Soil Science Society of America Soils Sustain Life

1. Soil Science Society of AmericaSoils Sustain Life www.soils.org

2. 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.

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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.)

6. 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.

7. 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…

8. 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

9. Publications • Journals • White papers, editorials, research articles • Magazines • CSA News, Crops & Soils • Books • Custom Content

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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 

13. Certifications • SSSA offers two certifications: • Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS) • Certified Professional Soil Classifier (CPSC) • Components of Certification Include: • Education • Work Experience • Fundamentals Exam

14. Explore Job Opportunities • Free resume posting (members-only) • Online job and graduate school postings • Annual Meeting job interviews

15. Career Resources & Awards • Awards, Fellows • Scholarships • Fellowships • Internships • Science Policy (DC) • Science Communications (HQ) • Online Career Resources

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. Membership Opportunities • Awards, Scholarships, Fellowships • Volunteer for Society Activities • Participate in Science Policy Activities • Discount on Compensation Survey • Supporting the Profession

20. Leadership Opportunities • Committees • Task Forces • Divisions • Editorial Boards • Board of Directors • Leadership Development Workshops

21. 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, PhD aka “Dr. Dirt” Texas A&M University

22. 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!

23. Join Today! www.soils.org/membership Thank you.