Ecosystem Informatics

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Ecosystem Informatics

• Oregon State University

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Ecosystem Informatics IGERT at Oregon State
University
PIs J.A. Jones, B. DAmbrosio, T. Dietterich,
M. Harmon E. Waymire
Participating faculty M. Bailey, B. Bond, E.
Borer, S. Johnson, S. Lancaster, J. McDonnell, M.
Ossiander, A. Plantinga, P. Rossignol, E.
Sulzman, E. Thomann, D. Wright
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• These problems are the core of Ecosystem
  Informatics
• accurately representing biophysical processes in
  mathematical terms
• obtaining, storing, retrieving, and analyzing
  multiple datasets
• testing hypotheses using various models and model
  versions
• assessing uncertainty in predictions
• scaling or extrapolating findings among
  systems.

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In the proposal, we planned to be
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In practice, we are achieving integration of
Mathematics
Computer science
Applied probability Numerical analysis Differentia
l equations
Data management, mining Visualization Model
computation, Calibration, Evaluation of
uncertainty
Carbon scaling Stability in communities Prediction
of disturbances Network structure/function
Ecosystem science
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The Ecosystem Informatics IGERT trains students
to participate in the research life cycle by
working in multidisciplinary teams involving
natural scientists, computer scientists, and
mathematicians. Students address problems from
ecosystems and natural resource management.
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Boot camp at the H.J. Andrews - introduce
students, faculty to each other and to ecosystem
informatics concepts
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Beginning its second year of training, the EI
IGERT program has 17 PhD students with majors in
12 departments in 4 colleges
Students take a 4 course sequence yr 1, and
continue to share group paper writing activities
and teaching in later years
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Student research is oriented around four research
areas
Scaling and uncertainty in cycling of carbon and
nitrogen
Stability and resilience of ecological communities
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Four research areas, contd.
Natural disturbance processes temporal and
spatial predictions
Structure and function of hierarchical branching
networks
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EI Outcomes in Relation to Goals 2005

• Stronger and Diverse Faculty Goal
• Hired Xiaoli Fern in Computer Science
• Hired Yevgeniy Kovchegov in Mathematics
• Integrating three additional new faculty into the
  IGERT program beyond those whose hiring was
  supported by the Provost Initiative
• E. Borer, Zoology
• D Tullos, Bioengineering
• S. Lancaster, Geosciences
• ( Note these are women or Native
  American faculty)
• Faculty Integration Goal
• Began to integrate new faculty with EI IGERT
  program at boot camp at HJ Andrews (Sep 14-18,
  2005) and in teaching core courses for the new
  minor in EI
• 17 faculty participants and 17 IGERT students in
  attendance at boot camp 2005
• Mentoring younger faculty by senior faculty and
  provision of support of a student

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EI Outcomes in Relation to Goals 2005

• Quality and Diversity of Graduate Students Goal
• Have taken on more proactive and aggressive
  recruitment strategies by visiting several REU
  (Research Experience for Undergraduates) sites
  countrywide, including tribal programs and women
  oriented, to attract high caliber and diverse
  undergraduates to our program
• Beginning to attract students to EI Minor beyond
  those supported on NSF fellowships
• 17 supported students in EI, in 12 graduate
  programs in 4 colleges
• 6 students are women, 2 are minority
• Engage Stakeholders Goal
• US Forest Service
• INR (Institute For Natural Resources)
• HJA (students work on forest management and water
  resources policy)
• We have ramped up our departmental inclusion from
  7 from the grants inception to 12

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EI Outcomes in Relation to Goals 2005

• National and International Recognition Goal
• Currently a nationally unique informatics program
  in ecosystems
• IGERT Director, Julia Jones, been asked to serve
  on the Advisory Board for another ecosystem
  informatics program proposal in the Mid-Atlantic
  area which is emulating our program
• Internships sites students are slated to attend
  (05-06)
• Center for Environmental Science Lancaster
  University, England
• NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research),
  Colorado
• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
  Research Organisation), Australia
• Tree Ring Lab, Arizona
• Marine Geography Institute, Monterey, CA
• Augmenting Resources Goal
• Windows of economic opportunities for the state
  and university are being identified, e.g.
  Integrating market and ecological considerations
  in management of natural resources
• Development of interdisciplinary research
  proposals by faculty and students

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EI 2005-2006 Activities

• Search underway for a numerical analyst in
  Mathematics
• Search underway for a landscape ecologist in
  Forest Science
• Will offer second year of IGERT core courses
• 4 IGERT core course and EI Minor are currently
  being reviewed by the university curriculum
  committee
• 25 of second year students are embarking on
  their internships both nationally and
  internationally