NRES Online M.S. Blog

Chicago350.org

mbrice@illinois.edu — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:37:50 CDT

Hello Fellow NRES Student,

Some of you may have heard of 350.org, a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis. Myself and 8 fellow Chicagoans are starting a local chapter of 350 in Chicago. Our first public meeting is Thursday May 30th in Lincoln Park at 1535 N. Dayton at 7:30-8:30pm. In that meeting we will meet with other individuals who are passionate about Climate Change and want to work towards solutions. One area of focus will be calling on the city of Chicago to divest its holdings in fossil fuel companies. We will also be fighting against the Keystone XL pipeline (we will be participating in a demonstration on May 29th while President Obama is in town to remind him to reject the Keystone pipeline). We will also use this first meeting to gauge what others are interested in working on (i.e. fracking or renewable energy). If you would like to join our group please attend the first meeting! We will meet regularly on the last Thursday of every month. You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Chicago350.org (Like our page to stay up-to-date) Or visit our website at www.chicago350.org. You can also email me at mbrice@illinois.edu or the group at getinvolved@chicago350.org. Hope some of you will join us! You can also find out more about 350.org on their website and watch environmentalist Bill McKibben's extremely inspiring and important movie "Do The Math". Thanks!

Important Course Schedule ALERT!

gracon1@illinois.edu — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:31:36 CDT

NRES 499: Silviculture will begin June 13^th and run for 8 weeks, ending August 1. There is still plenty of time to enroll in this course. Taught by a practicing consulting forester, Silviculture will provide students with an introduction to the theory and practice of controlling the establishment, composition, structure and growth of forests, with an emphasis on practical applications to forest ecosystems common to Illinois and the surrounding region. Topics will include stand dynamics and growth, regeneration methods, managing forests for non-timber objectives, and forest health and protection. There will be one optional day- long field trip. For further information, please contact Piper Hodson at phodson@illinois.edu.

May 2013 Graduation!

gracon1@illinois.edu — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:40:08 CDT

We would like to extend our best wishes to all NRES students graduating this weekend! Congratulations on your wonderful achievement!

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences would like to know if you are attending any of the following activities. If you will be joining us on campus this weekend, please let us know by sending an email to Renee Gracon at gracon1@illinois.edu.

Tassel Turning Reception College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), Saturday, May 11, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, in the Colonnades Club at Memorial Stadium. This is an intimate reception that offers graduates, their family members and friends a chance to gather with ACES faculty, administrators and alumni prior to the College of ACES Convocation ceremony.

The ACES Convocation Ceremony will take place Saturday, May 11, at 4:30 pm, at Assembly Hall. Doors will open to guests at 3:30 pm. Tickets are not needed for family members and friends that want to attend the ACES Convocation Ceremony.

Commencement ceremony , May 12 at 2:00 pm, is the official University of Illinois academic ceremony. In long-standing tradition, the Chancellor presides and the President confers the degrees. This ceremony lasts about an hour and a half. For our online students, a streaming video can be viewed at http://commencement.illinois.edu/ beginning at 2:00 pm.

Good luck to all of our graduates and please stay in touch!

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! - NRES PHOTO CONTEST

gracon1@illinois.edu — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:09:06 CDT

Getting ready to embark on a great summer NRES adventure? Whether you are working on your capstone or just enjoying the wonders of the world this summer, be sure to capture those special moments! The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science is hosting its Second Annual Photo Contest for online graduate students. Sharing your favorite NRES moment, most memorable internship assignment, or unique research location could win you a great prize! See information below!

The contest will end September 1, 2013.

PHOTO CONTEST CATEGORIES

Photography

· You In Action! Photographs in this category must show you at work on course-related work or your capstone project. Make sure you submit a caption (maximum length 150 words) with your photograph to tell us about your experience. Please be sure to obtain permission to take photos in the field, lab, or other work area.

· Natural Resources/Nature: Photos should capture unusual, remarkable, or surprising things you encounter while working your capstone project or while taking a break from studies. It may be a unique landscape, a surprising species, or just something that amazes you. Make sure you submit a caption (maximum length 150 words) with your photograph to tell us about your experience. Please be sure to obtain permission to take photos in the field, lab, or other work area.

Videos

· You in Action! Capture the sites, actions, and sounds of your experience in video. Be sure to include yourself in action! This is an outstanding opportunity for you to tell others of your adventure. Maximum length 2 minutes and only one video per student, please. Videos may be comprised of moving video, still images presented in a slideshow format, animation or any combination thereof. Be sure to obtain permission to take video footage in the field, lab, or other work area.

JUDGING

Entries will be judged on creativity, composition and originality. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of NRES faculty members not previously associated with the online program. All decisions will be final. Winning entries will be announced at the fall NRES Online Students On-Campus event, September 14, 2013.

LEGAL INFORMATION

Ownership

Students submitting photos and/or video files to this contest grant the University of Illinois (UIUC) and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science (NRES) permission to use these photos/videos for promotional purposes.

Entries are not permitted to violate the rights of any third party. Entries that violate copyright or

contain copyrighted music or images will be automatically disqualified unless entrant can prove

authorization from the copyright holder to use said content.

Disclaimer

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science is not responsible or liable for any submission problems, damage or loss arising from, or connected with, this photo contest. Submissions that do not comply with contest rules will not be eligible to win. By submitting photos/videos to this contest you are declaring your understanding of the rules.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

1.) Catch those fabulous moments in either digital photography or video format.

a. Photos must be high resolution, minimum 300 dpi.

b. Photos will be accepted in JPEG, GIF or PDF format, and should be no larger than 3 MB.

c. Videos should be in MOV, WAV, or MP4 format, narrated, and no longer than 2 minutes in duration. Large video files can be submitted on disc or via YouTube. Email the YouTube link to Piper Hodson, Student Services Coordinator, at phodson@illinois.edu.

2.) Entry must be the original work of the student.

3.) Students may submit up to 3 photographs and/or one video entry.

4.) Whether doing a research project or an internship, the written approval of a facility manager, employer, supervisor, and/or any other additional person(s) in the photo is required.

5.) Provide entry information for each photo and/or video you submit. You must include: your name, NETID, phone number, location of picture, date taken (must be between Sept. 1, 2012 and Sept 1, 2013), category, title of picture, brief caption (150 words max), and whether this photo was edited or altered in any way.

6.) All entries must be received by September 1, 2013. Clearly mark your entry “Photo Contest” and submit it by:

a. Attaching an electronic file to your email

b. Submitting a disc and the required entry information to the NRES office at N-509 Turner Hall (MC-047).

c. Mail the entry to Photo Contest, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign, N – 509 Turner Hall, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, Illinois 61801.

QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions regarding the photo contest, please email gracon1@illinois.edu

Get ready to start snapping those pictures!

Renée Gracon

SAVE THE DATE - September 14, 2013

gracon1@illinois.edu — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:28:35 CDT

The 2013 NRES On-Campus Event hosted specifically for our online graduate students will be Saturday, September 14. This is a golden opportunity for you to meet the faculty and staff, tour the campus, learn more about the University’s resources, and network with other graduate students. We are in the process of developing the schedule of events, so please let us know if there is a special topic you would like on the agenda and what experiences would most interest you. For more information, contact Renee at gracon1@illinois.edu.

We hope you will plan to attend this fun-filled and information-packed day!

Renée Gracon

Important Deadlines!

phodson@illinois.edu — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:34:44 CDT

May 2 Reading Day Deadlines

Last day for faculty to submit a grade to replace an “I” grade or “DFR” grade in a non-thesis course from Fall 2012 to prevent an F by rule (The F may affect Academic Standing calculated at the end of the semester.) If you have an I that will not be completed, you can petition to extend the I at http://www.grad.illinois.edu/gsas/gradpetition. You can find the rule to which you are requesting an exception in Chapter IV.A of the Graduate Student Policies at http://www.grad.illinois.edu/gradhandbook/chapteriii/section01.
Deadline to Drop a course with department approval with a W recorded
Deadline for Withdrawals from all semester courses with department approval with W’s recorded
Deadline to Add a semester course with instructor, student’s department, and course enrolling department approval

If you have questions, contact the Graduate College at GradAcServ@illinois.edu.

May 12 Summer Deadlines

Deadline to cancel summer 1 (4 week) and SF (summer full term) registration if not registered for any other summer course

Link to Recorded Advising Session - Summer & Fall 2013 Course Offerings

gracon1@illinois.edu — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:39:57 CDT

If you were unable to join us for last night’s presentation on Summer and Fall 2013 course offerings, you can view the video recording by going to:

https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/jwsdetect/playback.jnlp?psid=2013-04-18.1603.M.87F36996661A8600209E1FEAD763DC.vcr&sid=407

This session included information about upcoming NRES core and non-core courses and other outstanding online courses available through ACES. If you need further information about upcoming courses or assistance with your Plan of Study, be sure to contact Renée at gracon1@illinois.edu

Renée Gracon

Online Program Advising Specialist

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

REMINDER! ADVISING SESSION - SUMMER/FALL COURSE OFFERINGS

gracon1@illinois.edu — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:41:20 CDT

Join us Thursday, April 18 at 5:30 pm for a look at the upcoming online course offerings for Summer and Fall 2013. You can join the broadcast by going to https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.19C11EA0056D5D3BC3797830F6AFA1&sid=407

We will briefly describe summer/fall course offerings and also ask your input regarding what future courses you would like to see offered by the NRES department.

For further information, please contact Renée at gracon1@illinois.edu

We hope you will join us tomorrow evening,

Piper and Renée

Advising Session - Course Selection Summer/Fall 2013

gracon1@illinois.edu — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:11:30 CDT

We have a great lineup of NRES courses for summer and fall 2013!

Do you need information beyond what is currently available in the abbreviated course description from the course catalog?

Join us April 18, 5:30 pm (CT) for a comprehensive look at the NRES online 2013 summer and fall courses, including insight into the content, teaching approach, and assessments that will be used in each course. You can join the session by logging in at: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.19C11EA0056D5D3BC3797830F6AFA1&sid=407

For those unable to attend, we will post access to the recording of the session via a Blog on Friday.

For more information, contact Renee at gracon1@illinois.edu. We hope to see you online!

Renee Gracon and Piper Hodson

Virtual Career Fair Available

phodson@illinois.edu — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:26:16 CDT

Hire Big 10 Virtual Career Fair Dates: April 9th -11th
Featuring Full-time, Internship, & Co-op Jobs
http://hirebig10.careereco.net/

Meet 68+ great companies including Accenture, ADP, Allstate, Amazon, DuPont, FAA, General Motors, Intel, International Atomic Energy Agency, KRONOS, Menard, NOKIA, Northwestern Mutual, Stryker, Tata Consultancy, Trimble Navigation, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, and more!

To Register: http://hirebig10.careereco.net/students-alumni/virtual-career-fair-registration/.
- Students and alumni will have the opportunity to connect real-time with employers without the hassle of leaving your home or office
- You will meet recruiters online via chat rooms during the three-day event on April 9th -11th.
- Employers chat hours will be posted in advance. (a camera is not required for the text chat -- video chats will be scheduled by appointment in advance)
- To register, jobseekers simply need to upload their resume for employers to view.

You could win a Nano iPod and get a job. This is an easy way to potentially get hired. Give it a try!

Questions: send an email to hirebig10@careereco.com or 770-980-0088