IALE-North America Newsletter | Current Issue
The IALE-North America Newsletter is a biannual publication containing updates on the activities of the activities of the Association, its committees, and the Annual Meetings. Previously, the newsletter was in PDF format (view the archives). Beginning in the Fall of 2017, the Newsletter highlights are emailed to our subscribers (join our mailing list) and the complete newsletter can be viewed online here.
WINTER 2024 | VOLUME 39
IN THIS ISSUE:
President’s Message
Greetings, Landscape Ecologists!
As we turn the corner of a new year, we have much to look forward to within the IALE—North America community as we prepare for our upcoming annual meeting, which will be held at the Omni Hotel in Oklahoma City in less than two months (1-5 April). This year’s conference theme is Data Science in Landscape Ecology. We are expecting nearly 300 presentations, which should give us a good overview of the latest research and developments in landscape ecology. Even if you did not submit an abstract, you are still welcome to join us! Our meetings are frequently cited as one of the “best conference experiences” by attendees and we pride ourselves on providing a welcoming and inclusive environment, especially for students and early-career professionals.
Even if you are unable to join us this year, I hope you will still consider renewing your annual membership in IALE—North America. Like many other small professional societies, our membership declined during the years of the pandemic and we have been in recovery mode ever since. Your membership provides much-needed support that enables us to continue operations and helps to sponsor our various travel awards and student/early-career professional development and networking events at the annual meeting. If you have already renewed your membership, then perhaps you could help recruit one or more new members? If every one of us brought in just one new member, we would double our membership in a year, which would go a long way towards ensuring our recovery and continued viability as a society.
Although I am looking forward to the coming conference in April, this year’s meeting will also mark the end of my term as President. I will be handing the ceremonial gavel over to President-Elect Li An at the end of the annual awards banquet. We have accomplished a great deal over the past couple of years, much of it devoted to strengthening operations, raising our public profile, increasing outreach, and continuing to advance equity, inclusion and diversity within our organization and landscape ecology more generally, but there is still much that remains to be done. I am confident that Li will be able to provide the necessary leadership to move this organization forward, especially given the support of our continuing officers on the Executive Committee, as well as all the Chairs and members serving on our various standing committees. Truth be told, these are the folks who are largely responsible for running the organization, especially as many have devoted years of service to our society, all on a volunteer basis with zero compensation for their time or travel. It has been a rare privilege to serve alongside them these past couple of years.
It is fitting that my term as President will end exactly 30 years after I attended my first meeting of what was then called US-IALE. It has been quite the journey. I am grateful for the opportunities and support this organization has provided me throughout my career and hope to have been able to pay it forward in some small way. I am proud to have served as President and to have represented our regional chapter internationally, such as this past summer at the IALE World Congress in Nairobi, Kenya. This was the first World Congress to have been held in Africa, and I was pleased to see that IALE—North America was well represented with ~40 participants. We learned a great deal about transboundary resource management, climate change, and environmental resilience (the meeting theme), especially in the context of how these issues are being confronted by researchers and practitioners in Africa. For many of us, this was our first visit to Kenya (and indeed, to the African continent) and so we took full advantage of the opportunity to learn more about its peoples and cultures, its rich biodiversity, the ecology and management of its unique ecosystems, and to explore the surrounding landscapes and land uses (i.e., its landscape ecology!).
Landscape ecology has always been as much about the people as it has been about the science. I realize now that while the science of landscape ecology may have shaped me professionally, it’s ultimately been the people I’ve met along the way, some of whom have shared in my most memorable adventures, who have made the journey worthwhile and who I will remember long after I retire from this field. Until that day, I look forward to the next adventure and seeing you all at the annual meeting in OKC in April!
Onward and upward,
Kimberly A. With
President, IALE-North America | 2022-2024
Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
[email protected]
As we turn the corner of a new year, we have much to look forward to within the IALE—North America community as we prepare for our upcoming annual meeting, which will be held at the Omni Hotel in Oklahoma City in less than two months (1-5 April). This year’s conference theme is Data Science in Landscape Ecology. We are expecting nearly 300 presentations, which should give us a good overview of the latest research and developments in landscape ecology. Even if you did not submit an abstract, you are still welcome to join us! Our meetings are frequently cited as one of the “best conference experiences” by attendees and we pride ourselves on providing a welcoming and inclusive environment, especially for students and early-career professionals.
Even if you are unable to join us this year, I hope you will still consider renewing your annual membership in IALE—North America. Like many other small professional societies, our membership declined during the years of the pandemic and we have been in recovery mode ever since. Your membership provides much-needed support that enables us to continue operations and helps to sponsor our various travel awards and student/early-career professional development and networking events at the annual meeting. If you have already renewed your membership, then perhaps you could help recruit one or more new members? If every one of us brought in just one new member, we would double our membership in a year, which would go a long way towards ensuring our recovery and continued viability as a society.
Although I am looking forward to the coming conference in April, this year’s meeting will also mark the end of my term as President. I will be handing the ceremonial gavel over to President-Elect Li An at the end of the annual awards banquet. We have accomplished a great deal over the past couple of years, much of it devoted to strengthening operations, raising our public profile, increasing outreach, and continuing to advance equity, inclusion and diversity within our organization and landscape ecology more generally, but there is still much that remains to be done. I am confident that Li will be able to provide the necessary leadership to move this organization forward, especially given the support of our continuing officers on the Executive Committee, as well as all the Chairs and members serving on our various standing committees. Truth be told, these are the folks who are largely responsible for running the organization, especially as many have devoted years of service to our society, all on a volunteer basis with zero compensation for their time or travel. It has been a rare privilege to serve alongside them these past couple of years.
It is fitting that my term as President will end exactly 30 years after I attended my first meeting of what was then called US-IALE. It has been quite the journey. I am grateful for the opportunities and support this organization has provided me throughout my career and hope to have been able to pay it forward in some small way. I am proud to have served as President and to have represented our regional chapter internationally, such as this past summer at the IALE World Congress in Nairobi, Kenya. This was the first World Congress to have been held in Africa, and I was pleased to see that IALE—North America was well represented with ~40 participants. We learned a great deal about transboundary resource management, climate change, and environmental resilience (the meeting theme), especially in the context of how these issues are being confronted by researchers and practitioners in Africa. For many of us, this was our first visit to Kenya (and indeed, to the African continent) and so we took full advantage of the opportunity to learn more about its peoples and cultures, its rich biodiversity, the ecology and management of its unique ecosystems, and to explore the surrounding landscapes and land uses (i.e., its landscape ecology!).
Landscape ecology has always been as much about the people as it has been about the science. I realize now that while the science of landscape ecology may have shaped me professionally, it’s ultimately been the people I’ve met along the way, some of whom have shared in my most memorable adventures, who have made the journey worthwhile and who I will remember long after I retire from this field. Until that day, I look forward to the next adventure and seeing you all at the annual meeting in OKC in April!
Onward and upward,
Kimberly A. With
President, IALE-North America | 2022-2024
Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
[email protected]
On safari in the Masai Mara after the 2023 IALE World Congress in Kenya
From left to right: IALE-NA President Kimberly With and son; EID Committee Member Kristin Braziunas and husband, Paul Boehnlein; Past IALE-NA President Nancy McIntyre; Past IALE-World President Rob Scheller; and, IALE-NA Secretary Anita Morzillo.
From left to right: IALE-NA President Kimberly With and son; EID Committee Member Kristin Braziunas and husband, Paul Boehnlein; Past IALE-NA President Nancy McIntyre; Past IALE-World President Rob Scheller; and, IALE-NA Secretary Anita Morzillo.
2024 Meeting Update: Oklahoma City
The OKC Host Committee is thrilled to share that we received a total of 285 submissions for oral and poster presentations for the IALE-NA 2024 Annual Meeting. In addition, we have 10 compelling special symposia on the agenda covering topics from Inclusive Data Science in Landscape Ecology to Landscapes of Infection. Registration is now open, so be sure to sign up for one or more of the three informative workshops. If you still need convincing that this is an unmissable event, take a look at our exceptional roster of plenary speakers. We look forward to welcoming you to Oklahoma City!
Jennifer Koch, Mike Wimberly, and the 2024 OKC Host Committee
Jennifer Koch, Mike Wimberly, and the 2024 OKC Host Committee
Midtown Plaza in Oklahoma City (Photo credit: Josh DeLozier)
Upcoming IALE-North America Elections
The 2024 elections for the Treasurer and 2 Councillor-At-Large positions will be open from March 10 - March 30. Current IALE-NA members will receive an electronic ballot at the beginning of the election window. A brief biographical statement for each candidate will be included in the ballot. The results will be announced at the Awards Banquet on April 3rd during our Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City. Thank you to all that are running to serve IALE-North America!
IALE-NA Student Presentation Competition
Are you a student member of IALE-NA? Have you submitted an abstract to present your research at the 2024 Annual Meeting in OKC? Are you far enough along in your research to have intriguing results with clear conclusions? If you can answer yes to all of these questions, then consider entering the Best Student Presentation Competition!
We’ve made some changes to the program this year: there are now separate awards given for the best poster and best oral presentation by a student, and the judging rubrics have been updated to match. You can see the revised evaluation criteria at: https://www.ialena.org/student-presentation-award.html. Note that you must apply in order to be considered for a Best Student Presentation Award; check the website for additional eligibility requirements. Students can opt into the competition while registering; note the registration and entry deadline is February 28th.
If you are NOT currently a student, then please sign up to judge a few student presentations! You do not have to be a faculty member nor an established professional; postdocs and former students are also welcome to participate (and it looks great on the service section of your cv!). You do not have to be a member of IALE-NA to serve as a judge (but why aren’t you a member?!). You can view additional information on the Student Presentation Award page, or you can jump straight to signing up at: http://tinyurl.com/IALENABSPJudges.
Please contact Dr. Sarah Goslee, IALE-NA Awards Committee (sarah.goslee [at] usda.gov), if you have any questions about either participating or serving as a judge in the Student Presentation Competition.
We’ve made some changes to the program this year: there are now separate awards given for the best poster and best oral presentation by a student, and the judging rubrics have been updated to match. You can see the revised evaluation criteria at: https://www.ialena.org/student-presentation-award.html. Note that you must apply in order to be considered for a Best Student Presentation Award; check the website for additional eligibility requirements. Students can opt into the competition while registering; note the registration and entry deadline is February 28th.
If you are NOT currently a student, then please sign up to judge a few student presentations! You do not have to be a faculty member nor an established professional; postdocs and former students are also welcome to participate (and it looks great on the service section of your cv!). You do not have to be a member of IALE-NA to serve as a judge (but why aren’t you a member?!). You can view additional information on the Student Presentation Award page, or you can jump straight to signing up at: http://tinyurl.com/IALENABSPJudges.
Please contact Dr. Sarah Goslee, IALE-NA Awards Committee (sarah.goslee [at] usda.gov), if you have any questions about either participating or serving as a judge in the Student Presentation Competition.
FSTA Committee Update
Why does IALE-NA have a Silent Auction during our conference?
You've seen the tables with software, textbooks, art, and more. But what are they for? The Silent Auction supports the Foreign Scholars Travel Award (FSTA) program. Since its inception in 1993, the FSTA has supported 99 scholars from 41 countries to travel and attend our regional conference. Travel costs can be high, and the money that we raise during the Silent Auction goes towards reimbursements for award winners. Last year, we raised about $1000 from the auction, which is helping this year to bring students and scholars from different countries to present their research and build our global network of landscape ecologists. Lastly, if the FSTA piques your interest, we always welcome new committee members to help reach out to scholars, score applicants, and support logistics for the award program. Reach out to Erin Buchholtz (FSTA Committee Co-Chair) at ialena.foreignscholar [at] gmail.com for more information if interested!
You've seen the tables with software, textbooks, art, and more. But what are they for? The Silent Auction supports the Foreign Scholars Travel Award (FSTA) program. Since its inception in 1993, the FSTA has supported 99 scholars from 41 countries to travel and attend our regional conference. Travel costs can be high, and the money that we raise during the Silent Auction goes towards reimbursements for award winners. Last year, we raised about $1000 from the auction, which is helping this year to bring students and scholars from different countries to present their research and build our global network of landscape ecologists. Lastly, if the FSTA piques your interest, we always welcome new committee members to help reach out to scholars, score applicants, and support logistics for the award program. Reach out to Erin Buchholtz (FSTA Committee Co-Chair) at ialena.foreignscholar [at] gmail.com for more information if interested!
Communications Committee Update
Introducing Dr. Travis Heckford as the new Committee Co-Chair! In 2023, Dr. Heckford joined the Communications Committee as Co-Chair with Dr. Yolanda Wiersma. Dr. Heckford is a Research Landscape Ecologist with the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, focusing on disturbance ecology and ecological resilience.
Call for volunteers! The Communications Committee is actively seeking individuals to assist with:
If you have skills in these areas or other areas that may benefit and raise the profile of IALE-NA, please consider volunteering with the Communications Committee by contacting Travis Heckford (Travis.Heckford [at] gov.bc.ca).
Call for volunteers! The Communications Committee is actively seeking individuals to assist with:
- Social media management of our Facebook and X feed.
- Spanish and French communication content. If you are fluent in these languages, please consider joining our Ambassador Program https://www.ialena.org/ambassador-program.html
- Media releases. The Communications Committee profiles IALE-NA award winners each year and develops press releases for universities and local news outlets.
- Other media outreach, including YouTube videos and podcasts.
If you have skills in these areas or other areas that may benefit and raise the profile of IALE-NA, please consider volunteering with the Communications Committee by contacting Travis Heckford (Travis.Heckford [at] gov.bc.ca).
Awards Committee Update
The Awards Committee handles awards in the following categories: Distinguished Landscape Ecologist; Distinguished Landscape Practitioner; Distinguished Service to the Regional Chapter; Outstanding Publication in the Discipline of Landscape Ecology; and Best Student Presentation at the Annual Meeting. We gather nominations, evaluate them, and make recommendations of award winners to the IALE-NA Executive Committee. We are seeking additional members, particularly early career professionals, members from outside the U.S., as well as any members of other traditionally underrepresented groups. Contact Jennifer Costanza (jennifer.costanza [at] usda.gov), Chair of the Awards Committee, for more information.
Student News & Notes
In 2023, the student members of IALE-NA conducted an election to elect our newest student representative. Richard Magala, a Ph.D. student in the Landscape Ecology and Sustainable Ecosystem Management Lab at Iowa State University, was elected for the 2023-2025 term. Two student representatives serve on the IALE-NA Executive Committee for alternating two-year terms. Animesh Ghose (2022-2024) will complete his term at the end of the Annual Meeting and a new student representative will be elected following the conference. Please contact Animesh (animesh.ghose [at] mail.mcgill.ca) or Richard (rmagala [at] iastate.edu) if you might be interested in serving!
Over the past year, we have contacted our student members to learn about their experiences and expectations regarding IALE-NA. Recently, we have developed a plan to conduct two workshops in the coming months. The objective of these workshops are to scale-up the skills of student members and serve as a bridge between professionals and student members. We are planning to conduct two online workshops on the following themes:
As a reminder, there will be several student events held at the upcoming Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City. This includes the 'Student Walk & Ice Breaker' before the start of the conference (1:30pm, April 1); a student-mentor luncheon (April 2; free, but advance registration is required); and, a student-only social, which will be held offsite (8pm, April 2). There will also be a networking reception and social held before the Awards Banquet (starting at 6pm, April 3), at which students can receive drink tickets donated by members, who they can then seek out and start networking! Student presenters nearing the completion of their degree can also register in advance to compete for the Best Student Presentation Award (see elsewhere in this Newsletter for details). We are looking forward to seeing you in OKC!
Over the past year, we have contacted our student members to learn about their experiences and expectations regarding IALE-NA. Recently, we have developed a plan to conduct two workshops in the coming months. The objective of these workshops are to scale-up the skills of student members and serve as a bridge between professionals and student members. We are planning to conduct two online workshops on the following themes:
- GIS/Remote Sensing for Landscape Ecology
- Introduction to Landscape Ecology with R
As a reminder, there will be several student events held at the upcoming Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City. This includes the 'Student Walk & Ice Breaker' before the start of the conference (1:30pm, April 1); a student-mentor luncheon (April 2; free, but advance registration is required); and, a student-only social, which will be held offsite (8pm, April 2). There will also be a networking reception and social held before the Awards Banquet (starting at 6pm, April 3), at which students can receive drink tickets donated by members, who they can then seek out and start networking! Student presenters nearing the completion of their degree can also register in advance to compete for the Best Student Presentation Award (see elsewhere in this Newsletter for details). We are looking forward to seeing you in OKC!
Save the Date!
The 2025 IALE-NA Annual Meeting will be April 14-17 at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel in North Carolina. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!
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Stay in Touch!
- Website: www.ialena.org
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ialenorthamerica
- Twitter: @iale_na
- IALE World Website: www.landscape-ecology.org
- IALE World Current Newsletter: https://www.landscape-ecology.org/Bulletin