Paleonet: Paleonet Digest, Vol 46, Issue 3

[John Alroy]

Hi James,

Much of the material taught in the workshop is also covered in the 2011
Paleontological Society short course notes. Along with previous volumes,
it's offered for sale on the PRI's website:

http://www.museumoftheearth.org/publications/booklist.php?catID=81&buy=2#listing

Relevant chapters by all the workshop instructors are included.

Note both the workshop and the volume focus on analytical methods rather
than databases per se, and most of the workshop exercises involve using R to
write simulation programs and analyze data. However, PaleoDB data are used
in some of the workshop's modules, so there is some hands-on instruction in
use of the website's query, download, and analysis tools.

Cheers,

On Thu, Jan 13, 2011 at 5:31 AM, <James.Verhoff at ch2m.com> wrote:

> Please forgive me if this is common knowledge, but will materials from
> these courses be available online in some form (papers, copies of
> slideshows, recordings, etc)? I use the PaleoBiology Database a great deal
> in determining the paleontological sensitivity of geologic units for NEPA
> analyses, and it would be very beneficial to know more about the database.
> However, I doubt my company would pay for me to attend (and I wouldn't fit
> the criteria at any rate, it seems).
>
> Thank you.
>
> --James Verhoff
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
>
> Applications are now being accepted for the upcoming Paleobiology Database
> workshop. Please forward the following information to your colleagues.
> *
> *
> *About the workshop*
>
> Since 2005 the Paleobiology Database has conducted a five-week intensive
> training workshop in analytical methods. The National Science Foundation's
> Division of Earth Sciences will provide primary funding for the 2011
> edition. As in 2010, the 2011 workshop will held at Macquarie University in
> Sydney between 27 June and 31 July.
>
> Topics will include community paleoecology, diversity curves, speciation
> and
> extinction, phylogenetics, phenotypic evolution, and morphometrics. Both
> simulation modelling and data analysis methods will be employed. Training
> will combine lectures and labs. Participants will be given hands-on
> instruction in programming using R and taught to use other analytical
> software. In addition to the workshop coordinator, each week a new
> instructor will be present. The instructors are expected to be John Alroy,
> Gene Hunt, Tom Olszewski, David Polly, and Pete Wagner.
>
> There is no fee for registration and participants will be housed for free
> in
> accommodations off campus. Participants are encouraged to solicit travel
> funds from their home institutions or other organizations. If such funds
> are
> not available, a significant fraction of airfare costs will be reimbursed.
> Participants are responsible for meal costs. There are no other charges of
> any kind and no other major expenses are likely.
>
> *How to apply*
>
> Participants should be in the early stages of their own research in any
> area
> related to paleontology. They should have a background in basic statistics,
> and the ability to understand rapidly spoken English is essential. The
> workshop is open to all undergraduates and advanced graduate students but
> first or second year graduate students are particularly encouraged to
> apply.
> Applications from professionals who have completed their studies will be
> considered but not given first priority. We strongly encourage applications
> from women and members of underrepresented groups.
>
> Applications should be submitted in PDF format to John Alroy (
> john.alroy at mq.edu). Applications received by the end of Monday, *15
> February
> * 2011 (as reckoned in the US) will receive priority. Applications should
> consist of a one page statement. Do not include separate documents such as
> a
> curriculum vitae. No form needs to be filled out.
>
> The statement should include a brief description of current research plans,
> a list of degrees earned stating the year of graduation in each case, a
> brief list of relevant classes taken, and an account of the applicant's
> previous use of statistics and knowledge of programming. Applicants who do
> not employ English as a primary language should describe their experiences
> learning and speaking it. Applicants are encouraged to explain why the
> topics addressed by the workshop are of special interest to them and which
> of these subjects are taught at their home institutions.
>
> Applications must be accompanied by a recommendation letter, also in PDF
> format, written by the applicant's academic advisor and e-mailed
> separately.
> Obtaining a recommendation from anyone who is not an advisor must be
> explained. It is important that the recommendation give details about the
> applicant's personal character and abilities, not just credentials and
> descriptions of research projects. Recommendation letters also should be
> received by the end of the due date.
>
> John Alroy
> Future Fellow
> Department of Biological Sciences
> Faculty of Science
> Macquarie University
> Sydney, NSW 2109
>
> "Clearly, full reality is unknown, but it is a fixed expectation across
> models, thus a further simplification can be written as I(f, g) = C -
> Ef[log(g(x|theta))], where the expectation of the logarithm of full reality
> drops out into a simple scaling constant, C." (Anderson et al. 2000, p.
> 917).
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-- 
John Alroy
Future Fellow
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Science
Macquarie University
Sydney, NSW 2109

"Clearly, full reality is unknown, but it is a fixed expectation across
models, thus a further simplification can be written as I(f, g) = C -
Ef[log(g(x|theta))], where the expectation of the logarithm of full reality
drops out into a simple scaling constant, C." (Anderson et al. 2000, p.
917).
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