Get Involved

The SSE Education and Outreach Committee is involved in a number of different activities and events. We welcome SSE members interested in serving on the committee or joining one of the following working groups associated with a particular activity or event. To volunteer, please indicate your interest when joining the Society or renewing your membership. 

A brief description of each of the activities is below.

  

Professional Development Workshop for Undergraduate Educators (PDUE)

PDUE was developed to meet the needs of SSE members who are also involved in undergraduate education.  The workshop addresses a variety of topics, often with a focus on pedagogy. The workshop is held at the annual Evolution meeting.

Working group members are expected to assist with the following:

  • Identify theme
  • Contact and arrange speakers and activities for workshop
  • Interface with SSE Education Committee Chair and/or meeting organizers about food preferences.
  • Follow up with speakers to organize reimbursements which get submitted to either the SSE Education and Outreach Committee Chair or the SSE EVP.

 

Education Symposium

The Education Symposium is a half-day symposium at the annual Evolution meeting for highlighting education-related topics. Working group members are expected to assist with the following:

  • Identify theme
  • Contact and arrange speakers
  • Interface with SSE Education Committee Chair and/or meeting organizers registration
  • Follow up with speakers to organize reimbursements which get submitted to either the SSE Education and Outreach Committee Chair or the SSE EVP.

 

Evolution Film Festival

The Evolution Film Festival is a contest for creative short films about evolution in which the top-ranked films are shown and voted on at the annual Evolution meeting. Working group members will assist Jory Weintraub in organizing and executing the Festival.

 

Undergraduate Diversity at Evolution (UDE)

UDE is a program for undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds to attend the annual Evolution meeting and includes travel funding, lodging and meeting registration, and participation in various professional development opportunities.

Working group members are expected to assist with the following:

  • Implementation of all aspects of the application process
  • Review of applicants in collaboration with other sub-committee members
  • Arranging travel
  •  Interfacing with meeting organizers to arrange housing, registration, and programmatic details (professional development workshop on Friday, some type of social event, any other events)
  • Organize and submit all reimbursements for items not covered up front

 

T.H. Huxley Award

This award named in honor of Darwin's very public supporter T. H. Huxley, was established in 2013 to recognize outreach and education achievement for early and mid career scientists.  Winners of this award are provided with support to present on behalf of the Society for the Study of Evolution at the annual meeting of the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) as well as $500 for supplies. Working group members are expected to assist with the following:

  • Advertise the application to the program.
  • Review applicants.
  • Send acceptance and rejection emails.
  • Work with Jacki Pepin Reeves at NABT to make arrangements for presentation.
  • Handle all reimbursements - send file to the SSE Education and Outreach Committee Chair who will forward to the SSE EVP.

 

Small Grants Program for Local and Regional Outreach Promoting the Understanding of Evolutionary Biology

This program funds local and regional educational outreach activities each year. It is our hope that these projects will lead to ongoing outreach collaboration in future years. Preference will be given to new collaborations, but extensions of previously projects that have evidence of success are allowed.  Rob Pennock oversees the grant solicitation and review process together with Sam Scheiner. Working group members are expected to assist with the following:

  • Advertise the program and announce open application periods.
  • Review applicants.
  • Send acceptance and rejection emails.
  • Handle all reimbursements - send file to the SSE Education and Outreach Committee Chair who will forward to the SSE EVP.

 

USA Science and Engineering Festival

SSE participates in this outreach event held in Washington DC every other year.  We welcome anyone interested in volunteering. https://usasciencefestival.org/


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