98th ESA Annual Meeting (August 4 -- 9, 2013)

August 03 - 09, 2013

SYMP 3

The Ecology-Policy Interface: Perspectives on Student Engagement

A key goal of this symposium is to showcase policy-relevant ecological science by graduate students. Enhancing the sustainability of the biosphere requires interaction between ecologists and decision makers. Effective pathways for engagement are beginning to emerge and early-career ecologists will be instrumental in growing this interface in the coming decades. The symposium will describe the challenges and rewards of public engagement and present three case studies of work by graduate students interacting with different levels of government—from local to international. The symposium will conclude with perspectives from established ecologists working at the science-policy interface, who will offer syntheses and insights on the future of science in environmental policy. Providing continuity throughout the symposium and a natural framework for discussion at the end, each speaker will reflect on the incentives and barriers they encountered in their efforts to apply ecological knowledge to policy and management outcomes. In addition, speakers will comment on how engagement has impacted their research trajectories and personal and professional development.