Ecologist and conservation biologist Dr. Sarah Kupferberg will be giving a talk on amphibian conservation this week. Sarah will be talking about assisted migration of native frogs after removal of non-native bullfrogs in the Yosemite Valley. This is a topic of great interest given the growing influence of exotic and invading species on natural ecosystems and communities, and changes that ecosystems will undergo in response to climate change. Sarah is Senior Ecologist at Questa Engineering, an environmental consulting and engineering firm in California, and a Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley. 

The talk will be this Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7pm in the LS3 Auditorium, and is organized by the SIU Herpetologist Enthusiasts of Southern Illinois. Before the presentation, club members are invited for free pizza. Students interested in joining the club can sign up at ​https://orgsync.com/79498/chapter.

Our lab is offering two positions for Undergraduate Research Assistants for the fall and spring semesters (open to SIU students only). The duties and responsibilities for this position are to work with the mentor to prepare poster presentation for the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Forum which is held the first Monday in April on the SIU Carbondale campus.Specific duties: (1) Assist in real time PCR assays: DNA extraction, preparation of master mix and dilution plates, PCR runs, data storage. (2) Perform routine laboratory upkeep such as washing glassware, autoclaving wastes, clean surfaces, and sterilizing glassware. (3) Help researchers in the laboratory by making reagents, media and perform experiments. (4) Assist graduate student during field trips to monitor disease prevalence in several locations throughout Illinois. Visit http://undergraduateassistantship.siu.edu/search/  for more information or contact Dr. Catenazzi to apply by emailing acatenazzi AT siu.edu