Call for Nominations      
The Board of the Society for Conservation Biology’s Social Science Working Group (SSWG) seeks nominations for five representatives to the SSWG Board to serve a two year term, beginning in July 2012.

The SSWG is a global community of conservation professionals interested in the application of social science to the conservation of biological diversity. Since its founding in 2003, the SSWG has grown to over 500 members in 60 countries.  The SSWG is home to a diverse and multidisciplinary array of conservation researchers and practitioners, including social scientists, natural scientists, and humanists from many different backgrounds. The SSWG Board has been active in developing and coordinating initiatives that best accomplish the mission of the SSWG, which is to strengthen conservation social science and its application to conservation practice.

We seek nominations of dedicated, creative, and enthusiastic individuals to provide leadership in the following five SSWG Board positions:

* Political Science representative
* Sociology representative
* Economics representative
* At-large representative
*At-large student representative

We welcome self-nominations and ask that you don’t nominate someone without his/her permission. Up to two nominees will be selected to run for each position. All nominees must be SCB and SSWG members in good standing. Applicants for the disciplinary seats should be able to demonstrate appropriate disciplinary training and scholarship to represent that field. All candidates should possess: (1) demonstrated commitment to SCB and SSWG (both the missions and the organizations); (2) sufficient time/capacity to provide leadership; (3) relevant research and/or practitioner experience.

Board members are expected to serve as the Chair of a standing SSWG Committee, implement the SSWG 2009-2014 strategic plan and annual work plans, and support the SSWG’s goals in the following five areas:

1. Science. Advance scientific understanding of conservation as a social process.

2. Policy. Inform conservation decision-making through scientific dialogue and stakeholder engagement.

3. Capacity-building. Enhance the ability of scholars and practitioners to understand and address the social dimensions of biodiversity conservation.

4. Membership. Expand, diversify, and engage the SSWG membership.

5. Organizational development. Increase the capacity of the SSWG to achieve its mission.

More information about the SSWG (including strategic plan, work plans, and annual reports) is available at http://www.conbio.org/workinggroups/sswg/. The SSWG Board includes members representing each of six social science disciplines (anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, sociology), four at-large seats including a dedicated student seat, and the social science representative to the SCB Board of Governors. More information is available on the SSWG website.

Nominees should send a CV and a statement of interest (250 words maximum) to Robin Roth (SSWG Acting Nominations Committee Chair, rothr@yorku.ca) by June 30, 2012. Elections will follow in July. Apologies for the late posting, if you’re interested but the deadline is too tight, please contact me! Also let me know if you would like more information about how to become an SSWG member.