Round Table Discussions
Afternoon Round Tables are open to all participants registered for that day (not reserved ahead of time).
Tuesday
Attracting and Supporting Diverse Geoscientists
Moderator: Aradna Tripati (University of California-Los Angeles)
Description coming soon.
Getting Started in Geoscience Education Research (GER)
Moderator: Stephanie Sabatini (North Carolina State University)
Whether you are a teaching assistant, seasoned educator, or anything in between, come join us for an insightful discussion on the merits of Geoscience Education Research (GER) and discover how you can get started making an impact for your students and the GER community. This exciting research area exists at the nexus between the creation, implementation, and assessment of innovative teaching methods and the investigation of research questions in geoscience education. During this roundtable, GER practitioners will share their experiences and best practices and provide guidance to those wishing to start their GER journey.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Can we love our job while being squeezed under its weight?
Moderator: Kyle Fredrick (Pennsylvania Western University – California)
Over the past few years many Geology programs have contracted or been reimagined under Environmental Sciences. This has been especially true at small PUI's or within small programs at larger institutions. Faculty with already heavy teaching loads are at risk of becoming overwhelmed by teaching responsibilities and further service obligations as their ranks diminish. The common outcome is the de-emphasis on fulfilling research that these educators often use for the intrinsic enjoyment of their discipline and for the satisfaction of contributing to the body of science. This round table will focus on identifying the common themes and pressures especially on mid-career faculty feeling isolated or adrift. Some may feel they have lost their competitiveness in the job market, that they lack natural collaborators or feel the weight of tenure and promotion as a hindrance to mobility. We will attempt to turn that focus to solutions through collaborative networking, support systems, and creating agency for participants at their current institutions.
Cascading Land Surface Hazards as a Vehicle to Engaging 2YC Students: Discussion of needs and opportunities
Moderators: Eric Kirby (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and Beth Pratt-Sitaula (EarthScope Consortium)
Although land surface hazards such as landslides and floods are typical fare in introductory courses, the idea of the hazard "cascade" with one event priming the pump for another is often missed. Sequences such as climate change > fire > debris flow > sedimentation & flooding are critical and highly visible concepts for students to understand about our changing world, yet few teaching resources explicitly address the "cascade." This roundtable with Center for Land Surface Hazards (CLaSH) leaders will introduce introductory undergraduate instructors to existing and upcoming opportunities and initiate a discussion about what other resources would help engage 2YC and other intro-level students in understanding surface hazard cascades in their region.
Strategies and Best Practices in the Development and Execution of Youth Outreach Programs
Moderators: Leah Turner and Elise Gonzales (GeoFORCE)
This roundtable will spotlight the often-overlooked operational intricacies of youth outreach programs, using examples from GeoFORCE Texas at the University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences, celebrating it's 20th summer in operation. Despite its impactful work, the day-to-day efforts involved, from staff recruitment to engaging stakeholders and executing contracts, often go unnoticed. The session aims to help participants identify crucial factors for successful partnerships, understand best practices in youth outreach collaboration, and prioritize essential elements for the longevity and impact of such programs. Bridging the gap between the unseen work of programs like GeoFORCE Texas and broader impact initiatives, this discussion will equip attendees with insights to effectively develop, contribute to, and partner with youth outreach programs.
Supporting Neurodivergent Students
Moderators: Wendi J. W. Williams (South Texas College), Caitlin Callahan (Grand Valley State University), Anita Marshall (University of Florida)
Join us to discuss the neurodiversity that contributes to our learning, teaching and working spaces. Framing our conversations to recognize and celebrate the range of individuals' strengths and challenges, we can better include our students, our colleagues, and even ourselves as we consider environments and systems through which we interact using purposeful inclusive design strategies. A brief overview of neurodiversity will contextualize our brief time together, as well as resources will be shared to continue our growth in understanding and aiding our next steps moving forward.
Sustainability of Geosciences Departments: Looking to the Future
Moderators: Shondricka Burrell (Morgan State University) and Aaron Ball (University of Tulsa)
Join in the discussion of creative ideas, strategies, and best practices for supporting sustainability of geoscience departments.
Becoming an NAGT Officer or Leader
Moderators: Mike Phillips (Illinois Valley Community College)
Interested in learning more about how to get involved with NAGT leadership? Come join current NAGT leaders who will share information about leadership opportunities in NAGT and provide insights on their experiences. From serving on committees to leading webinars, there are a variety of ways to engage, and hope you will leave the roundtable wanting to jump in!
Friday
Atmospheric Science Data in the Earth Science Classroom: Sources and Suggestions
Moderator: Cody Kirkpatrick (Indiana University-Bloomington)
Numerous courses in the earth science curriculum include at least some analysis of atmospheric science and climate data. At this roundtable, I would like to bring earth science educators together to share some of the ways they use meteorological or climatological data in their courses. We can share useful websites, datasets with which you've had success (or ones to avoid), resources that are easy to use and access, and ones that you or your students enjoy and come back to frequently in class. During the roundtable, we will curate a list of the most popular and favorite resources to share with all attendees.
The State Geological Surveys' Role in Recruiting and Engaging the Next Generation of Geoscientists
Moderator: Stacey Daniels (Pennsylvania Geological Survey) and Adam Ianno (Pennsylvania Geological Survey)
Join the Pennsylvania Geological Survey in a discussion about the role state geological surveys play in recruiting and engaging the next generation of geoscientists. Most citizens have no idea that state geological surveys exist, let alone what they do or the educational and professional resources they offer to their stakeholders. How can state geological surveys connect with students and educators, and in what ways can approaches be adapted to engage a wider audience that effectively generates more interest in the geosciences? The goal of this discussion is to share what state geological surveys have to offer with educators and to brainstorm ideas for outreach and engagement, outside of traditional internship programs and the occasional outreach event, for all levels of education.
GER at EER: What Should Future Programming Look Like?
Moderators: Annie Klyce (Vanderbilt University), Laura Lukes (University of British Columbia), Kim Cheek (University of North Florida), Katherine Ryker (University of South Carolina)
The EER offers many important opportunities for geoscience educators to gather - including participating in and offering one another professional development in geoscience education research! If you conduct (or want to conduct) GER, please join us for a strategic planning roundtable to discuss opportunities and strategies to organize high quality GER programming at future EERs. We will share results from a community-wide survey on topics and formats of broad interest, and discuss how best to engage the largest number of stakeholders possible to support our mighty and growing community.
Online Introductory Geoscience Labs: Challenges and strategies to support engagement and learning
Moderator: David McConnell (North Carolina State University) and Andrea Bair (Delta College)
The proportion of American college students choosing to enroll in at least one online course more than doubled in the last ten years. More introductory online lab courses in the geosciences are now being offered than ever before. Fully online lab courses can potentially provide flexibility of time and location, personalize the learning environment, and extend access to a broader audience than face-to-face courses alone. How does student engagement and learning compare in online vs. face-to-face lab modalities? Join us to learn how we have approached designing and teaching asynchronous online geoscience labs, share your experiences and ideas, and contribute to community documentation of challenges and strategies for success.
Recruiting Students into Geosciences
Moderator: Lynn Marquez (Millersville University of Pennsylvania)
In a world of declining college enrollments, how do we attract students to join the geosciences? Once we successfully recruit students into our program, how do we retain them? Is a traditional geology program enough or even appropriate anymore? This roundtable is designed for faculty attempting to grow their geoscience programs while maintaining the experiences and skills that lead to successful employment for our graduates.
Diverse Geoscience Career Mentorship
Moderators: Adam Papendieck (The University of Texas at Austin) and Julie Ferguson (University of California, Irvine)
Description coming soon.
New NASA Opportunities
Moderator: Barbra Sobhani (University of Colorado at Boulder)
Description coming soon.
The NAGT Traveling Workshop Program - Into Its 2nd Decade
Moderator: Walt Robinson (North Carolina State University)
Over the past 10 years, the Traveling Workshop Program (TWP) has helped more than 90 departments and programs become stronger, more inclusive, and better at serving their students. As we enter our second decade, we seek ideas from the community about how TWP can best continue to support geo/enviro science departments, programs, and educators.