|
BOTANY AND PLANT ECOLOGY
DEPARTMENT NEWS
|
|
|
|
Welcome to our newest major:
McKenzie Anderson
Valerie Lawson
Welcome to the Botany Department! We are so glad you are here and wish you the best as you pursue your dreams.
|
|
Spring 2021 Course Offerings
The following Botany majors' courses will be offered in Spring 2021. Course descriptions are included for a new Topics class, a class that has been in the catalog for several years but never taught before, and the revision of BTNY 4990 to combine it with BTNY 4980. For schedule information, see the online university course schedule.
BTNY 2104, Plant Form and Function
BTNY 2114, Evolutionary Survey of Plants
BTNY 2121, Career Planning for Botanists
BTNY 2600, Laboratory Safety
BTNY 3153, Biology of the Plant Cell
BTNY 3214, Soils
BTNY 4113, Plant Evolution
Course Description - The Plant Evolution course focuses on two broad areas: 1) the patterns of evolution of plants from prokaryotes to seed plants and 2) current patterns and processes of evolution among plants. The first area will involve an examination of the evolutionary patterns of plants, with a focus on land plants, and will include tracing patterns of evolution from prokaryotes to eukaryotes to land plants to vascular plants to seed plants. This section of the course will explore patterns, evolutionary innovations, and notable taxa throughout the history of plants. The second area will involve an investigation of the current patterns and processes influencing plant evolution. This includes variation within and among populations, strategies for reproduction and breeding systems in plants, patterns of selection, speciation, macroevolution, etc. We will not only discuss these aspects of plant evolution but also delve into modern (and previous) methods for examining patterns and processes of evolution in plants.
BTNY 4750, Topics in Botany: Plant-Herbivore Interactions
Course Description - Although we don’t usually notice this, plants have meaningful interactions with many different organisms. One of their most important relationships are with insects: they can be friends (e.g. pollinators) and enemies (herbivores). The hostile interactions between plants and herbivores are among the most important ecological interactions in nature due to their ubiquity. They exert a strong selective pressure on plant and herbivore populations. In this course, we will investigate different types of plant-herbivore interactions. We will look at the kinds of defenses plants have evolved to ward off, remove, reduce or lethally poison herbivores- and at the counter-adaptations in herbivores aimed at retaining the most exclusive feeding rights on a plant species (co-evolutionary arms race). We will elucidate the communications between plants and herbivores and other organisms involved (the majority of which are mediated by chemical cues). And we will assemble a better understanding of how these interactions affect ecology on a much greater scale.
BTNY 4990, Botany Capstone Seminar
The BTNY 4990, Seminar in Botany, class has been revised to provide a single forum for all capstone presentations by graduating Botany majors and to serve as the class where final evaluation of portfolio takes place. Students on catalogs that require BTNY 4980 should now take BTNY 4990.
Course Description - Oral presentation of an individual research, thesis research, library research, or internship project in which the student demonstrates understanding of science as a process. This course includes the final evaluation of the student’s portfolio and should be taken the last semester of the senior year.
|
|
|
Updates From Botany Graduates
We love to hear from our graduates! Here are updates from two of them:
|
|
|
|
Dorian Libby on the job
|
|
|
|
One half of a giant puffball mushroom found by Dorian Libby and his
colleagues (12 lbs. total!)
|
|
|
Dorian Libby said:
Hi all, some of you may remember me. I was fortunate enough to be picked up by the USFS within a few months of graduating doing Invasive and Noxious Weed Management over here in Oregon’s Wallowa-Whitman NF. While the job is not glamorous, and it's the dark side of botany, it has afforded me the freedom to explore to my heart’s content. I've also had the opportunity to participate in different stream restoration projects and seed collecting for the local native seed bank. While it's not the job I wanted, I've enjoyed the benefits that come with it. So don't be afraid to take the chance when it happens, even if it's not what you were looking for.
|
|
|
Corey Schellinger wrote:
"I was recently offered a full time position as the conservation district planner for district two. I am still not entirely sure what this will entail, but from what I understand it means I will be the planner for Morgan, Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, and Tooele counties. My responsibilities will be designing and applying for funding on all conservation projects in those counties. For district two specifically I will be focusing on improving agricultural infrastructure as well as many other water conservation projects."
|
|
|
|
Botany and Plant Ecology Advising
Don't forget to check in with your departmental advisor to discuss your course selections and overall degree progress. They are happy to help.
The Botany advisors, through the end of Fall 2020, are listed below. For the Botany major, advising is based on the first letter of your last name.
Initial Advising Appointment:
Dr. Harley
Major Advising:
A-D and S - Dr. Harley
E-K - Dr. Wachocki
L-R and T-Z - Dr. Hilbig
Field Botany Certificate Advising:
Dr. Wachocki
Minor and BIS Emphasis Advising:
Dr. Harley
|
|
|
Internship Opportunity
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is opening its Federal Pathway Internship for students looking for career opportunities with the NRCS in various fields. These positions are only listed once a year and are open for only a short amount of time. The first announcements will be posted to usajobs.gov beginning Oct. 13, 2020.
The direct career-path internship positions require two summers of internship work before graduating. There will also be positions for recent graduates being listed.
|
|
|
|
BOTANY CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS
|
|
|
Botany Club Presidency
The Botany Club has new officers for the 2020-2021
school year. They are:
President - Brad Henderson
Vice President - Ashton Capps
Secretary - Sequoia Averet
|
|
|
|
|
Plant Sale
There will be no plant sale this fall due to the many complications
involved with COVID 19.
|
|
|
Spring 2021 Registration
The Spring 2021 registration times are available online and can be accessed directly from Weber's registration page.
Assigned dates are based on completed earned hours of credit. Earned hours do not include credit from in-progress courses.
|
|
|
Last Day to Withdraw, Declare CR/NC or Audit
For Fall 2020 full semester courses, November 3 is the deadline to withdraw, declare credit/no credit or audit. Withdrawals are shown as a “W” on transcripts, but do not affect GPA.
Note: Withdrawing from a class can affect financial aid and scholarships. If you are unsure of the possible impact, check with the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office.
|
|
|
|
Masks
Don't forget that all WSU locations are requiring face masks for all students,
faculty, staff and visitors. Read more about it here.
|
|
|
Want to stay connected with what's going on on campus? Visit the Keeping Connected website often to get the latest updates on how services are being provided (in-person/virtual), what events are happening across campus and where to get help within the community.
|
|
|
|
Covid 19 Updates
WSU is offering COVID-19 testing on campus for symptomatic patients who have completed the self-report form. Testing is available weekdays, 12–2 p.m., in the Marriott Allied Health Building, Ogden campus (access from outside stairs on west side of building). To get more information about the testing visit
https://weber.edu/coronavirus/testing-safety.html.
|
|
|
Take a Break
Classes will not be held:
Thursday & Friday, November 26 & 27, for Thanksgiving Break
|
|
|
Getting out and into the mountains is what Weber Wildcats do. Unfortunately, some are stuck in quarantine or simply not taking the possible risk of getting out. Fortunately, earth and environmental sciences' professor Elizabeth Balgord, and the College of Science's new community engagement coordinator, Amanda Gentry, are working to build a virtual opportunity for people to visit our Discovery Loop trail North-East of campus. Learn more about this effort on the college's blog, WE.B.SCI .
|
|
|
|
Climate Change & Culture Shift Series
Tuesdays, 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., held virtually through Zoom.
Learn more about the series here.
|
|
|
|
Astragalus desereticus, Utah County, Utah
(Photo credit: Colleen Mills)
|
|
|
|
Dodecatheon utahense, Salt Lake County, Utah
(Photo credit: Colleen Mills)
|
|
|
|
Frasera speciosa, Salt Lake County, Utah
(Photo credit: Colleen Mills)
|
|
PHOTOS, PHOTOS, PHOTOS
Send me your photos!
Have you taken any Botany related photos? We'd love to publish them in the newsletter. Send them to botany@weber.edu and I'll include as many as I can. Please include what the photo is, where it was taken and who took it.
|
|
|
|
Botany Alumni
Please keep in touch. Send an email to botany@weber.edu to let us know what you are doing. We look forward to hearing from you!
If you are going to be in the area, we'd love to see you. Let us know you are coming and we can arrange a visit with some current students or show you what's currently happening in the department.
|
|
|
Contact the Department of Botany and Plant Ecology
Weber State University
Department of Botany and Plant Ecology
1415 Edvalson St., Dept. 2504
Ogden, UT 84408-2504
botany@weber.edu
801-626-6174
|
|
Share the Newsletter
If you know someone who would like to subscribe to the newsletter
please share this link with them.
Did you miss one of the newsletters? Here is a link to the
Newsletter Archive
where you may view all previous editions.
|
|
|
|
