Early Career Geoscience Faculty Workshop Program

Note about Workshop Participation

We encourage everyone to participate in as much of the workshop as is possible. Some aspects of the workshop build on others, so missing those parts would make participation less beneficial and in some cases confusing.

Note: Any file marked as 'Private' on this page is only accessible to workshop participants (when logged in to their SERC accounts). If you are a workshop participant who is logged in to your SERC account and cannot access the files, please email Monica at mbruckne@carleton.edu for assistance.

Participant workspace

Jump down to: Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

Before the Workshop

After registering for the workshop, please view the Participant Checklist for logistical information and for important deadlines for sharing additional information prior to the workshop. These include travel information, NSF visit preferences, and contributing either a research proposal or teaching activity for feedback from other workshop attendees.

Sunday, June 23

If arriving before 4 PM - Arrive on campus, check in to dorms - George Draper Dayton Hall

If arriving after 4 PM - Check in at Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery

5:00 - 5:30 Welcome and overview - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery

5:30-6:30 Catered dinner - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery

6:30-8:30 Overview, strategic decisions session, icebreakers, and gallery walk

Monday, June 24

8:45-9:15 Overview of the day, Individual Consultations information - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery

9:15-10:45 Plenary: Course Design (Acrobat (PDF) PRIVATE FILE 9.8MB Jun23 24) - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery - Martin Wong and Mea Cook

10:45-11:00 Coffee Break

11:00-12:00 Teaching Strategies: Concurrent Sessions - Olin-Rice Science Center

During the concurrent sessions, participants will choose a session from the list below:

We will discuss the benefits of using interactive activities in a lecture class, as well as several other ways to engage students, such as personal response systems, multimedia clips, in-class demonstrations, course website tools and connecting the topics to students' lives. We will demonstrate some short activities that actively engage a diverse student group and that can easily be incorporated into lecture classes of any size. And we will spend some time brainstorming about ways to incorporate these strategies in your own classroom.

We will expand upon the active learning ideas introduced in the previous session on Course and Lesson Design. We will explore the rationale behind using active learning, compare different techniques, and allow participants to design and share their own.

We will share strategies for designing and evaluating student writing assignments to support learning at all levels. Strategies include small-scale, low-stakes writing activities that can be readily incorporated into courses, longer assignments that support learning objectives within the sciences, and the use of online discussion tools.

Open Educational Resources (OERs) for college-level geoscience classes are becoming increasingly abundant and have numerous advantages for students and faculty. OERs include open textbooks, open online classes, instructional videos, and a variety of teaching and learning activities. The Science Education Resource Center (SERC) website hosts a vast array of OERs for geoscience teaching and more. This session discusses the value of OERs in terms of pedagogy, customization, and ease of integration, and provides time to explore how OERs may be used in your own class(es). A resource page on open educational resources associated with this session is available.

12:00-1:30 Lunch - Kagin Ballroom

1:30-2:45 Plenary: Lesson Design (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) PRIVATE FILE 2.4MB Jun14 24) - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery - Anna Pfeiffer-Herbert and Gretchen Miller
Lesson Design Worksheet (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) PRIVATE FILE 19kB Jun14 24)

2:45-3:00 Break

3:00-4:00 Teaching Strategies: Concurrent Sessions - Olin-Rice Science Center

During the concurrent sessions, participants will choose a session from the list below:

This session will focus on approaches to provide students with valuable research experience within the context of a formal class, for both introductory and upper-division levels. We will discuss the advantages of incorporating research, successful strategies for doing so, and examples of research projects in a variety of classes at all levels.

We will expand upon the active learning ideas introduced in the previous session on Course and Lesson Design. We will explore the rationale behind using active learning, compare different techniques, and allow participants to design and share their own.

We will share strategies for designing and evaluating student writing assignments to support learning at all levels. Strategies include small-scale, low-stakes writing activities that can be readily incorporated into courses, longer assignments that support learning objectives within the sciences, and the use of online discussion tools.

We will discuss best practices and share experiences from the last two years and beyond. We will reflect on ways to engage our students in hybrid/online/flipped classrooms and develop strategies to effectively create positive learning environments.

4:00-4:15 Break

4:15-5:00 Poster Instructions and Daily Roadcheck

DEI survey - https://forms.gle/pky68R17XkkroLNu7

5:00-7:00 Individual consultations; work on posters

Dinner: on your own / self-organized groups

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Tuesday, June 25

8:45-9:00 Overview of the day - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery

9:00-10:00 Plenary: Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery - Christy Till and Myriam Telus

10:00-10:30 Break

10:30-11:30 Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Acrobat (PDF) 1.6MB Jun26 24) - Olin-Rice Science Center

This session will follow up on the DEI plenary to provide a forum to discuss how to implement DEI principles in a variety of settings based on participants' goals and experience. Additional resources can be found through the Teach the Earth Portal: Broadening Participation in the Geosciences pages.

11:30-1:00 Lunch - Kagin Ballroom

1:00-2:00 Plenary: Working Effectively with Research Students (Acrobat (PDF) PRIVATE FILE 1MB Jun24 24) - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery - Wendi Flynn and Jeremy Shakun

2:00-2:15 Break

2:15-3:15 Strategies for Research and Scholarship: Concurrent Sessions - Olin-Rice Science Center

During the concurrent sessions, participants will choose a session from the list below:

In this session, we explore various models for designing undergraduate projects, working with undergraduates, and preserving group data/knowledge in the face of relatively high student turnover; we also discuss strategies for "chunking" projects in portions suitable for undergraduates at various levels of experience.

How do you recruit the best students AND retain them? The methods used by universities to recruit students have changed dramatically in the last few years. The students you are recruiting are being barraged by information from the universities that they are talking to. Learn how you can effectively recruit these students and work to retain them at your institution.

In this session we will explore everything from brainstorming and mentoring to writing with MS and PhD students. We will discuss addressing both the needs of your research program and the needs, experience, and abilities of your students. Practical aspects such as defining projects that can be done in a reasonable time frame and funding students will also be discussed.

Many students who major in geoscience do not plan to follow our footsteps into an academic career, so this session will focus on some of the ways we can support students as they prepare for the professional world. We will explore licensure, networking with professional geoscientists, and ensuring that students are learning the skills necessary to join the geoscience workforce.

3:15-3:30 Break

3:30-4:30 Strategies for Research and Scholarship: Concurrent Sessions - Olin-Rice Science Center

During the concurrent sessions, participants will choose a session from the list below:

In this session, we explore various models for designing undergraduate projects, working with undergraduates, and preserving group data/knowledge in the face of relatively high student turnover; we also discuss strategies for "chunking" projects in portions suitable for undergraduates at various levels of experience.

You have finished your dissertation or post-doctoral projects and you want to use the resources at your current institution and establish links outside your current institution to grow in new directions. This session will explore ways that you can build upon your existing strengths to move your career forward.

In this session we will explore everything from brainstorming and mentoring to writing with MS and PhD students. We will discuss addressing both the needs of your research program and the needs, experience, and abilities of your students. Practical aspects such as defining projects that can be done in a reasonable timeframe and funding students will also be discussed.

This session will empower individuals to support a healthy and collegial workplace environment with tools for effective communication and civil resolution of conflict. More resources available at AdvanceGeo Partnership

4:30-4:45 Break

4:45-5:15 Daily Roadcheck - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery

5:15-7:00 Individual consultations; work on posters

Dinner: on your own / self-organized groups

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Wednesday, June 26

8:45-9:00 Overview of the day - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery

9:00-10:30 Plenary: Creating a Strategic Plan (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 23MB Jun20 24) - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery - Jennifer Anderson and Clara Chan

10:30-11:00 Break

11:00-12:00 Writing Proposals and Getting Funded: Concurrent Sessions - Olin-Rice Science Center

This session will focus on basics and nuts and bolts for your first 'large' proposal (NSF, but also relevant to other agencies).

Writing research proposals at institutions that primarily serve undergraduates (PUIs) poses a unique set of challenges and opportunities. In this session, we will explore strategies for crafting successful proposals at such institutions.

Having proposals, journal papers, and other works we've poured our hearts into rejected is unfortunately part of this job. We will discuss and share strategies on how to move forward after a rejection: what can be learned, how to cope, and when maybe to strategically move on.

12:00-1:30 Lunch - Kagin Ballroom

1:30-4:00 Moving Your Research and Teaching Forward: Concurrent Sessions - Olin-Rice Science Center

Participants will attend one session from the list below, based upon their pre-workshop submission of either a PROPOSAL SUMMARY or TEACHING ACTIVITY:

  • Improving Research Proposals Through Review of Your Proposal Summaries - Smail Gallery - Martin Wong and others

For this session you need to have submitted a 1-2 page proposal summary by May 20.

  • Improving Teaching Activities and Assignments Through Review of Your Assignment - OLRI 352 - Mea Cook and Gretchen Miller

For this session you need to have submitted a class activity or assignment by May 20. If you did not submit something in advance, you may

  • Peruse the proposal collection
  • Search for teaching resources online
  • Work on your posters for tomorrow

4:00-4:15 Break

4:15-5:00 Daily roadcheck, Poster Session logistics and NSF Virtual Visit Overview - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery

5:00 onward work on posters

Dinner: on your own / self-organized groups

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Thursday, June 27

8:45-11:40 Poster session (private participant workspace) - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery

If you are willing to share one or both of your posters, either with the world at large or just with this year's workshop participants, please take a photo of your poster(s) and upload it/them

11:40-12:00 Poster session reflection

12:00-1:30 Lunch - Kagin Ballroom

1:30-2:30 Building a Network of Support (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) PRIVATE FILE 412kB Jun5 23) - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery - Myriam Telus and Jennifer Anderson

2:30-2:45 Break

2:45-4:45 Plenary: Strategic Action Planning - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery - All workshop leaders

4:45-5:15 Plenary: Lessons Learned (private participant workspace) - Olin-Rice Science Center, Smail Gallery - All workshop leaders

5:30-6:30 Closing Dinner

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Friday, June 28

Checkout of dorms by 9:00 AM, luggage can be stored in a secure room.

Optional virtual visit to the National Science Foundation - classrooms for participation will be available in Olin-Rice