Environmental Science Lunchbag - TODAY!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

• What: Lunchbag Lecture!
  “Conservation at crossroads: lessons from a 5-year research plan involving study abroad students, local Maasai communities and Kenyan Wildlife Service”

• When: 12:00pm
• Where: Ball Hall, room 102
• Who: Salaton Tome, Environmental Policy/Socio-Econ faculty member at the School for Field Studies’ Kenya Program

  Lunch will be provided!

Welcome!

A big welcome to first-year Smith College students! . . . and welcome back to those returning! The semester - all two days of it! - is turning out to be a busy one already . . .

Even though you will soon have mountains of reading and papers galore, I encourage you all to make time for campus events, lectures and gatherings.

Here are some links to check frequently:
Libraries’ FYI
Smith E-Digest
Grecourt Gate
Clark Science Center homepage
Campus Calendar

Please stop by and say hello! The Young Science Library is located in Bass Hall, which is the first large building on your left after passing under the neon underpass (as you walk toward the Mill River and athletic fields). Walk into the front door, and keep walking straight directly into the library.

Rebecca out of town: April 28- May 6

Greetings! It is that BUSY time of year when papers are being written, tests being taken and everyone is in a frenzy to wrap up the academic year!

I wanted to let you know that I will be out of town all next week, and will return on May 7th. If you have any questions or research needs, you can do the following:

• Ask A Librarian!
• Make an appointment
• Come to the library and talk with Rocco Piccinino, the Science Librarian

Good luck, and see you soon!

Science Events this week!

Monday, April 16, 2007

• What: EdGCM: Modeling the Global Climate
• When: 12:00 pm
• Where: Campus Center, Room 103/4
• Who: Ken Mankoff, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Ken Mankoff is a computer scientist who has spent the past 10 years working for various universities on multiple space agency projects (NASA and the European Space Agency). His focus has been on data processing, analysis, and scientific visualization. He is currently employed by Columbia University and works at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in NYC where he develops climate models.
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• What: Leonhard Euler’s 300th Birthday Celebration
• When: 12:20 pm
• Where: Burton Hall, Room 307

Join members of the Mathematics and Statistics department in celebrating Loenhard Euler’s 300th Birthday Celebration! There will be vegan and non-vegan cake, as well as Euler Jeopardy!
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• What: An Inconvenient Truth- Take Two
• When: 7:00 pm
• Where: Campus Center, Carroll Room

Come hear a presentation by one of the thousand people trained by Al Gore and The Climate Project. See new slides, hear new information about the climate change issue and its possible effects, and get a chance to ask questions. Presenter Ken Mankoff works at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University where he builds climate models and studies climate change.

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

• What: Experiences of teaching math in rural Columbia
• When: 12:00 pm
• Where: Burton Hall, Room 307
• Who: Mary Murphy

Mary Murphy will speak about her experiences teaching in Colombia last semester.

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Friday, April 20, 2007

• What: Symposium in Honor of H. Allen Curran - the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Geology
• When: 4:00 pm
• Where: McConnell Hall, Room 103, reception to follow at College Club at 6:00pm

Symposium in Honor of H. Allen Curran on Friday, April 20, 2007, McConnel 103, at 4 p.m. with a reception to follow at the Smith College Club at 6 p.m. Symposium speakers: Jen Christiansen ‘95, Dr. Kelly Halimeda Kilbourne ‘98, and Lila Eve gerald ‘03. Sponsored by the Smith College geology Department, Office of the Provost/Dean of the Faculty, Lecture Committee, Environmental Science and Policy Program, and the Five College Coastal and Marine Sciences Program.
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For more news and events, check out the Smith eDigest!

Get your research groove ON!

It’s that nutty time of year when those last, large, looming assignments are in full gear. I have been meeting with many students lately about their research needs.

This post is to remind those of you performing research of a few things:

1. Relax!

Before you panic, step back and take a deep breath. Remember that you are the brightest and the best. Reread the assignment and move forward from there.

2. Get started TODAY!

Don’t wait until the last minute! We know you have several assignments and many other obligations. But, the longer you wait to start your research, the harder it may be to find appropriate resources. Allow enough time to receive items from the other Five Colleges or through Interlibrary Loan.

3. Know what you are looking for!

Before I start searching, I like to know exactly what I need to get started. Determine the following:

• What is the assignment? (research paper, presentation, part of a portfolio for a semester long assignment)
• What information do you need to complete the assignment? (i.e. information about the reproduction system of a zebra fish)
• What TYPE of information is required? (i.e. how is the information packaged: books, journal articles, websites etc.)

4. Before searching for information, organize you thoughts on paper.

Use the following WORKSHEET to help organize those thoughts. To see an example of how to complete the worksheet, CLICK HERE.

5. Search for information! (But, where???)

Start at the libraries Subject Resource Guides (see subject list on right-hand side of page). We certainly don’t expect you to know where to look for information on a topic you are unfamiliar with. These guides provide a list of the best places to begin your research, from books to journal articles!

6. Don’t struggle with your research!

Librarians are available in all four of Smith’s libraries to help you get started with your research. Make an appointment TODAY. Also feel free to drop in at any of the libraries to get help on the fly.

Environmental Science events this week

Thursday, March 29, 2007

• What: Global Warming and Sustainability Panel
• When: 7:00pm
• Where: Seelye Hall, room 207

Join the Environmental Science and Policy Program this Thursday to learn more about the problems of global warming and the positive solutions each one of us can easily implement. Program sponsored by MassPIRG.

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Friday, March 30, 2007

• What: ES&P Program Lunchbag:Through the Looking Glass: Photography and Nature on Safari
• When: 12:15pm-1:00pm
• Where: Bass Hall, room 102
• Who: Cassie Hays (Smith 99), PhD candidate in Environmental Sociology, Yale University

Cassie will talk about her research, which investigates the role of race and ethnicity in the science and practice of conservation, the establishment of parks, and the experience of tourism in Tanzania. Lunch provided.

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To learn about other science-focused events, CLICK HERE. To learn about all other events on campus, check out the Grecourt Gate!

Spring Break Hours

The Young Science Library will have reduced hours beginning March 16, 2007 through March 25, 2007. To see the full schedule, CLICK HERE.

Additionally, although the College’s administrative offices will be closing at 3pm today due to THE WEATHER, the Young Science Library will remain open until 5pm.

Happy Spring Break!

Spring Break Reading List

Need a good book to read over Spring Break? Check out some of the following science-focused selections:

1. Rachel Carson Online Book Club

   Beginning in March with a discussion about the life and legacy of Rachel Carson, this club sponsored by the Friends of the National Conservation Training Center will discuss many of Ms. Carson’s written works, as well as selections about current environmental issues. The book club runs through November 2007. Join in the discussion through ‘comments’ on the book club’s blog. Moderators will include notable authors and scientists, such as Ms. Carson’s biographer, Linda Lear. CLICK HERE to read the blog and join in the discussion.

2. Best Science Books of 2006

   Listen to this wrap up from NPR’s Science Friday about the Best Science Books of 2006. A few of the books discussed include:

   *The Family That Couldn’t Sleep: A Medical Mystery by D.T. Max. Random House, 2006 (UMass RA644 .P93 M39 2006)
   *Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction by Terry Tamminen. Island Press, 2006 (Young Science Library On Order)
   *Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are by Frans De Waal. Riverhead Trade, 2006
   Young Science Library QL737.P96 W3214 2005

3. Aventis Prizes for Science Books

   This annual contest sponsored by the British Royal Society evaluates popular science books for both general readership, as well as juniors (14 years and younger audience). The 2006 winners were:

   General Prize: Electric Universe - How Electricity Switched on the Modern World by David Bodanis (Little, Brown Book Group)
   Young Science Library QC522 .B64 2005

   Junior Prize: The Global Garden by Kate Petty, Jennie Maizels, Corina Fletcher (Eden Project, Random House)

   Other finalists include:

   Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive by Jared Diamond (Penguin Allen Lane)
   Neilson Library HN13 .D5 2005

   Elements of Murder: A History of Poison by John Emsley (Oxford University Press)
   Young Science Library HV6552 .E67 2005

   Empire of the Stars: Friendship, Obsession and Betrayal in the Quest for Black Holes by Arthur I. Miller (Little, Brown Book Group)
   Young Science Library QB35 .M55 2005

Do you have a favorite science book? Leave a comment!

Science Events this week

Monday, March 12, 2007

• 4:00 pm, Tea in Math Forum, Burton Hall 3rd floor
• 4:30 pm, Lecture in McConnell Hall, Room 404

Stochastic Spatial Processes: Ted Cox, Syracuse University

Stochastic spatial processes are mathematical models for large systems made up of “components” which interact in some way. Among the phenomena these systems model are competition of species, epidemics, spread of genetic traits, and catalytic chemical reactions. I will give a brief introduction to this field via several examples, including the “contact process” and the “voter model.” Basic questions for these models concern survival and coexistence. I will present a few known results and give a glimpse of one technique used in the analysis of these systems, duality. There are many open problems that are easy to describe (but difficult to answer).

• 7:30 pm, Wright Hall, Weinstein Auditorium

  What’s New in Physics? Five College Lecture Series

  Alan Guth, world’s leading expert on the early universe to speak at Smith College on “Cosmic Inflation and the Accelerating Universe” on Monday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Weinstein Auditorium, Wright Hall. There will be a reception following the talk. Guth is the originator of the theory of cosmic inflation and is the author of the popular book The inflationary Universe: The Quest for a New Theory of Cosmic Origins. He is the Victor F. Weisskopf Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The talk will be at a level appropriate for popular audiences. All are welcome. Sponsored by the Five College “What’s New in Physics” Lecture Series.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

• 4:15pm, Seelye Hall, Room 211

  Sierra Club Meeting

  Join the great work of the Sierra Club by attending an informational meeting about global warming and women’s rights. Don’t miss this opportunity to join the great work of the Sierra Club. Open to all.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

• 8:30-9:30pm, Roof of McConnell Hall

  Astronomy Department Star Party

  Come see the moon, Saturn, and other celestal objects through the telescopes on the roof of McConnell Hall. All are welcome–dress warmly!

Did I miss an event? Leave a comment!

Tutorials @ Smith

The Libraries have created some nifty tutorials to help you use our services better. Click on the links below to see pictorial or animated demonstrations about a given topic. Note: Flash is required for some tutorials.

1. Five College Library Catalog: The following tutorials were created to help the Smith Community get better acquainted with the NEW Five College Library Catalog. The catalog has some amazing features and, most importantly, allows you to search all Five Colleges at once.

   Basic Searching
   Advanced Searching
   Viewing Search Results
   My Account/Renewing Items
   Request an Item

2. Finding Scholarly Articles: Don’t know where to look for scholarly literature? Follow the steps in this tutorial to gain access to our subject-specific databases.
3. Citing Sources Correctly: Learn where to find information about various citation styles on the Libraries’ website. Here you will learn how to find information about MLA, APA, CBE, Chicago and many other citation styles.

**Have an idea for a tutorial? Leave a comment!**
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