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USGS Student Internship Opportunity: Hydrologic Model Evaluation Summer Session

The USGS is seeking summer interns to evaluate hydrologic cycle models and observational data across the United States. A prototype tool has been developed that allows exploration of observations and model results at several spatial and temporal scales. During the summer, a team of students will engage in rigorous application of this tool to identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing models of the hydrologic cycle. Students will also have the opportunity to improve the tool and add functionality. Through frequent interactions with developers of hydrologic models within USGS, interns will be challenged to think critically about the representation of hydrologic processes used in models and to consider alternative strategies towards model development and evaluation. Students will be encouraged to think of their work as culminating in a presentation or scientific publication highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of hydrologic process representation. This unique summer session will be held at the USGS offices in the Denver Federal Center.
Applications through USAJobs are due April 10.
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/495004600
Please contact either of the project leads, William Farmer (wfarmer@usgs.gov, 303-236-4981) or Jessica Driscoll (jdriscoll@usgs.gov, 303-236-4979), with any questions.

Catherine L. Kling Seminar: “Improving Water Quality: Are Economics and the Environment Always at Odds?”

April 12, 4:00-5:30pm in University of Idaho Commons Summit Room
Catherine L. Kling, Charles F. Curtis Distinguished Professor of Economics, President’s Chair of Environmental Economics and Director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University.
In this presentation, what is known about the current state of water quality in the United States, with a particular focus on agricultural sources, is outlined. With this backdrop, a range of policy and private market approaches to addressing agricultural water pollution problems will be discussed including the possible role of certification programs, water quality markets and trading, voluntary adoption of conservation practices, level of federal and state financial support, presence of state level regulations and the role of conservation compliance in the current and proposed Farm Bill.
Catherine L. Kling is the Charles F. Curtis Distinguished Professor of Economics, President’s Chair of Environmental Economics and Director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2015 and leads an interdisciplinary research group developing integrated assessment models related to agricultural land use, water quality and ecosystem service valuation.

Brian Chaffin Seminar: “Resilience, Governance, and food-energy-water policy in the Klamath River Basin, USA”

April 12, 10:30am in PACCAR 202
Brian Chaffin, Assistant Professor of Water Policy and Governance in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation at the University of Montana.
Abstract: The Klamath River Basin straddles northern California and southern Oregon and has been the locus of a century-long struggle for community stability and ecosystem function in a system of over-allocated water resources. Along the Klamath River, multiple hydroelectric dams and extensive irrigation infrastructure have created economic and community dependence on irrigated agriculture as well as severely reduced aquatic habitat for the multiple endangered and threatened species in the basin. In the past several decades, however, the communities of the Klamath Basin have worked together in an effort to transform water management to promote greater resilience of both human populations and aquatic species to ongoing disturbances such as drought, and to comply with competing social, cultural, and political demands on water. In this seminar, Brian Chaffin will provide a brief overview of the contemporary applications of resilience as a framing concept for research on coupled, social-ecological systems. Specifically, Brian will discuss how certain aspects of “resilience thinking” have inspired new avenues for both developing and interrogating governance of broader human-environmental systems as well as management regimes for specific landscapes and resources such as those in the Klamath Basin. Brian will present evidence from his own social science research on governance transitions at the food-energy-water nexus, particularly from a case study of contemporary conflict and cooperation in the Klamath River Basin. Brian is an Assistant Professor of Water Policy and Governance in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation at the University of Montana and a co-PI on an NSF Research Traineeship Program focused on innovations at the food-energy-water nexus.

Steve Olson to give a seminar on his book “Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens” March 21, 5pm at WSU PACCAR 202.

March 21 in PACCAR 202 (4pm- refreshments and mixer; 5pm talk)

Steve Olson, who grew up in the Othello, Washington, will explore the historical forces that helped determine who lived and who died in the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

Title: Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens

Steve Olson is the author of Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens, which was named one of the top nonfiction books of 2016 by Amazon and won the Washington State Book Award. He also is the author of Mapping Human History: Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins, which was nominated for the National Book Award, and other books, and he has written for the Atlantic Monthly, Science, Nature, Scientific American, Wired, the Smithsonian, and many other magazines. Since 1979, he has been a consultant writer for the National Academy of Sciences, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and other national scientific organizations. A native of Washington State, he now lives in Seattle.

Co-sponsors: Foley, CEREO, WRC, CEE, English Dept.

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American Water Resources Association: Richard A. Herbert Memorial Scholarship

THE 2018-2019 RICHARD A. HERBERT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION PERIOD IS NOW OPEN!

APPLICATION DUE DATE IS APRIL 23, 2018

WILL AWARD $8,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2018
to students enrolled in a program related to water resources.

The Richard A. Herbert Memorial Scholarship honors Richard A. Herbert —
a champion for water resources education — who passed away in 1994.
The generosity of AWRA members and their commitment to his vision, have allowed the scholarship fund to grow exponentially.

Submittal Information
Application packets for 2018-2019 should be submitted to info@awra.org. Applications must be submitted electronically as one document and limited to 5mb in size to ensure delivery. Applications are due April 23, 2018. Please call 540-687-8390 or email info@awra.org with any questions concerning the submittal process.

Apply For Scholarship

Join AWRA as a student

Field Experiences in Microwave Remote Sensing for Agricultural Hydrology

April 24-27, 2018 || Gainesville, FL
Early Bird Registration Deadline: February 28th
Regular Registration Deadline: March 15th

CUAHSI is pleased to partner with the University of Florida to offer a 4-day hands-on workshop on field experiences in microwave remote sensing for agricultural hydrology.

Course Description
This training workshop will provide hands-on experiences with field methods and sensors used in microwave remote sensing for retrieval of soil and vegetation parameters in agricultural land covers. The workshop will be conducted at a field-site of an ongoing season-long experiment to understand microwave signatures of growing vegetation. The field sensors include a suite of ground-based active and passive microwave sensors at L- and C-band; and sensors to observe various components of the water and energy balance.

Specific topics to be covered during the workshop include:
• Passive and active microwave remote sensing in hydrology – science and sensors
• Operation and calibration of passive and active microwave sensors
• Ancillary observations of water and energy balance
• Soil and vegetation sampling protocols and data analysis
• Soil and vegetation parameter retrieval
• Open discussion on class participant interests

Graduate students, post-docs, and professionals working in hydrology and/or remote sensing are invited to attend.
The course will be held at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. Included in the registration fee are course tuition, facilities costs, catered lunches and light refreshments.

Visit the event website for more information and to register.

There are available a very limited number of student travel grants are available on a first come, first served basis to help defray the cost of travel to the course. Contact Elizabeth Tran at etran@cuahsi.org for more information.

Questions?
Contact Elizabeth Tran at etran@cuahsi.org

FFAR Fellows Program Research Opportunities for Universities

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and a consortium of leading food and agriculture companies and universities are pleased to announce that FFAR Fellows program is now accepting research proposals from both academic and industry researchers. This program combines cutting edge food or agriculture-related research with innovative professional development programs designed to help students be career-ready upon graduation.
Do you want the best PhD students in the U.S. and Canada working on your food and agriculture project? Submit your research proposal to the FFAR Fellows Program: www.ffarfellows.org If you are already working with an exceptional student, they can apply to be a FFAR Fellow on the same project.

The Overcoming Water Scarcity Challenge Area aims to increase the efficiency of water use in agriculture, reduce agricultural water pollution, and develop water reuse technologies. This Challenge Area will target innovative research that includes, but is not limited to, developing water conservation and reuse technology throughout the production chain, improving crop and livestock varietals/breeds, creating improved agronomic practices, increasing the social and economic tractability of water-conserving technologies/practices, and enhancing the efficacy of Extension services.
For more details and to apply