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Education

 

CSI Brown Bag Seminar

Spring 2023 Schedule

The Spring 2023 CSI Seminar will be held in PAIS 1010 and online, via Zoom, and will be moderated by Dr. Seth Newsome (newsome@unm.edu)

All seminars begin at noon on the date listed below. Room 1010 is located in PAIS 1st floor, next to (south of) the main entrance.

 

January 30th – Nico Lubcker (UNM, Department of Biology): Use of amino acid carbon and nitrogen isotopes to investigate capital versus income breeding strategies

February 6th –Tour of Mass Spectrometry Facility in the Department of Chemistry with Dr. Curtis Mowry

February 13th – TBA

February 20th– Renee Boucher (University of California, Santa Cruz): The application of trace metals to hominid physiology and behavior ZOOM ONLY

February 27th –Alex Bertacchi (Yale University, Department of Anthropology): Using multiple isotope systems to investigate 30,000 years of human land use in northern Malawi ZOOM ONLY

March 6th – Seth Newsome (UNM, Department of Biology): TBA

March 13th – Spring break – no seminar

March 20th – Alexi Besser (UNM, Department of Biology): Lessons in essential amino acid d13C fingerprinting and more from a PhD in the CSI

March 27th – Conner Mertz (UNM, Department of Biology): TBA

April 3rd – Rosabelle Ong (Columbia University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences): TBA ZOOM ONLY

April 10th – Kevin Wilson (UNM, Department of Biology): Recurrent wildfire buffers trees from competition water stress during multiyear drought events

April 17th – Zachary Sharp and Nico Lubcker (UNM, Center for Stable Isotopes): TBA

April 24th – Viorel Atudorei (UNM, E&PS and CSI): Sulfur Isotopes Isoscapes – potential use for small scale animal migration studies

May 1st – Mi’ila Gollette (UNM, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences): Reconstructing Holocene rainfall record in Southern Belize using oxygen isotopes in speleothem carbonate

 

Training Programs and Courses

  • Graduate Student Assistantships: 2 graduate assistantships per semester (one in Earth & Planetary Sciences and another in Biology) are offered to train graduate students in the daily operation of instrumentation, instrument maintenance, QA/QC protocols and data reduction.
  • Courses: targeted to motivated undergraduates, graduates and postdoctoral researchers interested in learning more about the application of stable isotope analysis in the planetary, life and medical sciences. The laboratory experience will include full access and training on how to operate and maintain isotope ratio mass spectrometers.
    • Stable Isotope Geochemistry (EPS 405): The aim of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of stable isotope geochemistry, and it’s application in the geosciences. In particular, lectures will focus on applications to paleoclimate reconstruction, metamorphic and igneous petrology, atmospheric science and meteoritics.
    • Elemental Ecology (BIO 402/502): This aim of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of the application of stable isotope measurements in ecology and environmental science. Lectures will address the theory underlying the application of stable isotopes at natural abundance levels as tracers and integrators of important ecological and environmental processes.
    • ​Stable Isotope Seminar (ANTH 502, BIOL 402/502, EPS 400): The CSI brown bag seminar is offered as a one credit course in the Anthropology, Biology, and Earth and Planetary Sciences departments.