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News Newsletter of the University of California Museum of Paleontology December 2017 Award (Donath Medal). The Medal is bestowed upon a scientist under the age of 35 for “outstanding achievement in contributing to geologic knowledge through original research that marks a major advance in the Earth sciences.” In the citation by Shuhai Xiao, Sterling’s prolifi c record in vertebrate paleontology is noted as providing insight on the origin and early evolution of dinosaurs after the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. His accomplishments in dinosaur paleobiology have helped reshaped thinking about macro-evolutionary patterns of diversifi cation, biogeography, Caroline Strömberg in the fi eld; photo courtesy of Caroline Strömberg. Sterling Nesbitt with GSA disparity, morphology, and President Isabel Montanez; photo courtesy of the Geological Society of America. convergent evolution. Schuchert Award. The award honors UCMP Alums a member early in their career UCMP at GSA Honored at GSA whose paleontological work refl ects Current UCMP students, staff, and excellence, quality and promise in faculty were also a very visible the science of paleontology. The presence at the annual GSA Two UCMP alums received high Schuchert award is among the most meeting in Seattle. Members of the honors at the Geological Society of prestigious award an early career Finnegan Lab (Seth Finnegan, Adiël America (GSA) annual meeting in paleontologist can receive. We Klompmaker, Larry Taylor, Emily Seattle in October. congratulate Caroline on the award Orzechowski, Sara Kahanamoku- which recognizes ground-breaking Snelling, and Josh Zimmt) and the Caroline Strömberg (PhD, Integrative work on the origin and evolution of Looy Lab (Cindy Looy, Ivo Duijnstee, Biology, 2003), Estella B. Leopold the grassland biome. and Jeff Benca) presented during Associate Professor in Biology the 4-day conference. Lisa White and Curator of Paleobotany in Sterling Nesbitt (BA, Integrative and her collaborators previewed the Department of Biology at the Biology, 2004), Assistant Professor the Kettleman Hills Virtual Field University of Washington, received of Geosciences at Virginia Tech, Experience (VFE) modules and the Paleontological Society’s Charles received the GSA Young Scientist ...continued on Alumni Honors page 2 Sara ElShafi e holding an Anomalocaris fossil on the Burgess Shale fi eld trip during SVP; photo credit Sara ElShafi e. Clemens Lab mini-reunion at the Gao Mine site on the SVP fi eld trip to the Paleocene of Alberta. Left to right: SVP meeting organizer and fi eld trip leader Jessica Theodor (U. of Calgary), SVP president Dave Polly (U. of Indiana), and Tom Stidham (IVPP); photo credit Pat Holroyd. Lauren Fowler at the SVP Poster Session; photo credit Lisa White. Newsletter 1 December 2017 paleontologist. Moreover, one of our past Miller postdoctoral candidates, Who is UCMP? David Jablonski was awarded the Director: Charles Marshall Assistant Directors: Paleontological Society Medal. Mark Goodwin Lisa White Director’s Curators: Letter Our graduates have also this year Anthony Barnosky* David Lindberg* published some wonderful books, Roy Caldwell* Jere Lipps* William Clemens* Cindy Looy including: The Giant Spike-Toothed Seth Finnegan Charles Marshall Salmon and Other Extinct Wildlife of Ken Finger Kevin Padian This issue of the UCMP Newsletter Central California by Julia Sankey and Carole Hickman* James Valentine* Leslea Hlusko Tim White is dedicated to our wonderful Jacob Biewer (my daughter loves this Curatorial Associates: graduates. When I moved to Berkeley one); The Rise of Marine Mammals: Walter Alvarez Roger Byrne I knew UCMP was strong, but I did not 50 Million Years of Evolution by Lynn Ingram fully understand just how important Annalisa Berta and James Sumich; Admin. Assistant: Chris Mejia our undergraduate and graduate Collecting Evolution: The Galapagos Museum Scientists: Erica Clites Patricia Holroyd programs have been, and continue to Expedition that Vindicated Darwin Diane Erwin Cristina Robins be, to paleontology. by Matthew James; and Origins Education & Public Outreach: of Darwin’s Evolution by David Jessica Bean Helina Chin Over my now eight years at UCMP, Archibald. And last but not least, Trish Roque Anna Thanukos time and time again I have met or Denali National Park and Preserve Edited by Lisa White learned of paleontologists that I did Geology Road Guide by Capps, Layout & graphics by Helina Chin not know had trained at UCMP. A McLane, and Lucy Chang, our most For the broader UCMP community, remarkable number of scientists in recent PhD. The more I learn, the visit the UCMP website: www.ucmp. programs at all types of institutions prouder I am of the impact everyone berkeley.edu; Understanding Evolution: www.understandingevolution.org; across the country have called UCMP is having, and even more thankful for and Understanding Science: www. home. And so this year, our graduates the privilege of serving as UCMP’s understandingscience.org have been recognized nationally, Director. *Emeritus/a with Sterling Nesbitt receiving the Donath Medal for outstanding young Thank you all for what you do! The Newsletter Team at UCMP provides geologist under the age of 35 from the news in a variety of formats. the Geological Society of America, If you are interested in receiving printed and Caroline Strömberg receiving the newsletters or email only, let us know! Paleontological Society’s Schuchert Sincerely, Please provide your email address to Chris Mejia at [email protected] Award for outstanding young Charles Marshall ...continued on Alumni Honors page 1 with partners from the Howard Holroyd, Ash Poust, Sara ElShafi e, Seth Finnegan, Pat Holroyd and Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). and Lauren Fowler) reported on a Charles Marshall further highlighted Students presenting at GSA, SVP range of topics from radiographic progress in the EPICC project during and other professional conferences and histological examinations of a session on museums in the 21st were partially supported by UCMP how mammals grow to CT studies of century co-chaired by Lisa, Caroline travel grants made possible by the how lizard regrow their tails to new Strömberg, Greg Wilson, and Liz generosity of UCMP donors. isotopic records of climate change. Nesbitt. Project Scientist Jessica Bean On the outreach front, Lisa White impressed audiences with previews UCMP at SVP demonstrated how research in past of the Understanding Global At the 77th Society for Vertebrate animal dispersal could be taught Change conceptual framework and Paleontology (SVP) annual meeting using an Earth-systems approach to integrated instructional approaches in Calgary, UCMP participants (Pat engage diverse audiences. ! From left to right: Katy Estes-Smargiassi (LACM), Rob Ross (PRI) and Lisa White at the GSA poster session; photo credit Lisa White. Lisa with high school students from the Alf Museum of Paleontology/The Webb Schools at their SVP poster; photo credit Gabe Santos. Graduate student Peter Kloess and Triceratops at the Royal Terrell Museum of Paleontology in Drumheller; photo credit Lisa White. Newsletter 2 December 2017 Eric Holt carefully excavating a bison dentary to be fi eld-jacketed; photo credit Nick Spano. Sara ElShafi e presenting at Science World in Vancouver; photo courtesy of Sara ElShafi e. Isabel Fendley Student Activities and Julia Anderson at the Grand Staircase-Escalante Site; photo courtesy of Julia Anderson. Bottom right: Lillian Pearson and Lauren Fowler tabling at the North Bay Discovery Day in Santa Rosa; photo courtesy of Lillian Pearson. Dori Contreras received the 2016- on the invited talks in the society’s Management (BLM). The exploration 2017 Claire Englander Award peer-reviewed journal in Spring/ of this unique site yielded fossils of from the UCMP for “mentoring Summer 2018. Pleistocene megafauna with viable undergraduate students in the genetic material that could provide collections, and in undertaking a valuable insight into continental major role in representing UCMP migration patterns, population collections and the work we do with genetics and climate-driven the iDigBio community.” She also community changes. Check out the presented at two conferences in UCMP blog post at http://ucmp. summer 2017. First, at Botany 2017 berkeley.edu/blog/archives/4413 to (Botanical Society of America) Dori learn more about their adventure. co-ran a symposium on Campanian- Maastrichtian fl oras on Laramidia, Undergraduate student assistant presented a talk, and co-authored a Zev Brooks spent the summer at the second paper. Second, she gave an Smithsonian NMNH with Scott Wing invited talk about workfl ows at the (plus some fi eldwork in the Bighorn Inaugural Digital Data in Biodiversity Basin) and he also presented a poster Research Conference, sponsored by at GSA. iDigBio, the University of Michigan Undergraduate student assistant Museum of Zoology, the University Julia Anderson volunteered with the of Michigan Herbarium, and the Natural History Museum of Utah in University of Michigan Museum of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Paleontology in Ann Arbor, MI. We Monument during summer 2017. are also happy to report, Dori and Julia worked on the tyrannosaur, her husband welcomed a baby Teratophoneus, which has gained boy, Andreas Marcel Contreras, on publicity recently due to its October 24, 2017! remarkable completeness. Later in July, she was fi eld assistant to Isabel Sara ElShafi e continues to lead Fendley, a doctoral candidate in Science Through Story workshops Earth and Planetary Sciences,
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