Nearly 200 researchers and educators from New Mexico, Nevada, and Idaho gathered for the 3rd Annual EPSCoR Western Consortium Tri-State Meeting at the Hyatt Tamaya Resort Hotel and Spa, Santa Ana, NM on April 6-8, 2011.

New Mexico EPSCoRSpring 2011

Volume 2 | Issue 1

SPOTLIGHT: 3rd Annual Tri-State MeetingCollaborations Connecting Science, Education, and Policy

IN THIS ISSUE:

THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

The theme of this year's meeting, “Collaborations Connecting Climate Change Science, Education, and Policy,” highlighted the connections that have been developing across institutions and disciplines throughout the consortium. Researchers shared the outcomes of their work, discussed implications and pos-sible synergies between their efforts, and clarified questions that will guide their work into the future.

The three-day meeting began with concurrent Working Groups focused on Cyberinfrastructure and Diversity efforts across the three states. Two workshops for graduate students and faculty were also offered: Introduction to Climate Modeling and Hydrologic Information Systems. The meeting

featured 15 concurrent sessions includ-ing Climate Drivers and Landscape Response, Catchment Science, Climate Change Education, and Economics of Water and Land Use. Presentations used in these ses-sions as well as others and the full agenda are avail- able on the brand new Western Con-sortium website at westernconsortium.org.

One highlight of the Annual Meeting is the student poster competition. This year, over 40 students displayed their research posters and had an opportu-

nity to discuss their work with faculty judges from all three states. For more information on the student poster com- petition, please see the article on page two of this newsletter.

Between all the ses- sions, networking, talks, discussions and general collaboration, attendees also found time to have fun. The

reception on Thursday night, April 7th, included s'mores, live music, and network- ing under the stars. Please see the rest of the newsletter for more highlights from the 3rd Annual Tri-State Meeting.

"Collaborations among the three states was exciting to see. The momentum of three years of

meetings and participation throughout the year was evident."

Math & Science Day at the NM State LegislaturePAGe 4

Degrees of Change Climate Exhibit Opening and EXPO

NM EPSCoR News and Announcements

PAGe 5 PAGe 7

Session on Climate Education & JournalismPAGe 3SEE ALSO: Researcher Spotlight; NSF Day; Supercomputing Challenge; Faculty Leadership

The final day of the 3rd Annual EPSCoR Western Consortium Tri-State Meeting, Friday, April 8, 2011

enhancing research competitiveness is at the core of ePSCoR.New Mexico EPSCoR invests in climate, hydrology, water quality, cyberinfrastructure and socioeconomic research efforts.

On the evening of Thursday, April 7th, Tri-State attendees were treated to a cocktail reception and the student poster competition.

During conference registration, undergraduate and graduate students in attendance were offered a chance to compete against their peers for a $300 cash prize. 46 students partici-pated in the competition, with 16 of those students from New Mexico. The evening began at 5:30, with deli-cious sliders (min-burgers), shoestring fries, and refreshments, and attendees could mingle and network, as well as talk to the students about the research displayed on their posters. The stu- dents had their hands full with talking to the judges as well as others. The 28 judges were split into groups to judge each poster on three areas: Technical (legibility, visual appeal), Content

Spotlight on: lauren Sherson

Peng Jiang, Jiri Kadlec, and Kerry Riley display their awards with Dr, Bill Michener (Director, NM EPSCoR), Dr. Gayle Dana (Director, Nevada EPSCoR), and Dr. Peter Goodwin (Director, Idaho NSF EPSCoR)

(research, abstract), and Oral Presentation. Scores were tallied, and the winners were announced Friday. The six winners are: Jiří Kadlec (Idaho), Design of a web map application for accessing free hydrologic data; Carol Moore (Idaho), Using 3D Visualizations for Outreach; Peng Jiang (Nevada), The impact of changes in temporal distribu-tion of precipitation; Lauren Sherson (New Mexico), Use of continuous

ePSCoR Research at the Tri-State Meeting

Student Poster CompetitionForty-six students from the Western Consortium competed for a cash prize during the Tri-State Meeing on Thursday, April 7th

Lauren Sherson is a 2nd year New Mexico EPSCoR graduate student in the Depart-ment of Earth & Planetary Sciences at UNM, and one of the winners from New Mexico at the Tri-State Poster Session. An Albu-querque native, Lauren double majored in Geology and Biology at the University of Oregon before returning to New Mexico for her Masters Degree. Currently she is working under faculty members Laura

real-time water quality sensors to examine whole stream metabolism; Kerry Riley (Idaho), A 10,000-year record of fire activity and fire-related sedimentation in the Middle Fork Salmon River; and Ian Leslie (Idaho), Characterizing soil pipe networks on forested hillslopes using electric resistivity tomography. A big thank you to all participants and judges, and congratulations to all the winners!

Lauren looks at her data on the Jemez River in the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Crossey and Cliff Dahm on the "use of continuous real-time water quality sen-sors to investigate metabolic and nutrient processes across the annual hydrograph." Her focus is on interactions between sur-face water and groundwater, and diurnal variability under changing precipitation in various biogeochemical parameters. In her spare time, Lauren also enjoys soccer and kayaking. Congrats, Lauren!

Participants at the 2011 Tri-State Meeting gathered for a session on communicating climate change science to the public. Although fraught with sociocultural barriers, such communi-cation is possible and critical.

Zhongwei Lui opened the session by presenting a survey of Nevada ranch-ers on climate change attitudes. Ranchers may agree that the climate is changing, while disagreeing that the cause is anthro-pogenic. 59% are willing to install insulation or drive fuel-efficient vehicles, while only 10% would use public transportation. Liu pointed out, though, that public trans-portation is not an option in much of rural Nevada.

Eileen Everett, from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, described the museum's strategy to best communicate climate change science. Recognizing, as described in a Yale survey, that there are a spectrum of attitudes toward climate change in America, the museum designs activities to reach certain groups. For example, Everett said, having "climate change" in the title of a program made an impact on who attends. Everett's advice to climate change researchers: "Don't talk like a scientist!" She does her best edu-cation, she said, in casual conversation in the grocery store line.

Sajjad Ahmad, from UNLV, and Fred Harris, from UNR, showed an inter-

Human Infrastructure is one of the key components of ePSCoRActivities in communication and public outreach help New Mexico

EPSCoR foster excellence in climate change research and education

Communication Barriers: Climate Change Journalism & educationBy: Paul Gabrielsen, M.S. Hydrology Student, New Mexico Tech

active game allowing eighth-graders to explore the effects of climate change on Lake Mead. The game challenges users to conserve water at household, citywide, and watershed scales. Harris mentioned the educational goals of the project and turned to Ahmad, saying "It's funny - we're talking about teaching objectives and you're a civil engineer and I'm a computer scientist!"

John Fleck, science writer for the Albu- querque Jour nal , presented his per-

spective on the issue. "The problem is darn near intractable," he said of com- municating climate change to a skepti-cal public. Once, he said, a story of his mentioned climate change once, resulting in readers taking issue with accuracy of the entire article. "Maybe it's worth it," he said, "to leave 'climate change' out of the article once in a while."

Fleck said that he hopes to reach "a congressional staffer, maybe, whose job it is to read my column every day" and advise policymakers on science. An audience member then commented that climate change is like a "kiss of death" for politicians, to which Fleck responded, "That's why I'm depressed," to laugh-ter from the audience.

In an open discussion period, Ever-ett suggested a way for researchers to evaluate their own communication. "Can you explain your research to a five-year-old?" she said. Paul Verburg, from DRI, explained his educational approach. "I ask them, if you had a bad cough, what would you do? Go to a doctor, who would give you a diag-nosis. Why do you trust that diagno-sis? Because that doctor studied, and he's making his best guess based on the symptoms. That's what I do as a climate scientist."

The session on communicating climate change to the public was a popular session at the 3rd Annual Tri-State Meeting. Above, attendees listen to speaker Eileen Everett's advice on communicating science.

"Can you explain your research to a five-year-old?"

-Eileen Everett

NEW MEXICO STEM DATABASE

Math & Science Day 2011 took place at the New Mexico State Legislature on March 11, 2011. New Mexico EPSCoR undergraduates Ryan Schwingle (NMT) and Tyler Van Riper (UNM) were on hand to talk to students from around the state about NM EPSCoR's research on water and climate change.

Ryan brought his research poster and a working example of a digital water temperature sensor, and Tyler created a representation of all the water in the world using four different containers representing the ocean, all rivers and streams, atmospheric water, and ground- water. He also used Skittles as an ex- ample of different chemical components in our water. For more information on the New Mexico Math & Science Advisory Council, please visit their website.

NM EPSCoR undergrad Ryan Schwingle (NM Tech) talks to young students about new digital groundwater temperature sensors

NM ePSCoR attends Math & Science DaySTEM Education is the main focus at the New Mexico State Legislature

The NM EPSCoR State Office con- tinues to maintain the New Mexico STEM Database, a searchable listing of science, technology, engineering, and math-ematics (STEM) programs, opportuni-ties and events for students, teachers, and members of the community. Listings include resources at the K-12, undergraduate, and graduate level as

The New Mexico STeM Databasewell as information on public STEM events statewide. The STEM Database

is meant to promote STEM programs as well as pro-vide access to other STEM opportunities. Take a look

at the Database by visiting the website, www.nmstemed.org. If you have any questions about the Database, please contact Natalie Willoughby, Public Information Rep. for NM EPSCoR.

NM ePSCoR Hosts NSF Day

Project Director Bill Michener speaks about NM EPSCoR to the room of NSF Day attendees.

National Science Foundation gave an overview on programs, mission, priorities, and budget

New Mexico EPSCoR, in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF), held "NSF Day" on March 17, 2011 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Albuquerque, NM. More than 200 people attended this one-day workshop focused on the NSF, its programs, mission, and budget, as well as the proposal and merit review process. Attendees enjoyed general sessions on these topics through presentations from the NSF officials, as well as concurrent direct-

orate sessions, with subjects including:• Tribal and Community College

Programs;• Education and Human Resources;• Social and Economic Sciences;• Computer and Information Science;• Biological Sciences;• Engineering;• Geosciences; and• Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

The full agenda can be viewed at the National Science Foundation website.

Degrees of Change: New Mexico’s Climate Forecast opens Friday, May 20th, 2011. The exhibit is a collabora-tion between the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and New Mexico EPSCoR. Degrees of Change was co-curated by NMMNHS Chief Scientist, Dr. Spencer Lucas, and UNM Earth and Planetary Sciences Professor, Dr. David Gutzler.

With a focus on New Mexico and the Southwest, this exhibit will reveal current and predicted impacts of climate change on humans, landscapes, and ecosystems, as well as take you back in time to discover the past climates of New Mexico and around the world.

Through hands-on exploration, computer modeling and interactives, as well as interviews with long-time New Mexico residents, you will discover what the science of climate change is

all about, as well as the latest predic-tions for our future. What do YOU think New Mexico’s climate forecast might be?

In celebration of the opening, the Degrees of Change Science Expo will

take place on Saturday, May 21st from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Cel- ebrate climate science, along with guest presenters from New Mexico EPSCoR, the Nature Conservancy, the Sandia Moun-

tain Natural History Center, and Climate Masters. The Expo will include guest presenters on climate change, climate education activities, and a lecture starting at 3:00 p.m. by Dr. David Gutzler entitled New Mexico’s Climate Forecast. All activities are free with paid museum admission, so bring the whole family! For more information, visit the New Mexico Museum of Natural History's website.

education and Outreach through ePSCoRNew Mexico EPSCoR supports education and outreach activities that contribute to New Mexico citizens’ understanding of climate science.

Degrees of Change: New Mexico's Climate Forecast expo on May 21st!By: Roxanne Witt Celeskey, Public Information Officer, NMMNHS

Supercomputing Challenge eXPO and Awards

The 2010-2011 Supercomputing Challenge came to an end on April 25th-26th in Los Alamos, NM. Final judging took place at Los Alamos National Laboratory on Monday, April 25th. This year, ten teams were chosen by the judges as finalists at the Expo. For information on the finalists and their projects, visit the Supercomputing Challenge website.

On Tuesday, April 26th, teams in attendance braved the snow and wind to enjoy giveaways, raffles, good friends, and of course the announcement of the First Place prize. NM EPSCoR gave a $100 Climate Change award to Sara Shiina from Aspen Elementary for her project, "Global Warming: What can we do about it?" After much antic-ipation, the winner of the 2010-2011 Supercomputing Challenge was Cole Kendrick from Los Alamos Middle School for his project, "Computer Simulation of Dark Matter Effects on Galaxy Rotation." Congratulations to all the finalists and participants!

Climate Change Award winner Sara Shiina with Natalie Willoughby of NM EPSCoR & Shaun Cooper from the Supercomputing Board

2011

May 20 "Degrees of Change: New Mexico's Climate Forecast" Exhibit Opening, new Mexico Museum of natural history and Science, Albuquerque, nM

May 21 (1:00-3:00 PM) "Degrees of Change" EXPO, new Mexico Museum of natural history and Science, Albuquerque, nM

June 1 Deadline for New Mexico EPSCoR IWG Proposals

June 10-11 BioBlitz 2011: Discover Your Bosque, Rio grande nature Center, Albuquerque, nM

July 1 Deadline for Tri-State Western Consortium IWG Proposals

October (TBA) NM EPSCoR All Hands Meeting, Albuquerque, nM

October 24-27 22nd Annual National NSF EPSCoR Conference, Coeur d'Alene, idaho

Have You Seen This? The NM ePSCoR Website

Upcoming events

The third annual NM EPSCoR Junior Faculty Leadership workshop continued a track record of success with partici-pants providing enthusiastic praise for the event. The three-day workshop, January 4-6, 2011, was held at the Valles Caldera National Preserve Science and Education Center in Jemez Springs, NM, and focused on improv-ing the communication skills and pro-ductivity of new faculty and advanced post-doc scholars. This year’s agenda

Leadership workshop for new faculty continues its record of success for the 3rd year in a row

2011 Faculty Leadership Training

The attendees of the 2011 Faculty Leadership Workshop at the VCNP Science & Education Center

continued and expanded the highly successful “Communicating with Media” interactive session and included addi-tional sessions on effective teaching and mentoring as previous attendees requested. One attendee stated on the evaluation survey, "This workshop is probably the most useful program I have attended over my career."

For more information, including presentation materials and the agenda, please visit our website.

New Mexico EPSCoR recently revamped the NM EPSCoR Website! Now you can easily navigate through the site at www.nmepscor.org using the tabs at the top of the homepage, and with submenus to the left of each page. Everything you could ever need to know about NM EPSCoR is contained within the top four categories: About NM EPSCoR, Science Focus, Education & Outreach, and For Researchers. Find the most recent news and events at the top of the homepage, read our newsletters right in your browser, check deadlines, and take a look at our new edu-cational resources. Have any questions or suggestions about the website? Let us know!

Contribute to our Newsletter!If you have an article, publication or story you would like to share with the EPSCoR Community, please email Natalie Willoughby, Public Information Representative, at nwilloughby@epscor.unm.edu.

NM ePSCoR Announcements & NewsOpen Call for IWG Proposals

Tri-State Meeting Survey

Tri-State Website

If you attended the 3rd Annual EPSCoR Western Consortium Tri-State Meeting, you should have received an email request to fill out a brief survey about the meet- ing. We hope you are found the Tri-State meeting professionally and personally rewarding, and we would appreciate your time to provide your feedback on the sessions that you have attended. If you have not done so, please take a few minutes to complete the survey from the link provided in the email you received. Your responses will be kept confidential and used to help assess, evaluate and improve the program. If you have questions about the survey, or did not receive the request, please email Kirk Minnick at kminnick@evalteam.com.

Proposals are now being accepted for Innovation Working Groups. IWGs support multi-day working group activities that are modeled after those held at the highly successful NSF-funded National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). An IWG supports 8-12 scientists or educators to work collab- oratively on complex and challenging issues through integration and synthesis of data, information, and knowledge. At least one IWG each year will focus on education, communication and outreach, or diversity.

Deadline for NM EPSCoR IWG Proposals is June 1, 2011. Deadline for Western Consortium Tri-State IWG Proposals is July 1, 2011. For proposal guidelines and information about previous IWGs, please visit our IWG webpage.

The Western Consortium Website is now live! Keep up to date with research, meetings, deadline, opportunities, events, and much more with the Western Consor- tium website. Link up to the RSS feed, or simply check the website for the most recent updates relating to cyberinfra-structure, IWGs, outreach events, and education. The website can be found at http://www.westernconsortium.org/.

National EPSCoR ConferenceThe 22nd Annual National NSF EPSCoR Conference will be held in Idaho at

The Coeur d'Alene from October 24-27, 2011. The conference will focus on the following themes: Energy, Water and Environment, and Workforce Development, Cyberinfrastructure will play an important role throughout the entire meeting, due to the importance NSF places on CI's role in STEM education, research, and community building. For more information on the 22nd Annual National EPSCoR Conference, visit the Idaho EPSCoR website.

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Dr. William MichenerProject Director(505) 814-7601wmichene@unm.edu

Dr. Mary Jo DanielAssociate Director(505) 814-7010mjdaniel@unm.edu

Natalie WilloughbyPublic Information & Outreach Rep(505) 814-7500 x. 8111nwilloughby@epscor.unm.edu

New Mexico ePSCoR Contact Information

New Mexico EPSCoR State OfficeUniversity of New MexicoMSC04 28151312 Basehart Dr. SEAlbuquerque, NM 87106phone: 505-814-7500fax: 505-246-6007

www.nmepscor.org

If you would like a printed copy of this newsletter, please email Natalie Willoughby with your name, affiliation and mailing address, and we will be happy to send one your way.

New Mexico ePSCoR is funded by the National Science Foundation. Our mission: “to provide the critical gap infrastructure, computational support, and edu-cation and outreach opportunities that foster excellence in climate change research and education.” For more information, please visit www.nmepscor.org. This material is supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Coop. Agreement EPS- 0814449. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

University of New MexicoMSC04 28151312 Basehart Dr. SEAlbuquerque, NM 87106