SFS Annual Meeting

FUNDAMENTALS OF SPATIAL DATA ACCESS AND ANALYSIS IN R

Sunday, May 20, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm; Limit: 20 participants

Cost: $100.00 SFS members; $50.00 SFS student members

Advances in R packages that access and analyze spatial data can simplify the research process and allow for both GIS and statistical analyses to be conducted in a single software. In addition, there are several R packages that allow researchers show their methods in open and highly accessible documents. This workshop will focus on the basics of using the R language to read and write spatial data, deal with map projections, and the structure of these spatial data in R. The workshop will explore ways to read, write, and manipulate raster data in R. In addition, the workshop will look at some examples of both vector and raster analysis in R such as subsetting, extracting information, and overlaying data using R packages such as sp, sfr, rgdal, raster, and rgeos. Finally, we will explore several new R packages that simplify access to numerous spatial datasets (e.g., geoknife, LAGOSNE) to obtain covariates for analyses. All of the tools in this workshop will be explored within the context of several R tools and packages (e.g., maptools, leaflet) that can produce a transparent workflow, including interactive maps that can be shared with other researchers or the public. Ryan Hill and Marcus Beck have over 20 years combined experience working in R and will be fusing lecture and hands-on exercises to facilitate the training. Participants are expected to have some experience with R and GIS (Arc GIS).

LARVAE OF THE NORTH AMERICAN TRICHOPTERA

Sunday, May 20, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm; Limit: 20 participants

Cost: $150.00 SFS members; $75.00 SFS student members

This workshop will primarily focus on diagnostic identification of the larvae of N. American Trichoptera. We will survey the fauna in an overview designed to familiarize workers with the characters that facilitate the identification of families and common genera. Participants are encouraged to bring personal materials and problematic specimens for practice and/or expert determination. Depending on participant interest, there will be time allotted to instruction on morphological characters useful for diagnosing adult Trichoptera. This workshop will be taught by Dr. Jason L. Robinson of the Illinois Natural History Survey.

JOURNAL BOOT CAMP

Wednesday, May 23, 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm; Limit: 50 participants

COBO Center - 313AB; Includes box lunch

A panel discussion about the peer review process. Come meet your Freshwater Science Associate Editors and take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions about how to do peer reviews, what to look for, and how to write a constructive review. We also will address effective ways to respond to peer reviews you receive during manuscript submission and review.

EARLY CAREER WORKSHOP

Thursday, May 24, 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm; Limit: 20 participants

COBO Center - 313AB; Cost: $15

The Early Career Workshop will focus on student mentoring and training. Panelists from a range of institutions will lead the discussion, and the scope will include both undergraduate and graduate mentoring. Open to SFS members who have finished their terminal degree within the last 10 years. Lunch is included.

INCLUSIVITY WORKSHOP: Inclusive and Accurate Approaches for Teaching Sex and Gender in Biology

Tuesday, May 22, 5:00-6:30 pm; Limit: 50 participants

COBO Center - 330B

Sexual reproduction, behavior, and selection are complex processes, but are overly-simplified into binary concepts and conflated with human gender and sexual identity. With this workshop, we will empower educators and mentors with definitions, examples, and resources to expand their toolbox beyond binary constructions of sex, sexuality and gender in biology.

Putting Your Science "In the Room": Communicating Science to Inform Environmental Policy and Management Decisions

Sunday, May 20, 1:00-4:00 pm; Limit: 10 participants

COBO Center - 330A

Environmental managers and policy-makers at all levels of government rely upon rigorous scientific research and analysis to inform their decisions on natural resource management. Their decisions, and thus the science, not only impact the natural resource itself, but often a wide range of stakeholders – the public, regulated and non-regulated industries. This combination workshop and special session focus on the transactions that occur between scientists and environmental managers and policy-makers "in the room" where natural resource management decisions are made. Scientists will have an opportunity to broker these transactions by communicating the scientific research they are presenting at the conference to a panel of state and federal water quality managers who operate in Clean Water Act implementation programs. Communication will occur through the preparation of a one-page briefing document that will be provided to the panelists and registered attendees prior to the conference. Scientists will be asked to deliver a five-minute brief to the panel in which they describe the environmental problem or issue, their scientific research, and the action they are seeking. A five-minute question and answer period will follow with additional feedback from a science communication specialist. A follow-up special session will repeat this exercise and give scientists an opportunity to hone their communication skills. This workshop/special session has three objectives:

1. To mutually increase awareness of relevant science and the potential application of that science in environmental policy and management,
2. To enhance science communication, and
3. To connect science practitioners to specific environmental policy and management