Evelyn Pielou Discussion Group
Welcome to the Evelyn Pielou Discussion Group hosted by the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph!
The Evelyn Pielou Discussion Group is a weekly discussion group that covers topics relating to the biological and environmental sciences. Topics that are explored include (but are not restricted to) eco-evolutionary dynamics, bioinformatics, future biological methods, and eco-physiological responses to climate change.
The aim for the Evelyn Pielou Discussion Group is to foster a creative environment for biological and environmental scientists at the University of Guelph. Through multidisciplinary discussions, scientists can be exposed to topics outside of their specialization and identify commonalities between disciplines to improve their and other scientist’s research. Furthermore, the Evelyn Pielou Discussion Group provides a space for scientists with varying experience levels to collaborate and assist each other.
The format is very flexible. Although multidisciplinary topics are encouraged, any biological and environmental topic is fair game. One person each week is responsible for beginning the discussion in whatever way they choose. This may involve a paper to discuss, presenting tentative research ideas, a set of data in need of analysis, a finished research product, or anything they see fit to open for discussion. In order to maintain a casual atmosphere, presenters are encouraged to use the whiteboard and describe their data and ideas, rather than relying on Powerpoint.
Any interested undergraduates, graduates, postdocs and faculty are welcome to lead and/or join the discussion.
The Evelyn Pielou Discussion Group meets every Friday at 12:00pm for an hour on Teams (check your email from IB for the URL or join our listserv below).
Why Evelyn Pielou?
Evelyn Pielou espouses the aims of our discussion group; her interests and biological contributions spanned many fields. She started out with a certificate in radio-physics. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Botany, she taught herself mathematical ecology, published articles, and then turned these articles into a PhD, all without an advisor or committee. She worked for the Canadian government in various capacities and then entered academia formally as a professor at several Canadian Universities. She pioneered the use of multivariate statistics in ecology. During retirement, she wrote several popular science books on topics ranging from biogeography to physics.
Winter 2023 Schedule
February 3, 2023 - "The impact of great whales on carbon cycling" - a discussion led by Sophia Stoltz Accompanied by the recommended reading: Whales in the carbon cycle: can recovery remove carbon dioxide?
February 10, 2023 - "Modifications in flower morphology to increase crop pollination and yields" - a discussion led by Sophia Stoltz Accompanied by the recommended text: Evolutionarily inspired solutions to the crop pollination crisis
February 17, 2023 - no meeting this week!
February 24, 2023 - no meeting this week!
March 3, 2023 - "Artificial Intelligence Technology: Benefits and Concerns" - a discussion led by Kevin MacColl
March 10, 2023 - no meeting this week!
March 17, 2023 - "Trees and their common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) in the spotlight, but commonly misunderstood" - a discussion led by Sophia Stoltz Accompanied by the recommended text: Positive citation bias and overinterpreted results lead to misinformation on common mycorrhizal networks in forests
March 24, 2023 - "The role of tri-trophic interactions in the evolution of caterpillar coloration" - a discussion led by Gavin Hossack Accompanied by the recommended text: Macroevolution of protective coloration across caterpillars reflects relationships with host plants
March 31, 2023 - no meeting this week!
April 7th, 2023 - no meeting this week!
April 14th, 2023 - "The Magic Wall: Separation of humans and nature" - a discussion led by Christopher Greyson-Gaito Please email Sophia Stoltz (sstoltz@uoguelph.ca) for a copy of the accompanying text.
April 21st, 2023 - "Rethinking taxonomic naming conventions in the 21st century" - a discussion led by Katherine Drotos Accompanied by the recommended text: Eponyms have no place in 21st-century biological nomenclature
Pielou Mailing List Instructions
Do you want to be completely informed about what is happening in the Evelyn Pielou Discussion Group community? Do you want to continue the conversations outside of the weekly meetings? If so, then follow these instructions to join the Pielou mailing list.
If you have any questions about the discussion group, or if you want to facilitate a discussion, please email Dr. Alex Smith or Sophia Stoltz.
To subscribe
to the list pielou@LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA, send an email from your account to pielou-request@LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA with the word subscribe on the Subject line.
To unsubscribe
from the list pielou@LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA, send an email, from the account which is subscribed, to pielou-request@LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA with the word unsubscribe on the Subject line.
To send a message
if you subscribed to the listserv, simply send an email to pielou@LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA, we have a substantially smaller mailing list than the departmental list