The Cal-IPC Students & Emerging Professionals Section (SEPS) works to expand opportunities for students and emerging professions interested in invasive plant research and management. We serve as a voice for individuals early in their stewardship career and work to connect them with each other as well as with professionals in the conservation field. You can see our current SEPS leadership here. Reach out to us at SEPS@cal-ipc.org to get involved!
For the annual Cal-IPC Symposium we organize networking events and a career panel for students to learn more about careers in weed management, whether with nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, consulting firms, or government agencies. Thanks to funding from the John H. Anderson Land Stewardship Training Fund, Cal-IPC offers scholarships for the Symposium and other training events. Students can also compete for cash prizes at the Symposium by participating in the annual Student Paper and Poster contests.
Congratulations, 2026 Cal-IPC Symposium Student Contest Winners!
We are honored to recognize these student speakers contributions.
Lightning Talk 1st Place: Katherine Brafford, UC Davis
Poster Session 1st Place: Maisy Rew, UC Davis
Lightning Talk 2nd Place: Kekoa Nelson, UC Davis
Poster Session 2nd Place: Olivia Parra, UC Davis
Poster Session 3rd Place: Sawyer Clausen, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
- Lightning Talks First Place Winner: Katherine Brafford, UC Davis, “Effects of spring and fall burns on seedling and adult California native perennial bunchgrasses.”
- Lightning Talks Second Place Winner: Kekoa Nelson, UC Davis, “Prior invasive plant management alters restoration outcomes following prescribed fire in serpentine meadows.”
- Poster Session First Place Winner: Maisy Rew, UC Davis, “Evaluating management treatments to restore alkali grassland habitat for palmate-bracted bird’s-beak.”
- Poster Session Second Place Winner: Olivia Parra, UC Davis, “The fate of pile burn scars in several California plant communities.”
- Poster Session Third Place Winner: Sawyer Clausen, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, “Long-term effects of fire retardants on grassland ecosystems.”
We look forward to hearing updates on the great work you are doing to move forward the field of invasive plant management and research.
Job, Internship, and Funding Resources
Cal-IPC Student Section Job and Internship Board
Looking for research opportunities, seasonal work, internships, or more permanent opportunities in the field of invasive species and restoration? Check out current opportunities across California now on our Job and Internship Board, updated weekly!
Other Useful Resources
- Texas A & M Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science Job Board: well-organized and frequently updated job board with seasonal jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities, permanent positions, and graduate student positions across the US and beyond in a variety of ecology, wildlife, and conservation fields
- San Francisco Bay Joint Venture Job Board: positions located specifically in the SF/Bay region of California
- San Diego Management and Monitoring Program Job Board: positions located specifically in the San Diego region of California
- Ecolog Listserv: grab bag of position announcements, discussions, event announcements, funding opportunities etc. organized by week
- Dr. Marissa Baskett’s Grant & Job Resources Webpage: Baskett, a faculty member at UC Davis, maintains this awesome page mainly aimed at academic careers, but with tons of great advice and information about grants, fellowships, and the academic job search
- ESA Physiological Ecology Job Board: much more than just physiology, includes jobs, internships, and graduate opportunities of all kinds in broad ecology and conservation fields as well as lists of other job sites and tons of other online resources
Past Student Liaisons
- Rebecca Ann Nelson, UC Davis (2022-2025)
- Noah Teller, UC Riverside (2017 – 2021)
- Marina LaForgia, UC Davis (2014-2018),
- Marlee Antill, Cal Poly Pomona (2018 – 2019)
- Guy Gabriel Hernandez, Cal Poly Pomona (2018 – 2019)
- Amanda Swanson, UC Riverside (2016 – 2017), Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Wyoming
- Justin Valliere, UC Riverside (2014 – 2016), Postdoctoral Researcher at UCLA
- Bridget Hilbig, UC Riverside (2012 – 2014), Assistant Professor at Weber State University
- Meghan Skaer Thomasen, UC Davis (2012 – 2014), Resident Ecology, Exotic and Invasive Weeds Research, USDA
- Kai Palenscar, UC Riverside, US Fish and Wildlife
- Chelsea Carey, UC Merced, Senior Soil Ecologist for Point Blue
- Heather Schneider, UC Riverside, Rare Plant Biologist at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
- Sara Jo Dickens, UC Riverside, Ecologist and Science Communicator at Ecology Bridge LLC
- Mike Bell, UC Riverside, Postdoctoral Researcher at UC Irvine