Soil Science Society of America Soils Sustain Life

Soil Science Society of America Soils Sustain Life www. soils. org

Who We Are International, Progressive, Scientific SSSA fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils and is dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. It provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use. Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Who We Are • 6000+ Members • Students (Undergrad & Grad), Professionals, Emeritus, Corporations • 18% International • 13% employed by Industry, 34% by Academia, 15% by governments (remaining are students, other employers, unknown) • Founded in 1936 • Headquarters in Madison, WI, with a Science Policy Office in Washington, DC • 45 staff (shared with ASA and CSSA) Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

The Value of Membership • Influencing Public Opinion/Science Policy • Publishing Research • Presenting and Attending Annual Meetings • Accessing Career Resources • Networking • Leadership Opportunities • Supporting the Profession Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Student Activities • Students of Agronomy, Soils, and Environmental Sciences – 400+ members – Annual Meeting – Poster and Oral Competitions – Student Leadership – Golden Opportunity Scholars Program • Graduate Students – 900+ members – Sub-Committee of Membership Committee – Annual Meetings – 7 SSSA division student competitions – Branch Meetings – student competitions-oral & poster – Membership – Awards (fellowships, internships, etc. ) Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Influencing Policy • Congress (Congressional Visits) • White House (OSTP, PCAST) • Agencies (NOAA, NSF, DOE, DOD, USGS, EPA, USDA, NASA) – Seek federal funding for agronomic, crop and soil sciences – Advocate for our sciences funded through USDA, NSF, Department of Energy Office of Science, NASA, NOAA and other agencies – Coalitions, Commodity Groups, etc. Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Science Policy Efforts • Congressional Visit Days • Congressional Soils Caucus • Core Constituent Scientist Teams (CCSTs) • Congressional Science Fellows • Interns • Current Issues: – Climate change, C sequestration, environment, energy, agroecosystems, frontier science, global hunger… Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Smithsonian Exhibition • Dig It! The Secrets of Soil • 5, 000 -square-foot exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History • Supported by SSSA as the Founding Sponsor • Included interactive displays, hands-on models, videos, and 54 soil monoliths representing soils from each U. S. state, territory and the District of Columbia • Open from July, 2008 to January, 2010 • Currently arrangements are being developed for the exhibit to travel to various museums in around the country Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Publications • Journals – White papers, editorials, research articles • Magazines – CSA News, Crops & Soils • Books • Custom Content Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

New Content: Custom Publishing • Customers select combinations of articles, book chapters and their own front matter (e. g. , a syllabus, cover art) • Authors publish their classroom lab manuals with us – make updates each semester – available to other customers for purchase Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

International Meetings • SSSA, ASA, CSSA Joint Annual Meetings, Long Beach, CA October 31 -November 4, 2010 • Keynote Speakers & Symposia – SSSA Plenary Session – Division Symposia • Hot topics, cutting-edge research, social/networking opportunities Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Science Communications Outreach to the media and public to tell the story of soils and soil science and its importance in everyone’s quality of life. – Press Releases – Extensive SSSA Website – Featured Scientific Articles • Follow us on Twitter: @ASA_CSSA_SSSA • Facebook • Subscribe to our RSS Feeds Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Certifications • SSSA offers two certifications: – Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS) – Certified Professional Soil Classifier (CPSC) • Components of Certification Include: – Education – Work Experience – Fundamentals Exam Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Explore Job Opportunities • Free resume posting (members-only) • Online job and graduate school postings • Annual Meeting job interviews Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Career Resources & Awards • Awards, Fellows • Scholarships • Fellowships • Internships – Science Policy (DC) – Science Communications (HQ) • Online Career Resources Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

SSSA Divisions of Interest • • • Forest, Range, and Wildland Soils Nutrient Management & Soil and Plant Analysis Pedology Soil and Water Management & Conservation Soil Biology & Biochemistry Soil Chemistry Soils & Environmental Quality Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition Soil Mineralogy Soil Physics Wetland Soils Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

K-12 Activities • Developed and promoted through the SSSA K-12 Committee • Objective to increase interest and awareness of soil science and related sciences as a scientific pursuit and career choice, especially among K-12 teachers and their students. • www. soils. org/lessons • Developed an Ask a Soil Scientist program • Wrote Soil! Get the Inside Scoop book for middle-school level students – working on a teacher guide Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Member Benefits • • • Monthly CSA News magazine Discounts on subscriptions and books Access to the Membership Directory Access to the Scientific Expertise Directory Biweekly e-newsletters – Newsflash and Science Policy Report Opportunity to present poster and oral papers in SSSA divisions at the Annual Meetings Free online posting of your resume Membership in Divisions of Interest Discounts on meeting registrations Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Membership Opportunities • • • Awards, Scholarships, Fellowships Volunteer for Society Activities Participate in Science Policy Activities Discount on Compensation Survey Supporting the Profession Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Leadership Opportunities • • • Committees Task Forces Divisions Editorial Boards Board of Directors Leadership Development Workshops Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Professionalism! Why am I an SSSA member? The short answer is, “I want to be a professional. ” SSSA helps me stay current, and provides a framework from which I can communicate the relevance of soil science to my students. Clay Robinson, Ph. D aka “Dr. Dirt” Texas A&M University Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

So … Get Involved! • • Meet new people Broaden professional contacts Become professionally involved Influence policy Find a job Advance your career Learn new skills Make Positive Changes! Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org

Join Today! www. soils. org/membership Thank you. Soil Science Society of America | www. soils. org