Led by universities of the South Central CASC, this project builds on the successes of three prior workshops to mentor a cohort of early-career environmental professionals in the South Central U.S. to serve as part of the next generation of USGS leaders and partners. The workshop objectives are to: (1) develop the participants’ knowledge, leadership skills, and interdisciplinary collaboration with an eye toward filling future USGS (or partner organization) positions; (2) introduce participants to the goals, structure, and unique research-related challenges of the South Central CASC and the larger CASC network; (3) guide participants to discuss their research beyond their disciplinary niche and with managers across the region; and (4) facilitate interdisciplinary interactions among participants to foster future collaborative opportunities.
The workshop will offer participants insight into how their research fits into the USGS’s research priority goals and its eventual applicability to management needs across the region. Providing these early-career researchers with the skills needed to conduct stakeholder-initiated research and effectively communicate their work to those who will use it will help build a diverse workforce that can produce relevant, actionable science and provide the USGS a talent pool of future leaders.
