Free Symposium: Science, People, and Sustainability in the Canadian Arctic

Join the Consulate General of Canada and the University of North Dakota - together with researchers, scientists, explorers, and historians – for a public symposium to investigate the connections between science, people, and sustainability in the Canadian Arctic. This event will trace the legacy of the Canadian Arctic Expedition, launched in 1913, and its leader Viljhalmur Stefansson, in his day one of the most colorful and notorious students at UND. Speakers will draw on Stefansson’s work and influences to examine new linkages between the United States and the Canadian Arctic.

Science, People, & Sustainability in the Canadian Arctic: From the 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition to the 2013 Arctic Council Chairmanship, is set for 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the Center for Innovation. A reception and movie screening will follow.

Presenters include:

- Will Steger, renowned polar explorer
- David Gray, the leading expert on the Canadian Arctic Expedition
- Jamshed Merchant, Consul General of Canada
- Timothy Pasch, UND Communications Professor

The event is free and open to the public. Space is limited. Registration and more details are available at http://ow.ly/psvgq

Follow the event on Twitter at #CAE100. Watch event proceedings live at https://conted.breeze.und.nodak.edu/cae100/

In 2013, Canada assumed the two-year Chairmanship of the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum for Arctic Governments and people. www.arctic-council.org 2013 also marks the centennial of the launch of the Canadian Arctic Expedition (CAE), a significant point in Canada’s Arctic territorial history. The CAE laid the foundation for a century of scientific endeavor; led to the discovery of unknown islands; collected thousands of photos, specimens and artifacts; and established important and long-lasting relationships with Northern communities.

One of the CAE’s leaders was the legendary explorer Viljhalmur Stefansson, a dual Canadian/US citizen who was born in Manitoba and raised in North Dakota. Early in his life, Stefansson studied at the University of North Dakota and was later awarded an honorary doctorate of laws degree from UND.

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Advances in Geospatial Technologies for Health 2013

The International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) Working Group on Health of Commission VIII (ISPRS WG VIII/2) is organizing its 2nd Symposium on Advances in Geospatial Technologies for Health in collaboration with the 5th International Conference on Medical Geology (MEDGEO 2013) scheduled for August 24-30, 2013 in Arlington, Virginia, USA.

The goals of this symposium are to bridge the geospatial science, Earth science and health science communities and to explore interdisciplinary collaborations to improve our overall health and well-being.

The symposium topics will include applications of remote sensing and geospatial technologies in the areas of:

•Air Pollution Modeling for Health Impact Studies

•Air-borne, Soil-borne and Water-borne Diseases

•Big-Data Analysis in Public Health Research

•Environmental Public Health Surveillance

•Infectious and Vector-borne Diseases

•Climate Variability and Health

•Tele-Epidemiology

•Healthcare

In addition to technical sessions, the event will include workshops and short courses on geospatial technologies and environmental health geared toward young professionals. Notable speakers include Dr. James Acker and Dr. Radina Soebiyanto from NASA; and Prof. Stan Morian from the Earth Data Analysis Center (EDAC).

Keynote lectures will include speakers from the American, French, and Japanese space agencies, giving participants a chance to hear about the advances in public health research made by national space programs. Other keynotes will include speakers from the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), Esri, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Medicaid, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

The symposium will offer a special opportunity for students presenting work related to the geospatial technology and health. NASA has funded a grant to support a few travel fellowships for students to present papers at the symposium. Application forms and the announcement are available on the symposium website.

The joint event of ISPRS Symposium and MEDGEO-2013 conference is being managed by the Geological Society of America (GSA).

Information on registration and conference costs can be found online. Early registration closes on July 15, with final registration closing on July 22.
http://rock.geosociety.org/GeoHealth/MEDGEO_2013/registration.asp

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Call for Presentations USIALE 2013 Conference

Call for Presentations for USIALE 2013!

The organizing committee of the 28th Annual Symposium of the U.S. Chapter of the International Association of Landscape Ecologists invites you to present your research in Austin, Texas this April 14-18, 2013. Our theme this year is “Landscape Dynamics Along Environmental Gradients.”

Presentation abstracts must be submitted by January 8, 2013. Notification of abstract acceptance will be given by February 1, 2013.

The meeting will attract educators and practitioners in the fields of ecology, biology, geography, geology, and landscape preservation and design dedicated to preserving and protecting our natural resources. Highlights will include workshops, plenary sessions, symposia, field trips, oral presentations and posters.

Austin and the Central Texas area are uniquely situated at the intersection of the Blackland Prairies, Cross Timbers and Edwards Plateau ecoregions. As such, the area is home to a large diversity of species and landscapes including iconic species such as the endangered golden-cheeked warbler and Barton Springs salamander. Mean daily low and high temperatures in April are 60F and 80F. Field trips will highlight unique environments of Central Texas including local research facilities, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and excursions into the Hill Country.

To submit your abstract, please visit: http://www.usiale.org/austin2013/

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Symposium: 20 Years of Progress in Radar Altimetry

In a city where sea level is of particular significance, a scientific conference on the radar that records sea-surface height will be held in September. The deadline for abstract submissions for the symposium in Venice, Italy, on two decades of radar altimetry is fast approaching.

The "20 Years of Progress in Radar Altimetry" Symposium will be held at the Venice Convention Centre Palazzo del Casinó from 24 to 29 September 2012.

Organised in collaboration with the French space agency, CNES, the symposium is open to all scientists interested in radar altimetry – the measurement of global sea surface, land and ice height by spaceborne sensors.

During the symposium, participants will focus on the challenges overcome to develop our current understanding of Earth’s surface variations observed by altimetry. Future developments to advance our understanding of oceans, coastal processes, the cryosphere and other themes will also be discussed.

The deadline for the submission of abstracts is just around the corner. Interested parties need to send in their ideas for oral and poster presentations by 1 March for the Scientific Committee’s review. For more information, visit the symposium website.

The event takes place just after the 20-year anniversary of the launch of the first European Remote Sensing satellite, ERS-1, and of the joint CNES and NASA mission TOPEX/Poseidon – both missions carried radar altimeters.

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American Polar Society 75th Anniversary

Save the date, 2-4 May 2012! The American Polar Society's 75th Anniversary Symposium, "The Polar Regions in the 21st Century," at The Explorers and Union Clubs in New York City.

Over one hundred years ago, the world turned its attention to the Polar Regions, wondering what was there. Today, the world is concerned about the environmental changes that are occurring in those same locations. Global economic affiliations and geopolitics in the 21st Century will be directly affected and perhaps driven by the climate and sea-ice changes tracked by contemporary polar science.

For seventy-five years, the American Polar Society has both documented and communicated polar activities to the interested world. The 2012 75th Anniversary Meeting and Symposium of the American Polar Society will bring together the current leaders in science, government, commerce, and diplomacy for a state-of-the-art forecast of the next seventy-five years in a world influenced more than ever before by the destiny of the Arctic and Antarctic.

Details to follow in December (see www.americanpolarsociety.org) and January 2012"Polar Times."

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