In striving to gain strength as an undergraduate climate community, this Autumn quarter has been eventful for the PCC Undergraduate Cohort (UCo). Heading into this academic year, we built on our strength as a Registered Student Organization (RSO) and set our focus on hosting more events. Our goals were to further build an undergraduate community and plan events focused on the interests and energies of the members.
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Graduate Climate Conference 2024: A step towards interdisciplinary collaboration and dialogue in addressing the climate crisis
The Graduate Climate Conference (GCC) provides a unique forum where emerging scientists can exchange ideas, share research and build interdisciplinary collaborations to address the climate crisis. Now in its 18th year, the conference was held on November 1-3, 2024, at the Pack Forest Conference Center, hosting nearly 120 graduate students from institutions in the U.S. and internationally. Organized by graduate students for graduate students, the GCC’s mission is to strengthen student connections and advance climate research in a supportive, inclusive environment.
Read moreFeatured Research Accelerator Project : Applying Microbial-Plant Partnerships to Build Soil Carbon
Much of the world’s crop production relies on the application of conventional nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers to soil. Although applied with the intention of providing sufficient nutrients to the crop to increase yield, much of the nutrients in the fertilizer go unused because many crops have poor nutrient use efficiency. This results in excess soil nitrogen and phosphorus, which then can leak into groundwater resulting in contamination and surface water eutrophication.
Read moreConversations in Climate Progress and Interventions: The 2024 PCC Summer Institute
The 2024 Summer Institute was held at UW’s Friday Harbor Laboratories, nestled on San Juan Island in the northern region of Puget Sound. This year’s event spanned three days, September 9th through the 11th. The theme was the controversial topic of geoengineering, which explores technologies with the potential to alter Earth’s climate system to offset the impacts of anthropogenic climate change.
Read moreEmbracing Bioplastics: A Sustainable Alternative to Fossil Fuel-Based Plastics
Lexi Maerz 20 May 2024 On January 29th, 2024, Science on Tap held their monthly science talk at Ravenna Third Place Bookstore, where I was honored to be featured as their guest speaker. I am a Master’s student in Bioresource Science and Engineering at the University of Washington researching sustainable alternatives to fossil-fuel based plastics. I shared my insights into the promising future of bioplastics, showcasing my own work in the lab.
Read moreA Recap of the 2024 Spring Symposium
The Program on Climate Change (PCC) community gathered for the annual Spring Symposium highlighting undergrad and grad student research. The event was hosted by the PCC Graduate Steering Committee (P-GraSC) on the evening of Thursday, May 2nd in the Ocean Sciences Building. The event began with P-GraSC introductions and updates on past and upcoming events, like the City Nature Challenge and the Schooner Series.
Read moreUCo: Grad School Explained Panel
The PCC Undergraduate Cohort (UCo) hosted a “Grad School Explained” session on the afternoon of Monday, April 29th, 2024. This event was formed to supply undergraduate students interested in climate grad school with the opportunity to learn more about the process and connect with current climate grad students to ask questions. Hosted in the Life Sciences Building, the event began with Pagliacci pizza and time to socialize with fellow undergrads.
Read moreUpcoming Events: Grad School Panel and City Nature Challenge
Join the Program on Climate Change Undergraduate Cohort for a dual event on April 29th— the City Nature Challenge & Graduate School Panel. This Earth Month, the Program on Climate Change (PCC) and UW Biology experts are excited to bring the global City Nature Challenge to the UW on Monday, April 29th, 11:00am-1:00pm! Contribute to a worldwide citizen science initiative by documenting wild flora and fauna on iNaturalist and explore the rich biodiversity of our campus.
Read moreHow to Find an EPA Job: Advice for Students
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a dream employer for many climate-minded undergrads. And yet, understanding the processes involved in finding and applying for these federal positions can be a daunting task. It can be difficult to figure out where to even find open positions, much less actually apply for them. Overcoming these barriers to many climate career pathways was a motivating factor behind the PCC Undergraduate Cohort‘s recent Alumni Climate Career Panel, which included Dr.
Read moreClimate Change at the Poles: An Overview of the 2023 PCC Summer Institute
The Arctic has warmed four times faster than the lower latitudes over the historic record whereas warming and sea ice loss in polar regions of the Southern Hemisphere has been limited until very recent years. These hemispherically asymmetric trends in observed polar climate challenge our basic understanding of atmospheric, oceanic and cryospheric processes contributing to climate change and their representation in the climate models used to predict future climate change.
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