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The International Visitors Office
is a good resource for visa-related issues.
Contact BISO
Board on International Scientific Organizations
Policy and Global Affairs
The National Academies
500 Fifth Street
Washington, DC 20001 USA
Tel: +1 202-334-2807
Fax: +1 202-334-2231
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U.S. NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR QUATERNARY RESEARCH
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 | 2012 AAAS Symposium - “Toward Stabilization of Net Global Carbon Dioxide Levels”
Sponsored by the four USNCs for the Earth Sciences and spearheaded by the U.S. National Committees for Soils and for Geodesy and Geophysics, this session aims to provide a clear understanding and comparison of the attributes of the various sequestration strategies, including their capacity, economics, risks, application time-scales, and long-term stability. The symposium will be held February 17, 2012 at the AAAS meeting in Vancouver, Canada. Speakers include: - Isabel Montanez (University of California): Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Climate Sensitivity in a Warmer World
- Sally Benson (Stanford University): Carbon Dioxide Sequestration in Deep Sedimentary Formations
- Peter Brewer (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute): Impacts of Stabilizing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels: The Role of the Oceans
- Keith Paustian (Colorado State University): Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in Agriculture: Living Up to Potential?
- Karen Haugen-Kozyra (KHK Consulting Ltd.): Carbon Pricing Policies in North America: Past, Present, and Future
- Ben Yamagata (Coal Utilization Research Council): Managing Carbon Dioxide Emissions Today: An Industry Perspective
Organizer: Paul M. Bertsch, University of Kentucky
Co-Organizer: Ester Sztein, The National Academies
Discussants: James E. Hansen, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Cesar Izaurralde, Joint Global Change Research Institute 2012 AAAS Symposium - “Causes and Effects of Relative Sea-Level Changes in the Northeast Pacific"
This session, spearheaded by the U.S. National Committee for Geodesy and Geophysics, will first review the various contributing factors to relative sea-level changes in the Northeast Pacific and then examine likely adaptations with an emphasis on shores in British Columbia. The symposium will be held February 19, 2012 at the AAAS meeting in Vancouver, Canada. Speakers include: - John J. Clague (Simon Fraser University): Impacts of Rising Seas on the British Columbia Coast in the 21st Century
- Denise J. Reed (University of New Orleans): Surviving Sea-Level Rise: What Can Be Done To Maintain Viable Coastal Wetlands?
- David Flanders (University of British Columbia): Flood Adaptation Near Vancouver: A Regional Adaptation Collaborative
Organizer: Brian F. Atwater, U.S. Geological Survey
Co-organizers: C.K. Shum, Ohio State University and Ester Sztein, The National Academies
Moderator: Brian F. Atwater, U.S. Geological Survey
Discussants: Margaret Davidson, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center and Philip R. Hill, Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada  Canadian Climate Scientist Elected as Next President of the International Council for Science
Professor Gordon McBean, an internationally recognized meteorologist and climate change expert, has been named as the future President of the International Council for Science (ICSU). An established member of the ICSU community, McBean was elected by representatives from ICSU’s 120 National Members and 30 International Scientific Unions gathered at the 30th ICSU General Assembly in Rome, Italy, on 27–30 September 2011. He is set to succeed the current ICSU President, Yuan Tseh Lee, in October 2014, and will be the first Canadian to take up this office. View press release.
(Photo copied from people.uleth.ca; description copied from press release)
The Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research Program (PEER)
The PEER program is a competitive grants program that will allow scientists in developing countries to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities in partnership with their NSF-funded collaborators on topics of importance to USAID. For more information and to view a list of eligible countries, please visit http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/dsc/peer/index.htm.
 Travel Fellowship Program for the 2011 INQUA Congress in Bern, Switzerland
The U.S. National Committee for Quaternary Research is pleased to annouce the 2011 INQUA Congress Travel Fellowship Program awardees:
| Yarrow | Axford | Northwestern University | | Benjamin | Clegg | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | | Alan | Condron | University of Massachusetts, Amherst | | Jacquelyn | Gill | University of Wisconsin-Madison | | Robert | Hatfield | Oregon State University | | Marc | Hijma | Tulane University | | Teresa | Krause | Montana State University | | Henry | Loope | University of Wisconsin-Madison | | David | McWethy | Montana State University | | Jesse | Morris | University of Utah | | Summer | Praetorius | Oregon State University | | Rebecca | Schwendler | National Trust for Historic Preservation | | Jeremy | Shakun | Boston University & Woods hole Oceanographic Institution | | Darren | Larsen | INSTAAR/University of Colorado, Boulder and the University of Iceland | | Juan | Luis | Garcia University of Maine | | Kurt | Refsnider | University of Colorado Boulder | | Shaun | Marcott | Oregon State University | | Virginia | Iglesias | Montana State University |
Teaching Climate Change from the Geologic Record
The 2010 Teaching Climate Change workshop was held August 10-11, before the American Quaternary Association (AMQUA) meeting, in Laramie, Wyoming. The workshop was attended by graduate students and professors at the college and university levels and museum education and outreach staff. The 27 participants were very engaged throughout the workshop and enjoyed the highly informative and interactive scientific presentations given by David Meltzer, Eric Grimm, John (Jack) Williams, Russell Graham, and Rolfe Mandel. Karin Kirk, from On the Cutting Edge, spoke about the pedagogical aspects of teaching climate change.  
The optional field trip held on August 12 included travel through the Snowy Range Scenic By-Way and over the Medicine Bow Mountains west of Laramie, WY. The field trip group, which included both teaching workshop participants and scientists attending the American Quaternary Association biennial meeting, provided an opportunity for scientists and instructors to interact and learn about the geology and natural history of the area. Co-sponsored by On the Cutting Edge, AMQUA and USNC/INQUA, this teaching workshop was part of a series of workshops described below. For more information and workshop presentations and outcomes please visit Teaching Climate Change from the Geologic Record
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About the Union Founded in 1928, the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) brings together scientists concerned with the history of the Earth’s natural environment during the Quaternary Period—the roughly 2 million year interval during and since the Pleistocene ice age. Quaternary research is interdisciplinary, involving the fields of geology, ecology and evolutionary biology, climatology, archeology, oceanography, and global change research. INQUA strives to improve understanding of the processes by which the environment has changed and enhance forecasting of future environmental changes. INQUA is a member union of the International Council for Science (ICSU) that serves to build global interaction among Quaternary research communities.
About the USNCThe U.S. National Committee for the International Union for Quaternary Research (USNC/INQUA) represents the interests of the U.S. Quaternary community in INQUA, advances Quaternary research both in the United States and abroad, and formally represents the United States in INQUA through the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the U.S. adhering body to INQUA. The USNC/INQUA plans and arranges for U.S. participation in INQUA congresses and programs. The INQUA congresses are held every four years and provide the only forum in which the multidisciplinary, international Quaternary research community can collaborate and exchange ideas. The committee normally holds two meetings each year, of which one is commonly in association with the meetings of the American Quaternary Association, the Geological Society of America or the American Geophysical Union. The USNC/INQUA also: - Conducts an outreach program to the U.S. scientific community that includes providing information about union and committee activities;
- Sponsors symposia at scientific association meetings on topics of international interest in the geosciences;
- Sponsors teaching workshops for college-level educators on topics of interest to the community, and
- Advocates participation in international interdisciplinary projects on such issues as biodiversity and sustainability.
 Teaching Climate Change Workshops
The USNC/INQUA, working together with the American Quaternary Association (AMQUA) and On the Cutting Edge, a professional development program for current and future geoscience faculty, supported by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers with funding provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation, has developed a series of workshops on "Teaching Climate Change." These workshops are held before the biennial AMQUA meetings. References, lesson plans, and resource materials on teaching climate change that are developed as part of these workshops are available on a website, available for use by college instructors and other interested scientists. Thus far three workshops have been organized:
- August 10-11, 2010: Teaching Climate Change from the Geologic Record, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.
- June 2-3, 2008: Teaching Climate Change with Ice Core Data, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. Read more about the outcomes of this teaching workshop on the Activities Page.
- August 14-15, 2006: Teaching Climate Change: Lessons from the Past, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT.
Joint Earth Sciences U.S. National Committees Activities
The USNC/INQUA and the U.S. National Committees for soil science (IUSS), geodesy and geophysics (IUGG), and geological sciences (GS) actively collaborate throughout the year on various activities, including: “Global Sea Level Rise: Observation, Causes, and Prediction,” a symposium held on February 16, 2009 at the 2009 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The three-hour session focused on the scientific understanding of sea level rise as a result of anthropogenic climate change. Leading scientists conveyed the latest findings, highlighted and increased public awareness of the consequences of sea level rise, and its potential social and economic impacts. The speakers included Richard Alley (Penn State), Anny Cazenave (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, France), Georg Kaser (Universität Innsbruck, Austria), Sydney Levitus (NOAA), Stefan Rahmstorf (Universität Potsdam, Germany), and C.K. Shum (The Ohio State University). Discussants included John Church (CSIRO, Australia) and Robert Muir-Wood (Risk Management Solutions, Inc., United Kingdom). The session was moderated by William C. Boicourt (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science). This jointly co-sponsored event was co-organized by USNC/GG members C.K. Shum, William C. Boicourt, and Robin Muench. View speaker presentations. “Global Connections among Earth Sciences, Health, and Policy,” BISO's September 2008 symposium representing the geosciences, biological sciences, chemistry, and the multidisciplinary areas of biodiversity and global change. The three-person advisory committee that helped plan the symposium included a past member of the USNC/Soil Science and the co-chair for medical science of the International Medical Geology Association, an IUGS-affiliate society. View the symposium program and list of speakers (72KB PDF). The event was supported by the National Science Foundation, the American Geological Institute, and the Geological Society of America.
"Planet Earth: Lessons Ignored, Lessons Learned,” an International Year of Planet Earth-themed symposium at the February 2008 AAAS meeting held in Boston, Massachusetts. The 90-minute symposium included the following presentations:
• I-Earth: Introduction to Planet Earth— Rosemary Knight, Stanford University;
• Soil: Sustaining Food, Energy, and Human Health—Charles W. Rice, Kansas State University and
Ian Pepper, Arizona State University (USNC/Soils current and past members, respectively);
• When the Sahara Was Green—Farouk El-Baz, Boston University (USNC/GS chair).
View symposium announcement (17KB PDF).
Participation in INQUA Congresses
At the last INQUA Congress, held July 28 - August 3, 2007 in Cairns, Australia, Allan Ashworth (national committee chair) was elected to a four-year term as Vice President of INQUA. In April 2008, Dr. Ashworth attended the executive committee meeting in Japan where he monitored the activities of one of the five INQUA commissions. Through a generous grant from NSF, the USNC/INQUA was able to award 15 travel fellowships to early career scientists and facilitate their attendance at the INQUA Congress. The travel grant program allowed these scientists to present their findings and enrich their networks by interacting with fellow awardees and other scientists from the U.S. and abroad. Support of the International Year of Planet Earth
 The International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) is a multidisciplinary, international project initiated by the IUGS in cooperation with UNESCO and partnership of the other international geoscience unions, as well as about 100 signatory countries, 74 active IYPE national committees, and many other related organizations throughout the world. IYPE’s principal goal is to demonstrate the enormous potential of the Earth sciences as foundations for a safer, healthier and wealthier society. Learn more about IYPE activities in the United States The U.S. National Committee for IYPE received grant support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for an IYPE partnership with the National Public Radio (NPR) program EarthSky to produce ten 90-second IYPE-themed radio podcasts.  EarthSky is a digital media company advocating science as a vital voice in 21st century decision-making. Discover EarthSky science podcasts for the Web community.
America's Climate Choices
In response to a request from Congress, the National Academies have launched America's Climate Choices, a suite of studies designed to inform and guide responses to climate change across the nation. Experts representing various levels of government, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and research and academic institutions were selected to serve on four panels and an overarching committee. The following four panels of experts released consensus reports in early 2010:
* Panel on Limiting the Magnitude of Future Climate Change
* Panel on Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change
* Panel on Advancing the Science of Climate Change
* Panel on Informing Effective Decisions and Actions Related to Climate Change
RECENT AND UPCOMING MEETINGS:
- Cathy Whitlock, Chair
Montana State University - Eric Grimm, Vice Chair
Illinois State Museum - Sridhar Anandakrishnan
Penn State University - Art Bettis
University of Iowa - Elizabeth Hadly
Stanford University - Nicholas Lancaster
Desert Research Institute
| - David J. Meltzer (NAS)
Southern Methodist University - Cary Mock
University of South Carolina - Alison Smith
Kent State University - Lawrence Straus
University of New Mexico - Greg Wiles
The College of Wooster - Connie Woodhouse
University of Arizona
| EX-OFFICIO - Allan C. Ashworth
North Dakota State University
Vice President, INQUA Executive Committee - Stephen Jackson
University of Wyoming - Michael Clegg, NAS
University of California, Irvine
NAS Foreign Secretary
| NRC STAFF |
RESOURCE LINKSPUBLICATIONS  * Quaternary International is the official journal of the International Union for Quaternary Research.
* INQUA's newsletter Quaternary Perspectives contains current news about the organization its commissions, committees and projects. |
U.S. Societies and Associations
American Geological Institute (AGI)
AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the geological profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society’s use of resources and interaction with the environment. American Geophysical Union (AGU)
AGU’s mission is to promote the scientific study of the Earth and its environment in space; to promote cooperation among scientific organizations involved in geophysics and related disciplines; to initiate and participate in geophysical research programs; and to advance the various geophysical disciplines through scientific discussion, publication, and dissemination of information. American Quaternary Association (AMQUA)
The American Quaternary Association (AMQUA) is a professional organization of North American scientists devoted to studying all aspects of the Quaternary Period, about the last 2 million years of Earth history. AMQUA was founded in 1970 primarily to foster cooperation and communication among the remarkably broad array of disciplines involved in studying the Quaternary Period. Association of American Geographers (AAG)
The Association of American Geographers (AAG) is a scientific and educational society that has contributed to the advancement of geography for 100 years. The AAG advances professional studies in geography and encourages the application of geographic research in education, government, and business. The Geomorphology Specialty Group of the AAG is of special interest to Quaternarists. Geological Society of America (GSA)
The mission of GSA is to advance the geosciences, to enhance the professional growth of its members, and to promote the geosciences in the service of humankind. |
The USNC/INQUA is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. GEO-0701397. Banner Photo Credits: David J. Meltzer To comment on this Web page or report an error, please send feedback to BISO Site Manager.
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