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| OPPORTUNITIES |
34th International Geological
Congress Travel Grant and
Mentoring Program
Deadline: February 17, 2012
More information...
IIASA Postdoctoral Program
Deadline: February 29, 2012
More information... |
Did You Know? All PDF versions of reports published by the National Academies Press are now downloadable to readers worldwide free of charge.  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
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Washington, DC 20001 USA
Tel: +1 202-334-2807
Fax: +1 202-334-2231
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|  Bertsch Elected as a National Associate of NAS
and Chair of CSSP
BISO would like to congratulate Paul Bertsch, chair of USNC/Soils, for recently being elected as a national associate of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP).
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)
Early Career Members Committee
The Early Career Members Committee (ECMC) provides members of the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA with opportunities for collaboration and development of the early career scientists program. Read more.
Frontiers in Soil Science Research: Report of a Workshop
 Released August 26, 2009 in response to a 2005 USNC/SS Frontiers in Soil Science Research Workshop, the report centers on seven key questions addressing research fields for soil science disciplines, as well as the need for integration across soil science with other disciplines. Download the Report in Brief (58KB PDF) or read the report online. View more Activities & Events | |
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About the Union The International Union of Soil Sciences is the global union of soil scientists and has been is a scientific union member of the International Council for Science (ICSU) since 1993. Originally founded as the International Society of Soil Science (ISSS) in 1924, the IUSS promotes all branches of soil science and supports all soil scientists across the world in the pursuit of their endeavors.
IUSS Divisions and Commissions
Are you interested in learning more about what IUSS does? Get involved in the scientific commissions.
The scientific activities of IUSS are undertaken through 4 Divisions; each Division has 4 to 6 Commissions. Visit the IUSS homepage for descriptions of IUSS divisions and commissions. View a list of current officers. The U.S. National Committee for Soil Science (USNC/SS) represents the interests of the U.S. soil science community in the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) and provides leadership in the advancement of soil science nationally and internationally. The committee advises The National Academies in all matters pertaining to the IUSS and supports U.S. participation in the international arena. To identify relevant issues for the committee to address, the USNC communicates with professional societies and organizations. The USNC/SS: - Interacts with the broader scientific community to identify emerging needs and opportunities for soil science;
- Identifies innovative solutions to solve environmental and societal problems;
- Advocates soil science education to provide a sustainable pool of expertise in the discipline;
- Promotes the public understanding of the critical role soils play in society and the environment; and
- Leads U.S. participation in the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) and international collaboration in soil science research.
Committee Members
In addition to members appointed by The National Academies for three year terms, the committee includes ex officio members representing the international union, as well as the Soil Science Society of America. Other professional societies are represented on the committee by liaisons. Societies interested in appointing a liaison to the national committee should contact NRC staff.  2009 National Wetlands Award Recipients Honored
USNC/SS member Carol Johnston (South Dakota State University) was among the seven 2009 National Wetlands Award recipients in recognition for her outstanding contribution to wetlands stewardship. Read the press release (34KB PDF). View images from the award ceremony on the Environmental Law Institute homepage. Soil: Sustaining Life on Planet Earth
The USNC/SS, the Soil Science Society of America, and the IUSS co-sponsored a July 18, 2008, symposium at the National Academy of Sciences in celebration of the opening of the Smithsonian Institution’s “Dig It! The Secrets of Soil” exhibit the following day. Read more about the outcomes of this symposium. Dig It! The Secrets of Soil
The Soil Science Society of America collaborated with the Smithsonian Institution to develop "Dig It! The Secrets of Soil," a soils exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History that opened July 19, 2008. Learn more about the project. Podcast: The Dirt on Soil
 "The Dirt on Soils" (July 18, 2008), part of The National Academies podcast series Sounds of Science highlights the science of soil. Listen to "The Dirt on Soils" MP3 (9.4 MB). Learn more about other podcasts at The National Academies. Bring a Child to Work Day 2008: Ready, Set, SCIENCE!
 Hosted by The National Academies, Bring a Child to Work Day is an annual event that serves to inspire children about their future career goals, especially in the fields of science, engineering, and medicine. BISO led a workshop that introduced the students to soil science.
Read more about the interactive soil science workshop. Joint Earth Sciences U.S. National Committees Activities
The USNC/SS and the U.S. National Committees for geological sciences (IUGS), geodesy and geophysics (IUGG), and Quaternary research (INQUA) 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 Bill 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-affiliated 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).
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. Declared by the United Nations in December 2006, the year is being celebrated 2007-2009 by the international geoscience unions, including IUSS. 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. Discover EarthSky science podcasts for the Web community.
RECENT AND UPCOMING MEETINGS:  | | 2012 GSA Annual Meeting
November 4-7, 2012
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA – Charlotte Convention Center
Short Course deadline: February 1, 2012
Registration deadline: June 1 - September 24, 2012
Abstract deadline: August 14, 2012 |
- Paul M. Bertsch, Chair
University of Kentucky - Pierre Bordenave
InterMountain Resources - Asmeret Asefaw Berhe
University of California, Merced - Ronald Amundson
University of California, Berkeley - Scott Fendorf
Stanford University - Ty P.A. Ferré
University of Arizona - Daniel Giménez
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
| - Robin L. Graham
Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Peter M. Groffman
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies - Carol A. Johnston
South Dakota State University - Cindy H. Nakatsu
Purdue University - Pedro A. Sánchez
Columbia University - Donald L. Sparks
University of Delaware - Peter Vitousek, (NAS)
Stanford University
| EX-OFFICIO - David Lindbo, North Carolina State University
Soil Science Society of America Executive Committee Representative - Michael Clegg (NAS), University of California, Irvine
Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Sciences
NRC STAFF Ester Sztein, Assistant Director, BISO
Lina Stankute-Alexander, Program Associate
| SOCIETY LIAISONS - Yakov Pachepsky, Environmental Microbial and Food Safety Lab, USDA, ARS, BA, ANRI, EMFSL
American Geophysical Union - Pat Megonigal, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Ecological Society of America - Ronald Checkai, U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) - Brian J. Carter, Oklahoma State University
Geological Society of America - Roman Kuperman, U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center
Soil Ecology Society - To be determined
Soil and Water Conservation Society
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RESOURCE LINKS
The USNC/IUSS is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. GEO-0701397. To comment on this Web page or report an error, please send feedback to BISO Site Manager.
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