Saving the Earth as a Career

Malcolm L Hunter is the Libra Professor of Conservation Biology and Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Maine. He is also the former President of the Society for Conservation Biology.David B Lindenmayer is a Research Professor in Ecology at the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at The Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.Aram J K Calhoun is Associate Professor of Wetland Ecology at the University of Maine, a staff scientist at Maine Audubon Society, and chair of the Student Affairs Committee of the Society for Conservation Biology.

• Preface ixPreface to the second edition xiRead this road map before you begin xiii1 Is this the right career for you? 1What is a conservation professional? 1Conservation contributors 3Diverse compensations 6Location, location, location 8Your image 10Talk and experience 112 Establishing an undergraduate foundation 14Universities and degrees 14Course work 15Course performance 17Experiences outside the classroom 18References 24Standardized tests 25Changing course 26Switching careers 27Next steps 283 Selecting an educational program 30The key elements: University, topic, degree, and advisor 30When to begin? 37Some scenarios 374 Applying for admission 46Making contact 46Personal essay or letter 49Initial conversations 50Application mechanics 50References 51Visiting 52First impressions 54Interviewing a prospective advisor 55Interviewing other students 58Interviewing other faculty 60Making a decision 605 Designing a program of study 62Your goal 62A project 64Course work 65A balancing act 65Teaching 67Internships 68Comprehensive exam 69Investing in your department and yourself 70Extracurricular activities 73Communicating with your advisor 75An advisory committee 77When things go very wrong 79A final word on work styles 826 Designing and executing a project 84Selecting a topic 84Setting realistic expectations 85Framing the problem 87Writing and presenting a proposal 92Executing a project 98Non-completion 111Writing a thesis or final report 112Final defense 1147 Attending conferences and making presentations 116Which to attend? 116Conference information 120Attending talks and other sessions 121Networking 122Professional-society activities 124Presentations 1268 Writing papers 138A thesis versus a collection of papers 139Writing a professional paper 141Authorship 148Selecting a journal for your paper 149Submitting a paper to a journal 152Your paper comes back from the journal 152Other kinds of publications 1589 Finding a job 162What to seek 162How to search 165When to apply 167How to apply 170Accepting a job 17610 Making a difference 179Savior syndrome 179Compassion fatigue: The flip side of the savior syndrome 183Making a difference as a student 184Making a difference as a conservation professional 188Life style 193Conservation ethics 194Index 199