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Virtual Symposium & Poster Session - join us on-line Thursday, 1 August 2002, to view research poster presentations by the '02 RTP participants. Information
about the Research Training Program:
Application Procedures : go directly to the current RTP on-line application forms
Smithsonian
Center for Education and Museum Studies Smithsonian Office of Fellowships - internships GRADUATES Smithsonian Office of Fellowships - fellowships POST GRADUATES PROFESSIONALS
Professional Visits OTHER ACADEMIC LINKS Office of Fellowships: For information and application materials about fellowships and other scholarly appointments offered at the Smithsonian, visit the Smithsonian's Office of Fellowships web site at: http://www.si.edu/ofg/ SOARS: produced by the Smithsonian Office of Fellowships, "Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study" is a guide of research and study programs at the Smithsonian plus a complete listing of scientific staff and their research specialties. The site address is: http://www.si.edu/ofg/sorsnmnh.htm CONTACT
US
- OR -
Research
& Collections |
Smithsonian
Institution
National Museum of Natural History Research
Training Program 25 May 2002 - 3 August 2002 A total of 20 students were selected to participate in the '02 session of the Research Training Program, including 4 international students representing Brazil (2), Ecuador, and Trinidad/Tobago. Schedule
of Events |
Poster |
Program
Summary
Last Updated: 1 July 2002
* * * ARRIVAL * * *  * Friday, 24 May 2002 * 9:00 a.m. : Apartment inspection conducted by Nina Butler Check Points:
* Saturday, 25 May 2002 *
Location:
The Alexandria phone: 703-212-2678 For questions contact: Raymond Franklin, 703-212-2664 Web
link: The
Alexandria, part of Oakwood Corporate Housing * Sunday, 26 May 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. : Apartment check-in continues. Apartments come fully furnished. * * * Check-in Notes * * *
Week
1 |
Week 2 |
Week 3 |
Week 4 |
Week 5 |
Week 6 |
Week 7 *
* * WEEK 1 * * * * Monday, 27 May 2002 (Memorial Day Holiday) * 8:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. : PROGRAM ORIENTATION - host: Mary Sangrey
- - - ITEMS DUE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Forms
to be completed:
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* Tuesday, 28 May 2002 * 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. : GROUP PHOTOGRAPH - host: Mary Sangrey Location:
NHB front steps Photographers: Don Hurlbert / Jim DiLoreto (phone: 202-633-9116).
All RTP participants will meet with their research team for detailed orientation to their specific research facilities, to complete registration forms, and to obtain signatures. Department Orientation includes:
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Topic: Director's Social. An
informal gathering of residents from the NMNH community plus members from
funding organizations and other special guests. Light refreshments available.
- - - ITEMS DUE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Forms due to be turned in during registration:
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Students: Review and copy forms, test the e-mail system, and begin preparing your project proposal.
* Wednesday, 29 May 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
* Thursday, 30 May 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH NOTE:
RTP staff will be conducting site visits to check on "how things
are going" and to photograph student/advisor teams for the "photo
board" and RTP web site. * Friday, 31 May 2002 * -
- - Botany - - - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. : LECTURE - host: David Cameron Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room Speaker:
Drs. Mark and Diane Littler. B.A. (1961), M.S. Ohio University;
Ph.D. (1971) University of Hawaii. (phone: 202-357-3012).
As a team, the Littlers' research interests are directed toward the stability of marine ecosystems, the productivity and evolution of marine plants and the analysis of plant morphology as a method of predicting its ecological role in the reef community. In 1983 they generated excitement in the scientific community with their discovery of the deepest plant life ever collected from the ocean. The crustose red alga was found in the Bahamas at a depth of 880 feet. This discovery extended the depth distribution limits of marine plants and challenged established theories concerning the minimum light levels necessary to maintain plant growth.
Other
recent discoveries include "Black Band Disease" - which appears
to be a bacteria first found in the Cook Islands.
The pathogen was identified and described as a new species of filamentous
cyanobacterium, Phormidium corallyticum 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. : COLLECTION TOUR - host: Leonardo Versieux Location:
Fern Counter Tour Guide: Greg McKee (phone: 202-357-1590) Topic: The U.S. National Herbarium Explore the US National Herbarium. See the "Botany Best" collection and learn why museum plant collections are important.
The United States National Herbarium (US) was founded in 1848, when the first collections were accessioned from the United States Exploring Expedition (50,000 specimens of 10,000 species).
* Saturday, 1 June 2002 * 8:45 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. : OPTIONAL FIELD TRIP - host: Chad Schennum * * * Advisors and their families are welcome. * * *
Location: Scientists Cliffs, Maryland
Topic: Paleobiology - Calvert Cliffs formation Itinerary:
Located on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay, the "Calvert Cliffs" were formed over 15 million years ago when all of Southern Maryland was covered by a warm, shallow sea. The cliffs dominate the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay extending for more than thirty miles; from Fairhaven (Anne Arundel County, MD) to near Drum Point (Calvert County, MD). They are considered the best marine Miocene (Miocene Epoch, 25 million to 6.5 million years ago) deposit in the world. Three formations are recognized in the cliffs; from oldest to youngest, the Calvert, Choptank, and St. Marys Formations. These have been further subdivided into Members and Beds. Because of the gentle dip (about 11 feet per mile) of the deposits to the southeast, different Beds are exposed at different localities, containing different sediment types and fossils. Over 600 species of fossils have been identified from these cliffs including the "Maryland State Fossil" Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae Wilson. The most visible fossils are mollusk shells, with some beds so densely packed that they are described as "shell beds." The most popular fossils are the sharks' teeth. Other fossils include microscopic plants and animals, macroscopic plants, corals, barnacles, crabs, sand dollars, sea urchins, bony fish, rays, crocodiles, turtles, birds, terrestrial mammals, and marine mammals. Many fossils have Calvert Cliffs as their type locality and some have been found nowhere else.
* Sunday, 2 June 2002 * OPEN * * * Week 1 Notes * * *
* * * WEEK 2 * * * * Monday, 3 June 2002 * -
- - Invertebrate Zoology - - - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. : LECTURE - host: Amanda Newsom Speaker: Dr. Dave Pawson, Senior Research Zoologist, Curator of Echinoderms. Associate in Invertebrates, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. B.A. (1960), M.S. (1961), Ph.D. (1964) Victoria University, New Zealand (phone: 202-786-2127 / e-mail: pawson.david@nmnh.si.edu) Topic: Life in the great ocean depths We have thoroughly explored less than 50 of the approximately 200,000 square miles of deep sea on this planet. Every dive to the deep seabed in research submersibles reveals exciting new animals and new geological features; we need to conduct more exploratory research, especially in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. We know that the deep sea is an important component of the great engine that drives the Earth's climate, but we understand little of the mechanisms involved. We also know that the deep sea is populated by a rich diversity of bizarre animals, some of them of value as food. Orange roughy, sea bass, squid are being fished almost to the point of extinction because we don't understand enough about their biology to form the basis for a sustainable fishery. The mineral resources of the deep sea are also poorly known. Come learn about Dave's discoveries exploring the deep sea, including mermaids (?), sea serpents (?) and other monsters (?) - - - well, maybe.
Location:
IMAX Theater Topic:
Galapagos, in 3D IMAX One time deal! See the IMAX film, Galapagos, complements of Carole Baldwin, and then join Carole on Wednesday, 26 June 02 for an informal lunch. In this 3D film, watch the diverse tapestry of life unfold. Follow Carole Baldwin on her first expedition to to Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. Also included in the film is Dave Pawson. On land, come face-to-face with giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and unusual birds that have evolved into splendid oddities of nature. Under water, meet new species of marine life and explore caverns buried beneath the sea. Web Links:
Location:
SEM Lab Speaker: Scott Whittaker (phone: 202-357-1651) Topic:
Scanning Electron Microscope
* Tuesday, 4 June 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
4:00 p.m. to be turned in to the RTP Office
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- - - * Wednesday, 5 June 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - noon : RESEARCH
Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room Speaker: Janet Rutledge, Associate Dean of the Graduate School, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. (phone: 410-455-1781 / e-mail: jrutledge@umbc.edu) Topic: The Quest for a Bright Future: options and insights for funding resources and graduate study
She joined the National Science Foundation staff in 1995 and has held administrative positions there overseeing programs in graduate and undergraduate education, course and curriculum development, faculty early career development, and professional opportunities for women in research and education. Before joining the UMBC staff she managed the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program which supports approximately 900 new fellows each year in all areas of science and engineering. Prior to NSF, she was a faculty member at Northwestern University. Joining Dr. Rutledge will be Dr. Eric Sheppard, the current program director for the NSF Graduate Fellowships.
Web Links: Web Sites to Other Fellowship Opportunities
* Thursday, 6 June 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.: RESEARCH
* Friday, 7 June 2002 * -
- - Geology - - - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. : LECTURE - host: Douglas Edmonds
Speaker: Dr. Jeff Post, Geologist; Curator, Gems and Minerals. B.A. (1976) University of Wisconsin, Platteville; Ph.D. (1981) Arizona State University. (phone: 202-357-4009 / e-mail: post.jeffrey@nmnh.si.edu) Topic: Manganese Oxide Minerals and a Day at the Synchrotron Manganese oxide minerals are common componets of soils and sediments, and because they are chemically active they provide a primary control on heavy metals and other trace elements in ground water and aquatic systems. Because they commonly occur as mixtures and typically are fine-grained and poorly crystalline, characterizing their atomic structures and behaviors has been challenging. Jeff and his colleagues have been using new generation detectors and the high intensity X-ray sources at the synchrotron to probe the inner workings of this group of environmentally important minerals.
Topic:
Meteorites, Rocks, and Ores Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room Tour Guides: Leslie Hale (phone: 202-357-2134) and Linda Welzenbach (phone: 202-357-1478)
The modern meteorite collection began in 1870 and now numbers more than 17,000 specimens of more than 9,250 distinct meteorites.In addition, the National Collection houses almost 7,000 polished thin sections - thin wafers of rock mounted on glass and used for studying the mineralogy and texture of the rocks. These meteorites are available for study by qualified scientific investigators. While the collection contains pieces of every type of meteorite, it is particularly strong in iron meteorites. We also have 7 of the 13 known Martian meteorites. Many of our best specimens are on exhibit in the Moon, Meteorites and Solar System Gallery of the Geology, Gems and Minerals Hall.
* Saturday, 8 June 2002 * OPEN
* Sunday, 9 June 2002 * OPEN * * * Week 2 Notes * * *
* * * WEEK 3 * * * * Monday, 10 June 2002 * -
- - Paleobiology - - - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. : LECTURE - host: Michael Nowak Speaker:
Dr. Scott
Wing. Research Paleobiologist and Curator of Paleobotany, Co-director
ETE Program. B.A. (1976), Ph.D. (1981) Yale University.
(Phone: 202-357-2649 / wing.scott@nmnh.si.edu
) Topic:
The Last Great Warming Fifty-five million years ago at the beginning of the Eocene Epoch the temperature of the earth suddenly increased by 4-8 degrees C. During this time there were alligators swimming in the Arctic Ocean, and forests of bald cypress relatives growing at 80 degrees N latitude. The sudden warming had strong effects on both marine and terrestrial ecosystems as well as on the global carbon cycle. What caused the warming? How did changes in temperature affect different types of organisms? Have such rapid warming events happened before? Could they happen again? Come find out.
Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room
Topic: U.S. National Paleobiology Collections The
paleobiology collections include from 40 to 50 million fossil See some of the unique specimens included in the U.S. National Paleobiology collections including fossilized sloth dung, preserved mammoth tissue, and shark teeth. Collections are arranged in both a biologic and stratigraphic series.
* Tuesday, 11 June 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
* Wednesday, 12 June 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH * Thursday, 13 June 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : FIELD TRIP - host: Angela Skeeles Location: Smithsonian Conservation Research Center (CRC) The tour at CRC will begin around 10:00 a.m. The plan is to divide the complete group into three sets and rotate. The tour will last until approximately 12:30 p.m. Students are asked to bring your own lunch. The group will gather in the CRC Auditorium where you'll have a chance to mingle. Anticipate heading back to The Alexandira by 1:30 - 2:00 p.m.
* Friday, 14 June 2002 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
* Saturday, 15 June 2002 * OPEN
* Sunday, 16 June 2002 * OPEN * * * Week 3 Notes * * * 1. 82nd Annual Meeting of The American Society of Mammalogists being held at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. 15 - 19 June 2002 (Knapp, Newson, and Skeeles attending). 2. Free classes in GIS are being offered Tuesday and Wednesday (11 - 12 June 02) by Dan Cole from our ADP unit. Training will take place in the Natural History Computer Classroom. RTP interns interested in joining should e-mail Dan Cole: cole.daniel@nmnh.si.edu. 3. Skeeles
travel to American Museum to review additional mammal specimens (10-13
Jun 02). * * * WEEK 4 * * * * Monday, 17 June 2002 * 9:00
a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH * Tuesday, 18 June 2002 * 9:00
a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH * Wednesday, 19 June 2002 * 9:00 - noon : RESEARCH noon
- 1:00 p.m. : DISCUSSION - host: Jessica
Seebauer Panelists:
*Unable to attend Topic: Communicating research results through publication. NMNH researchers from different science disciplines, and with differing views, will discuss their experiences on where, when, and how to publish research results. Each panelist will present a short (5 minutes) review of their area of specialty. The panel, as a group, will then address common questions through a 15 minute question/answer discussion. The session will conclude with panelists dividing into specific work group for individual questions and discussions.
* Thursday, 20 June 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
*
Friday, 21 June 2002 *
* Saturday, 22 June 2002 * OPEN
* Sunday, 23 June 2002 * OPEN * * * Week 4 Notes * * * 1. National Conference of the Council on Undergraduate Research being held at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut (19 June 2002 - 22 June 2002) - Sangrey attending. * * * WEEK 5 * * * * Monday, 24 June 2002 * -
- - Anthropology - - - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. : LECTURE - host: Andrea Runyan Topic: Case studies in forensic anthropology. Since about 1977, Doug Ubelaker has served as the primary consultant in forensic anthropology for FBI Headquarters. Doug will discuss the science of forensic anthropology in the context of some of the varied cases he has worked on. Web Links: Tour: The Physical Anthropology Collections - RESCHEDULED 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
* Tuesday, 25 June 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH * Wednesday, 26 June 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - noon : RESEARCH Speaker: Dr. Carole Baldwin Associate Curator. B.S. (1981) James Madison University, M.S. (1986) College of Charleston, Ph.D. (1992)) College of William and Mary. (phone: 202- 633-9179 / E-mail: baldwin.carole@nmnh.si.edu). Topic: Conversations with Scientists, including the making of an IMAX Film - Galapagos Join us for an informal lunch with Dr. Carole Baldwin, ichthyologist, and star of the IMAX Film "Galapagos." Web Links * Check It Out: Please make every effort to see "Galapagos" before it closes 16 June 02 for the summer. Showings are every morning at 10:20 a.m.
* Thursday, 27 June 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - noon : RESEARCH noon - 12:15 p.m. : INFORMATION OPTION Location:
Academic Resources Center Speaker: Mike Barnes Topic: Printing your Presentation Poster: a moment with Mike Barnes During the session
you'll learn answers to some of the common questions already voiced, including:
4:00 p.m. to be turned in to the RTP Office
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* Friday, 28 June 2002 * -
- - Entomology - - - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. : LECTURE - host: Sarah Garrett Speaker: Dr. Ted Schultz, Curator of Hymenoptera. B.A. (1988) University of California, Berkeley; Ph.D. (1995) Cornell University. (Phone: 202-347-2078 / e-mail: schultz@onyx.si.edu). Topic: The Evolution of Agriculture in Ants Roughly 50 million years ago in South America, a lone species of ant abandoned its primitive hunter-gatherer ways and, in a unique event in ant evolution, adopted an agrarian lifestyle. Entering into a partnership with a parasol mushroom, these agricultural pioneers learned to weed, manure and propagate their fungal crops, ensuring a reliable source of food. From this innovative ancestral stock arose the ant group Attini, of which there are now about 210 species. The Attini include the well-known leaf-cutting ants, in which the association (or "symbiosis") between ants and fungi has become enormously successful. Colonies of some Atta species may contain eight million ants, with the collective biomass of an adult cow. The leaf-cutters have been known since earliest times - they are mentioned, for instance, in the Popul Vuh, the creation myth of the Central American Mayan civilization (300 - 900 AD). But the reason for cutting leaves was long misunderstood, and biologists have vastly underestimated the true extent of this non-human agricultural symbiotic association. Join Ted as he discusses the evolution of agriculture in ants, the discovery of a third member in this ant-fungus partnership, and his ongoing research.
Tour Guide: David Furth (phone: 202-357-3146) Topic: The U.S. National Entomological Collections Insects are the dominant group of animals on the earth today. They have been around since the Devonian (350 millions years) and comprise about 80% of all animal life, including about 1 million species. The National Entomological Collections include about 29 million specimens representing all orders of insects (having three main body sections, six legs, and two antennae) and arachnids (having two main body parts, eight legs, and no antennae or wings). You may not meet all of them today but your guides welcome you to return for a closer look and a more in-depth survey. The
NMNH collection includes about 100,000 primary types. Annually between
900 to 1,200 transactions are processed in the Department including loans
to other researchers, additions to the collections (accessions), and exchanges
of specimens with other institutions. More than 200 researchers from around
the world visit the collection each year. 12:30 - 1:00 p.m. : LUNCH BREAK
* Saturday, 29 June 2002 * 8:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : FIELD TRIP Location: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)
* Sunday, 30 June 2002 * OPEN * * * Week 5 Notes * * *
* * * WEEK 6 * * * * Monday, 1 July 2002 * -
- - Vertebrate Zoology - - -
Location:
Academic Resources Center Meet in the ARC to welcome the 7 teachers joining the group! To follow their schedule of activities and events visit: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/rtp/ret/ret_schedule02.html
9:00 - 9:45 a.m. : BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOUR Location:
Academic Resources Center Speaker: Nate Erwin Topic: Behind-the-Scenes at the Insect Zoo
Live spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and insects reside year-round in our Insect Zoo. See the care and keeping behind-the-scenes of this popular public exhibit. Web links: http://www.mnh.si.edu/museum/VirtualTour/Tour/Second/InsectZoo/index.html
10:00 - 10:45 a.m. : LECTURE - host: Dave Ramjohn Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room Speaker: Susan Jewett Topic: The Coelacanth
Fishes
Tour |
Fishes
Library Orientation
Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room Tour Guide: Susan Jewett (phone: 202-357-3300) and Jeff WIlliams (phone: 202-357-3059) Topic: The U.S. National Fish Collection See many different specimens from the Division of Fishes collections including cleared and stained specimens, interesting species from the ocean depths, and the NMNH coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae - a rare and ancient fish known only from the fossil record until a living specimen was collected off the coast of South Africa in 1938 and described the following year by Professor J.L.B. Smith.
noon - 12:30 p.m. OPTIONAL ORIENTATION Instructors: Courtney
Shaw (phone: 202-357-4696) Topic: Fishes Library Introducion Tour the Fishes Library and learn how to utilize the facilities. On special display, and for your unique review, will be examples from the Fishes rare book collection.
12:30 - 1:00 p.m. : LUNCH BREAK PLANNING SESSION Location:
Academic Resources Center Topic: Planning the 12 July 02 NMNH Open House for Smithsonian Science Interns We've visited CRC and SERC and will soon travel to the Zoo for a special behind-the-scenes tour of their facilities. Our turn to host the Smithsonian science interns is fast approaching - 12 July 02. We'll gather for 30 minutes over lunch (PIZZA provided!) to plan our events for the day.
Location: Mammals
Library Instructors: Courtney
Shaw (phone: 202-357-4696) Topic: Mammals Library Introducion Tour the Mammals Library and learn how to utilize the facilities. On special display, and for your unique review, will be examples from the Mammals rare book collection.
1:30 - 4:15 p.m. : COLLECTION TOUR - hosts: Angela Skeeles (Group 1) and Murilo Carvalho (Group 2) Location:
Mammals Library
* Tuesday, 2 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
Topic: Smithsonian Community Picnic The
Smithsonian Community will host a picnic on the National Mall for all
staff, fellows, and interns. Please come and enjoy the delicious cuisine
of the Silk Road and live entertainment by professional musicians as well
as some very-talented Smithsonian staff. The food - - Japanese, Chinese,
Afghan, and Italian - - follows the theme of the '02 Smithsonian Folklife
Festival and will be prepared by Festival food vendors. No cost to you
and the RTP has already reserved a ticket for you to join - see Mary for
your ticket. * Wednesday, 3 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
Topic: ARC Open House We've
moved! In case you haven't been by yet, the Academic Resources Center
(ARC) has moved. We're now located across the hall from the staff cafeteria.
Please stop in to say hello. * Thursday, 4 July 2002 * Holiday
* Friday, 5 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
* Saturday, 6 July 2002 * OPEN
* Sunday, 7 July 2002 * OPEN * * * Week 6 Notes * * * 1. Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists to be held in Kansas City, Missouri July 3-8, 2002. Carvalho, Cisneros-Heredia, Hankins and Ramjohn attending. Advisors attending: Baldwin, Collette, McDiarmid, and Vari 2. "Research Experiences for Teachers" begins Monday, 1 July 2002. 3. Nowak departs for field work in Wyoming (1 July 2002 - 25 July 2002). * * * WEEK 7 * * * * Monday, 8 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH OPTION
Location: Panda Plaza National Zoo Host: Kelly Cauthorn, the Education Specialist at SNZP - Conservation & Research Center Topic: Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the National Zoo A special tour for
all Smithsonian interns! We will meet at 10 am in the Bus Lot / Panda
Plaza area by the Info Booth and begin a behind-the-scenes tour of the
National Zoo. * Tuesday, 9 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH * Wednesday, 10 July 2002 * 9:00 - 9:45 a.m. : OPTIONAL DEMONSTRATION Location:
Academic Resources Center Speaker: Chad Schennum, Museum Technician, Department of Systematic Biology, Vertebrate Zoology, Mammals. (phone: 202-357-2150). Topic: Getting Started: preparing power point presentations Learn how to prepare a power point presentation and then how to easily to transform your slides into a poster format. 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. : OPTIONAL DISCUSSION Location:
Academic Resources Center Speaker: Sally Shelton (phone: 202- 786-2601) Topic: Collections Management: one hundred twenty four million and counting, caring for the national collections
Although techniques for many of these operations are unique to each department or division, the goal is common to all: to acquire and conserve specimens and objects that are appropriate to the museum's mission, to capture collections data (and by today' standards, that means electronically), and to provide appropriate access to our collections and their data (today that means both physical and electronic access).
11:15 - 11:45 a.m. OPTIONAL ORIENTATION Location: Anthropology
Library Instructors: Maggie
Dittemore (phone: 202-357-4696) Topic: Anthropology Library Introducion Tour the Anthropology Library and learn how to utilize the facilities. On special display, and for your unique review, will be examples from the Anthropology rare book collection.
11:45 - 12:15 p.m. : LUNCH BREAK 12:15 - 12:45 p.m. : OPTIONAL SOCIAL Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room Topic:
Meet the NHB Anthropology Community Dessert will be available. Members from the NMNH Anthropology community will gather to discuss their research interests.
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. : OPTIONAL COLLECTION TOUR - host: Adam Freeburg Topic: The Physical Anthropology Collections Tour Guide: Dave Hunt (phone: 202- 786-2501) The Department of Anthropology's collections consists of over 2.5 million specimens from all over the world. The Terry Collection is a collection of 1,728 documented specimens of known age, sex, race, stature, etc. of modern Black and White Americans. See "The Terry Collection," "Mummy Storage," and "The Conservation Lab." Meet "Soap Man" and the shrunken heads. Web Links:
3:00 - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
* Thursday, 11 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
Location:
Academic Resources Center Topic: Poster Stuffing Pizza Party What is "Poster Stuffing?" Now an established tradition, it's the RTP Class of '02 chance to "connect" to the up and coming RTP Class of '03 by preparing the recruitment mailing to 7,500+ destinations around the world. Label sets are available for each RTP participant. Sets contain about 240 address labels. The goal is to attach labels to envelopes provided before the social including stamping "AIR MAIL" on envelopes going to non-US destinations. Yes, sets may be traded to accommodate preferences in geographical locality. During the social, final mailing preparation (stuffing Year 2003 posters in the pre-prepared envelopes) will be completed and envelopes mailed. Pizza will be served at the conclusion of the event to celebrate completion! * Friday, 12 July 2002 * 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : NMNH OPEN HOUSE RTP interns will host Smithsonian's science interns from SERC, NZP, and CRC for a behind-the-scenes view of NMNH research and collection.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featured Neblina's tepui neighbor, Roirama, in his famous book "The Lost World." Neblina and Roirama are remnants of an ancient plateau that covered much of what is now the northern end of South America. Over millions of years, the plateau was worn down by wind and water, leaving a series of flat-topped mountains or "tepuis." Each tepui is an austere "island" marooned in a sea of lowland forest and savanna. As a result, the tepui inhabitants were isolated from the rest of the world resulting in many unique remnanta from a time long since passed possessing characters which offer clues about evolution patterns and curiosities about features whose significance has yet to be learned. An RTP classic! You can't miss Roy's famous lecture about the adventures of field research, the search for (and discovery of?) living dinosaurs, and the answer to the important question: "Would you like blueberries with your oatmeal this morning?"
* Saturday, 13 July 2002 * OPEN
* Sunday, 14 July 2002 * OPEN
*
* * Week 7 Notes * * * Although it may seem that you're just getting into your research, NOW is the time to be focusing on upcoming items due, including reports and presentations.
* * * WEEK 8 * * * * Monday, 15 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
4:00 p.m. to be turned in to the RTP Office
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Tuesday, 16 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - noon : RESEARCH noon - 1:30 p.m. : LUNCH OPTION - host: Adam Freeburg Location: Speaker: Gus Van Beek. Curator, Old World Archaeology. B.A. (1943) University of Tulsa; B.D. (1945) McCormick Theological Seminary; Ph.D. (1953) Johns Hopkins University. Research specialties: Near Eastern archaeology of the historical periods (ca. 3000 B.C. - A.D. 200), chiefly in Arabia, the Levant; methodology, demography, all cultural artifacts; ancient and contemporary vernacular earthen architecture. Unit affiliation: Department of Anthropology. Topic: Pottery Processing Laboratory Take a lunch break and venture down to the East basement to join Dr. Gus Van Beek on a guided tour of the Pottery Processing Lab and see the work underway to reconstruct cultural artifacts.
1:30
p.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH * Wednesday, 17 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH * Thursday, 18 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - noon. : RESEARCH Location:
Academic Resources Center Speaker: Rena Selim Chief of Exhibit Production at Natural History. Responsible for coordinating all aspects of exhibit fabrication, installation, and maintenance. This includes managing all in-house cabinetry, multi-media and lighting, graphic art production and taxidermy. She is also responsible for coordinating all outside contracts having to do with demolition, restoration and renovation of exhibit halls, exhibit fabrication, and environmental graphics. (phone: 202-357-1717 / e:mail: selim.rena@nmnh.si.edu) Topic: From Concept to Public Ehibit: the making of the mammals tale Web Links: 1:00
- 5:00 p.m.
: RESEARCH * Friday, 19 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
* Saturday, 20 July 2002 * OPEN
* Sunday, 21 July 2002 * OPEN * * * Week 8 Notes * * * 1. Advisor Collette away, participating in systematics lab cruise (16 July - 2 August 2002). 2.
Advisor Kress away, attending a scientific conference in Thailand
and field work in Myanmar (16 July - 9 August 2002). * * * WEEK 9 * * * * Monday, 22 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH 4:00 p.m. to be turned in to the RTP Office
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* Tuesday, 23 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
* Wednesday, 24 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
*
Thursday, 25 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH 4:00 p.m. to be turned in to the RTP Office
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* Friday, 26 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : STUDENT/ADVISOR OPTION a) Research b) Presentation Prelims Practice version of research talk presented to Department reps for critique & comment.
* Saturday, 27 July 2002 * 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. : STUDENT/ADVISOR OPTION a) Open b) Research c) Presentation Practice
* Sunday, 28 July 2002 * 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. : STUDENT/ADVISOR OPTION a) Open b) Research c) Presentation Practice
* * * Week 9 Notes * * * 1. Advisor McDiarmid away, attending national meeting (24 - 28 July 2002). 2. Advisor Simkin away, attending the opening of a museum in France (22 - 24 July 2002). 3. Advisor Luhr away, attending a professional meeting in Greece (16 - 22 July 2002). 4. Advisor Collette away, participating in systematics lab cruise (16 July - 2 August 2002). 5. Advisor Kress away, attending a scientific conference in Thailand and field work in Myanmar (16 July - 9 August 2002). 6. RTP POSTER PRESENTATIONS
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Week 7 * * * WEEK 10 * * * * Monday, 29 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - Noon. : RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS - host: Ross Simons Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room Topic: Research Presentations from Systematic Biology
Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room Topic: Research Presentations from Paleobiology, Geology, Anthropology
* Tuesday, 30 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - noon : RESEARCH Location:
Academic Resources Center Topic: The Year 2003 Program - "your" ideas Here is an opportunity to share ideas and experiences with RTP staff concerning the design and content of the '03 RTP. Topics to be addressed include: activities and events that were particularly outstanding; projects and advisors that were particularly successful; and suggestions and comments for curriculum improvements, status of the financial award, and the selection process.
4:00 p.m. to be turned in to the RTP Office
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* Wednesday, 31 July 2002 * 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. : RESEARCH
4:00 p.m. to be turned in to the RTP Office
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* Thursday, 1 August 2002 * 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. : POSTER SESSION - host: Doug Erwin, NMNH Acting Director, Jerry Sachs Special Assistant to the Director, National Museum of Natural History and Ross Simons, Associate Director for Research and Collections, National Museum of Natural History Location:
NMNH 3rd Floor Rotunda
Location:
Director's Office Topic: Closing Reception An informal gathering of residents from the NMNH community plus members from funding organizations. Light refreshments available.
* Friday, 2 August 2002 * 7:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. : PROGRAM CLEARANCE Schedule on 15 minute exit meeting to turn in necessary information and close your appointment.
2:00 p.m. to be turned in to the RTP Office
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* Saturday, 3 August 2002 * 10:00 a.m. Mandatory apartment check-out * * * Week 10 Notes * * * 1. Advisor Collette away, participating in systematics lab cruise (16 July - 2 August 2002). 2. Advisor Kress away, attending a scientific conference in Thailand and field work in Myanmar (16 July - 9 August 2002). Week
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3:30
- 6:00 p.m. : Apartment check-in 
Location:
Director's Office
Location:
SIL Conference Room
Drs.
Mark and Diane Littler are marine scientists who have developed a unique
husband and wife working relationship. Their mutual interests and aspirations
in the field of marine botany provided the foundation from which two jointly
productive research careers have been based. Their research has taken
them around the globe, including field research in the Belize Barrier
Reef Islands, French Polynesia and Galapagos Islands. They have collectively
published more than 100 research papers. 
In
1994 they discovered a new pathogen of reef building algae - "CLOD"
- that threatens Pacific coral reefs. 
Dead,
usually various shades of brown, pressed and dried plants, generally mounted
on 11" x 17" sheets of paper may not have the initial appeal
of furry mammals or brightly colored bird skins but bring your hand lens
or take advantage of the dissecting microscopes available - herbarium
collections hold many wondrous characters, it just takes a discerning
eye to see the intricate beauty, patterns, and uniqueness.
Current
holdings total 4.6 million specimens from worldwide locations including
90,000 type specimens, making this collection among the ten largest in
the world representing about 8% of the plant collection resources of the
United States. 
An
average of 40,000 specimens are added to the collection each year.
The Department maintains an extremely active loan and exchange program.
About 50,000 specimens are lent annually to other institutions around
the world and an additional 20,000 specimens are exchanged. Approximately
200 researchers visit the herbarium each year.
The
Plant Anatomy Laboratory highlights the wonderful world of Plant Microtechnique.
Learn about why anatomy is useful in taxonomic research and especially
about the methods that reveal anatomical structure and cellular organization
in plants. This is an opportunity to observe and discuss techniques
while they are being demonstrated. The session features microtomy, whole
mount clearing, critical point drying, light microscopy and photomicrography.
Tour
the Botany Library and learn how to utilize the facilities. On special
display, and for your unique review, will be examples from the Botany
rare book collection. 
3:30
- 4:15 p.m. OPTIONAL WORKSHOP 
Guides:
Dave
Bohaska (phone: 202-357-2052) and Bob Purdy (phone: 202-357-1525).
About
the Scientists Cliffs Site: 
The
cliffs and beaches have been collected and studied from Colonial times
to the present. 
The
Calvert Cliffs region is also home to two Federally threatened species
of tiger beetle; Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis (Northeastern Beach
Tiger Beetle) and Cicindela puritana (Puritan Tiger Beetle) which
live on the broad, sandy beaches at approximately ten locations in Virginia
and Maryland including four populations in Calvert County. 
Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room
Dr.
Rutledge holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the
Georgia Institute of Technology. 
Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room
The
U.S. National Meteorite Collection, is one the largest and one of the
best museum-based collections of meteorites in the world. James Smithson,
who donated the funds for the founding of the Smithsonian Institution,
was a chemist and mineralogist by training and his original collection
included meteorites. Regrettably, these samples were lost in an early
fire. 
The
National Rock and Ore Collections are divided into subcollections, and
the specimens within each are indexed and retrievable by lithology, locality,
museum catalog number, metal/commodity, or volcano name when appropriate,
and many are retrievable by original field number and donor name. Many
are mentioned specifically in publications, have thin
sections available, and/or include a chemical analysis in the database.
Because the collection is always expanding, the subcollection number estimates
are subject to change. The subcollections include: Locality, Volcanological
Reference, Ore, Seafloor Rocks, Ultramafic Xenoliths, Petrographic Reference,
Lithologic Reference, Petrologic Features, Island Rocks, Building Stones,
Fulgurites, Impactites, Drill Cores.
Location:
East Wing Basement
Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room
Tour
Guide: Jann Thompson (phone: 202-357- 2405)
Learn
about the tools used to remove the rock and sediment from fossils, the
methods used to prepare molds and casts of fossils to provide duplicates
to other institutions, and the production of padded storage jackets
for large specimens. Try the techniques and talk to the experts.
Location:
Cushman Room
Foraminifera
are tiny single-celled organisms that construct shells. They inhabit
a wide range of marine environments, from the intertidal zone to the
deep sea in all regions. 
Scientific
paper, monograph, book or popular article - how do you determine the best
means to communicate research results? Are all scientific journals the
same? How important is publishing in a "peer reviewed" journal.
What determines "co-authorship" compared to "acknowledgment."
Do the "rules" change as you progress from undergraduate to
graduate student to post doc to career tenure? 
Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room
Location:
Academic Resources Center
Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room
Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room
Learn
the various methods employed to collect insects and practice sorting
a mass collection.
11:00
a.m. - noon
: COLLECTION TOUR - host: David Ramjohn
Location:
Fishes
Library
The
taxonomic and geographic scope of the collection spans the globe, with
especially strong representation from North America, Central America,
northern South America, Africa, and southeast Asia.
The
Division of Birds houses and maintains the third largest bird
collection in the world with over 620,000 specimens. 
Additional
collections include egg sets, nests, and mounted skins. We are continuing
to add about 1,500 specimens a year, many of them skeletons and fluid
preserved anatomicals. 
The
Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, is the smallest but one
of the fastest growing of the four divisions in the Department of
Vertebrate Zoology. 
Collections
management activities are many and varied, as are the people that comprise
this staff. Three areas, however, are common to all departments and account
for a large portion of the activities. They are collections care, maintenance
and conservation; specimen/object processing (including physical processing
and identification)
and cataloging; and "transaction management" which includes
lending specimens to other institutions, processing those borrowed by
our curators, donating, acquiring, and exchanging specimens or objects,
and other related activities. 
Location:
Anthropology Seminar Room
Crammed
into a helicopter with many weeks worth of supplies the team of biologists
leave Caracas for base camp in the middle of the Venezuelan jungle. In
the distance, half-hidden in the fog and rain is Cerra de la Neblina,
discovered in 1953 (!), the fabled "mountain of the mist," a
world of virtually unexplored peaks and canyons laden with scientific
mysteries. 
3:00
- 4:00 p.m.
OPTIONAL SOCIAL
