in USAJOBS.

  1.  Research/Financial opportunity: MARC Program

It's time again to consider applying to the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program. If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, have a 3.0 GPA, will have at least 4 semesters left at University of Arizona after the current spring semester, are interested in pursuing research and aspire a graduate degree in a biomedical field, then you certainly should apply. The benefits and opportunities are MANY and there is NO prior research experience required.

The simple application and more information can be found at 2021 MARC Program Application<https://grad.arizona.edu/uroc/uroc-application-2020>. Please note that the application is now combined with UROC so you will have an opportunity to apply to several programs in one process. Be sure to select “Maximizing Access to Research Careers” (MARC) to ensure that your application is automatically forwarded to our office.

The financial benefits are:

·         paid partial or full tuition

·         paid health insurance (if needed)

·         $1000 per year to travel to science meetings

·         approximately $1,100 per month in stipend

The application deadline is February 1st.

If you'd like to discuss the possibilities or have ANY questions, PLEASE feel free to contact me via email (cjneal at email.arizona.edu<mailto:cjneal at email.arizona.edu>). I'd be very happy to talk with you.

Cindy Neal

Assistant Director, MARC Program

c/o Dept of Chemistry & Biochemistry

BioSciences West 531

PO Box 210088

University of Arizona

Tucson AZ 85721-0088
520-621-4667

SCHOLARSHIPS

  1.  Astronaut Scholarship - $10K for STEM Majors

STEM sophomores and juniors!

The 2021 Astronaut Scholarship application is now open. ONCS is hosting an Astronaut Scholarship information session on Thursday, January 21 from noon-1pm. Interested students can RSVP here<https://arizona.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArf-qqqTgpHdyKclIyhTQr5K4y8-QCIq4U>.

About the Astronaut Scholarship:
·         Astronaut Scholarships are awarded to students going into their junior and senior year of college studyingscience, technology, engineering, or mathematics with the intent to pursue research or advance their field upon completion of their final degree.
·         Astronaut Scholars are among the best and brightest minds in STEM who show initiative, creativity, and excellence in their chosen field.
·         Up to $15,000 awarded
·         Each member institution may nominate 2 candidates who will advance to the national competition
Nomination Criteria:
·         Must be a STEM major going into junior or senior year (STEM Designated Degrees<https://www.astronautscholarship.org/assets/astronaut-scholarship-major-fields-of-study.pdf>)
·         Must be a U.S. citizen (verified by birth certificate, US passport, or naturalization papers)
·         Must have completed two years of full-time study at an ASF affiliated university or institution and demonstrated exemplary academic performance, as noted in transcripts (Note: Students may be nominated during their second year of full-time study, for a scholarship that will begin in the third year.)
·         Should be a full-time student during both semesters of the ASF supported academic year to receive the full scholarship, which is up to $15,000
·         Must have conducted a considerable amount of work outside the classroom in their chosen field of study. This may include laboratory research, cooperative education, internships, relevant military experience, entrepreneurial endeavors, and/or documented independent work resulting in technical papers, patents, or similar work product
How to apply:
·         See attached PDF flyer
·         A faculty or research mentor at the University of Arizona must nominate you.
o    Nominations should be sent to Danielle Barefoot, Assistant Director of Nationally Competitive Scholarships at dblalock at arizona.edu<mailto:dblalock at arizona.edu>.
o    The nomination should identify in the applicant a special drive or talent that foreshadows a creative career leading to the advancement of scientific knowledge and technology.
·         Full application materials will be shared with students who meet the scholarship nomination criteria.
·         Prospective applicants may email Danielle<mailto:dblalock at arizona.edu> with any questions prior to a formal nomination.
·         ONCS is hosting an Astronaut Scholarship information session on Thursday, January 21 from noon-1pm. Interested students can RSVP here<https://arizona.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArf-qqqTgpHdyKclIyhTQr5K4y8-QCIq4U>.
For more details, please email Danielle<mailto:dblalock at arizona.edu> or use Trellis to schedule an advising appointment<https://ua-trellis.force.com/uastudent/s/advisor-calendar/?NetId=dblalock>.

Best,
Danielle Barefoot, M.A.
Assistant Director, Nationally Competitive Scholarships
Pronouns: She, her, hers, ella

[cidimage001.png at 01D600E8.B1ED7430]
Maya Azzi, M.S.
Academic Advisor II & CALS-ASEMS Success Specialist
School of Plant Sciences
Arizona’s Science, Engineering, and Math Scholars
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
View my Trellis calendar – Click Here<https://ua-trellis.force.com/uastudent/s/advisor-calendar/?NetId=mazzi>

Saguaro Hall, 106A
PO BOX 210036 | TUCSON, AZ 85721-0036
Office: 520-621-5403 | Work Cell: 520-276-5409
mazzi at email.arizona.edu<mailto:mazzi at email.arizona.edu>
Pronouns: she/her/hers
www.cals.arizona.edu<http://www.cals.arizona.edu/>
facebook<https://www.facebook.com/uarizonaCALS> | twitter<https://twitter.com/uarizonaCALS> | instagram<https://www.instagram.com/uarizonaCALS/> | linkedin<https://www.linkedin.com/school/the-university-of-arizona>

[Integrety, Compassion, Exploration, Adaptation, Inclusion, Determination]<https://brand.arizona.edu/signature>

ASEMS fosters a culture of inclusive excellence at the University of Arizona by empowering STEM students with the tools necessary to succeed while recognizing their unique backgrounds and assets.

The University of Arizona sits on the original homelands of Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land since time immemorial. Aligning with the university’s core value of a diverse and inclusive community, it is an institutional responsibility to recognize and acknowledge the people, culture, and history that make up the Wildcat community. At the institutional level, it is important to be practice in broadening awareness throughout campus to ensure our students feel represented and valued.

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