2021 SPATIAL and IsoCamp isotope short courses
GABRIEL J BOWEN
Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry and Ecology (IsoCamp), August 2-13, 2021
Isotopes in Spatial Ecology and Biogeochemistry (SPATIAL), August 2-13, 2021
https://itce.utah.edu/spatial.html
We are pleased to announce that applications for the 2021 IsoCamp and SPATIAL Isotope Short Courses will be accepted now through March 15, 2021.
*Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry and Ecology (aka “IsoCamp”) emphasizes fundamental environmental and biological theory underlying isotope fractionation processes and a broad spectrum of ecological and environmental applications.
*Isotopes in Spatial Ecology and Biogeochemistry (aka “The SPATIAL Short Course”) focuses on large datasets, numerical and quantitative methods, and applying isotopic data to solve problems in diverse systems using these tools.
Both classes will be multi-instructor, hands-on lecture (morning) and laboratory/field (afternoon) short courses. The courses are targeted to graduate students and postdoctoral investigators interested in learning more about the application of stable isotopes in environmental, biogeochemical, marine, and ecological studies. A limited number of lecture-only slots will be reserved for postdocs and faculty looking to gain exposure to course content without the full immersion experience offered by the lecture + lab sequence. For 2021, these courses will:
1) Be offered at the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM; IsoCamp) and University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT; SPATIAL),
2) Offer limited enrollment in order to maximize interaction and access to laboratory resources,
3) Consist of morning lecture/discussion and afternoon laboratory; each course will feature ~15–20 instructors, experts selected for their breadth of experience and for their interest in teaching and interacting with students, and
4) Include hands-on, project-based field and laboratory experiences.
For the IsoCamp short course, laboratories will include use of ThermoFisher Scientific isotope ratio mass spectrometers (IRMS) and Picarro cavity-ring down spectrometers (CFDS). IRMS systems used in the course are equipped with elemental analyzers, high-temperature conversion elemental analyzers, gas chromatographs, and laser-based peripherals capable of measuring the C, N, O, and H isotopic composition of bulk substrates and individual compounds. Students will also gain experience with vacuum line preparation of organic and inorganic compounds.
For the SPATIAL short course, students will work with Picarro CRDS analyzers and a range of geospatial data management and modeling environments, including MySQL, ArcGIS, IsoMAP, R, and various research software packages developed and used by the instructors, their students, and collaborators.
IsoCamp and SPATIAL participants have come from all across the United States as well as from many international locations. Students are selected with diversity of academic interests, gender and ethnicity, geography and research experience in mind. We encourage applications from members of STEM-underrepresented groups. We seek students who are interested in learning broadly about stable isotope applications and in interacting with other students and faculty. Past participants have had backgrounds in disciplines including animal and plant physiology, ecology and ecosystem science, biogeochemistry, anthropology, atmospheric science, marine science, oceanography, paleontology, forensic science, industry, and geology.
Applications will be accepted until March 15, 2021. Application forms can be reached through the respective course webpages: https://isocamp.org/ for IsoCamp and http://itce.utah.edu/spatial.html for SPATIAL.
On behalf of all the instructors who participate in these courses, we look forward to your application and encourage you to explore the program information on our websites.
Warm Regards,
Gabe Bowen, Seth Newsome, Zachary Sharp
Gabriel J. Bowen
Professor
Geology & Geophysics
University of Utah
115 S 1460 E
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
OIPC: The Online Isotopes in Precipitation Calculator