Research, Conservation, Education
On May 19, 2022 Dr. Lee Grismer gave an exhilarating virtual presentation titled “Herpetology on the Fringes of the Sunda Shelf: Discovery, Adventure, and Conservation.” A video recording is now available for those who couldn’t make it (and for those who want to watch it again!)
Video: Herpetology on the Fringes of the Sunda Shelf, by Lee Grismer
The form populates a view-only spreadsheet that prospective applicants can use to find labs that match their interests.
The spreadsheet has five separate tabs to help you navigate:
Check back periodically for new entries, which are added to the bottom of the spreadsheet.
Most PhD programs will cover your tuition and pay you a stipend; master’s programs may or may not be funded (someone put together this handy spreadsheet to provide information on some funded master’s programs in organismal biology). Funding situations vary wildly by department, though, so you should reach out to people whose labs interest you to ask for details.
Sending the first email to a prospective advisor can be intimidating. If you have a mentor who can help you, it’s wise to get their help. If you need to figure out how to write the email on your own, this blog post has some useful tips: https://contemplativemammoth.com/2013/04/08/so-you-want-to-go-to-grad-school-nail-the-inquiry-email/
You will want to choose a lab that not only does research you find interesting, but that will also provide a supportive environment where you can thrive. Many factors go into a good graduate school experience. Bobby Espinoza, a professor at Cal State Northridge, has prepared a list of sample questions that you might want to ask of prospective advisors, their current students (very important!), and other people in the department to collect the information you will need to make an informed graduate school decision: Questions for Prospective Advisors & Programs.
In April-May 2021, SSAR’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEIC) created and disseminated a membership diversity survey with several purposes:
The DEIC has completed a thorough report on the survey results. We encourage all SSAR leaders and committees to read and think deeply about the entire report, to consider how its findings might guide their current and future activities, and then to enact positive change on the institutional level. We encourage all SSAR members to learn from these findings and to consider that they as individuals can contribute a more inclusive environment in SSAR and in all their spheres of influence.
See below for links to the full report and to a shortened version:
Do you want to help parents make the most out of the 2022 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) in Spokane? SSAR, ASIH, AES, and HL have joined forces for a fundraiser for childcare.
We are accepting donations via the ASIH website – scroll to the link at the bottom that says Childcare Fund: link to donation page. Please note that you will have to make a (free) ASIH account, if you do not already have one.
Our goal for this fundraiser is to offset the costs so that we can offer subsidized childcare to our members (free to student parents!) These funds will make JMIH more accessible to members with families. Here is a video with a message from our presidents: link to YouTube video.
We also plan to support childcare into the future by establishing an endowment, so please stay tuned for long-term fundraising efforts!