The election process
The election process begins in September of each year, and includes several stages:
- Nomination Period (September)
Any industrial ecologist may nominate any student (membership not required at this stage). University advisors and professors - please get your students involved! And if you are a student, you are warmly invited to nominate yourself or others to serve on the ISIE Student Chapter board of representatives. - Preparation of Personal Statement (September-October)
Nominees are asked to write a personal statement on a prescribed electronic form. Only by submitting a personal statement will the nominee be considered a candidate for elections. - Voting Period (October)
The personal statements of all candidates are made public to all students registered as members of the ISIE Student community. Voting is held by electronic means during around a two-week period in October. - Start of the term (November)
What is the ISIE Student Chapter?
The Student Chapter was formed in 2002 and has been active in providing opportunities for students to interact with the broader industrial ecology community in meaningful ways. Along these lines the Student Community has been involved in diverse activities, such as:
- Represent the student community in the ISIE council and other governing bodies.
- Create opportunities for networking and learning through ongoing student activities (networking events, webinars, etc.).
- Lead the organization of student events at ISIE-related conferences:
- Symposium on Industrial Ecology for Young Professionals (SIEYP) associated with the biennial ISIE conference;
- Industrial Ecology Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) associated with the biennial Gordon Research Conference (GRC);
- Section conferences.
- Help in finding and obtaining scholarships for ISIE’s students.
- Compile and publish the students’ newsletters.
- Distribute and help the students exchange information regarding conferences, employment opportunities, and collaborations.
What is the Student Chapter Board (SCB)?
The Student Chapter Board is normally composed of eight to ten student volunteer members elected by the ISIE student members. The term of a board member is two years, and terms in the board are staggered: each year new board members are elected in October-November to replace retiring board members. Two continuing members of the Student Chapter Board take on the responsibilities of President and Vice-President respectively. This ensures continuity in the Student Chapter.
Nominees, once elected, will have opportunities to join and participate in several sub-groups within the SCB: the diversity and inclusion committee, the virtual networking committee, the SIEYP planning committee and so on.
The SCB strives to ensure that there is at least one board member (new or continuing) who will be representing their region out of the current five world regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and North America. The world region selected for representation will be based on the country of the Institute or Organization the selected member is affiliated with.
What is expected of a board representative?
Representatives work at the epicentre of ISIE activities and are thus expected to have a deep interest in all things related to industrial ecology. Being able to interact directly with students, researchers, and practitioners of Industrial Ecology is expected, and participation in IE related events is a plus. Board representatives attend a monthly online board meeting and work as a team with divided responsibilities to fulfill their roles including events planning and management, communications within and outside the student community, grant applications, etc.
While fundamentally the position is not too demanding on a regular basis, the board members are expected to contribute their time to the efforts of the ISIE student community and have a proactive role in these activities. For example, candidates should be prepared to attend online meetings which are scheduled to suit the time differences of the other members from across the globe and to communicate with senior ISIE members. Failure to fulfil the expectations may lead to re-elections.
Sub groups within the board
Diversity and Inclusion
The diversity and inclusion (D&I) committee at the student chapter board aims to increase the voice, representation, and participation of students and researchers who represent our global society. The focus of our activities this year have widely been to broaden the student community of underrepresented areas through further inclusion and engagement with student associations.
Virtual Networking
The virtual networking team organizes various structured networking opportunities for possible collaborators. They pair and match students and young scholars based on interests, and ensure that student members of ISIE have dynamic ways to interact and keep in touch with each other's research.
SIEYP committee
The SIEYP Committee plans the Symposium on Industrial Ecology for Young Professionals (SIEYP) for the biennial ISIE conference. This team ensures smooth operations by securing funding, advertising, planning and organizing the event, providing learning and networking opportunities for attendees on the first day of the conference. In non-conference years, this committee lays the foundation and plans for the next year's SIEYP, and supports student events in other industrial ecology-related conferences.
Other
The board members are encouraged to come up with their own initatives that would support the student community, which can include events like webinars, competitions, and all kinds of initiatives.
Benefits of being a board member
Involvement as a member of the Student Chapter Board has many benefits, including the chance to build your network through interacting with senior ISIE members and student community members and gaining valuble experience in organizing events, communication, project managements etc. Additionally, being a member is a great way to impact the ISIE community and bring your visions to life.
Who can be a board member?
A Nominee must be (1) a student (Master's or PhD) and (2) a member of ISIE (join now!). The expected term of a board member is two years, so students early in their studies are ideal candidates. However, even if you are graduating during the second year of the term, you may also participate as a board member. Students that are not yet members of ISIE and are interested in serving the community, are encouraged to register themselves as student members now and get nominated (registration page). ISIE membership will be confirmed for all nominees.
Questions about the election process?
Feel free to email: students@is4ie.org