Essays on Geoscience at Two-Year Colleges

More Questions than Answers: Identifying Geoscience Career Opportunities part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Cheryl Resnick, Illinois Central College
Illinois Central College is located along the Illinois River in Peoria, Illinois. We currently serve approximately 12,000 FTE students. Our three full-time faculty teach sections of introductory Earth Science, Physical Geology, and Meteorology. We also teach a two week field course each summer that takes students out west for hands-on learning. The faculty who teach physical geology require multiple field trips to local and regional locations, teaching students basic field observation techniques...

Texas A&M Geosciences and the increasing role of transfer students part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Eric Riggs, Humboldt State University
Texas A&M University at College Station is the flagship university for the Texas A&M System, and as such is a major destination for transfer students, both from inside and outside the A&M system. The College of Geosciences consists of four academic departments and many organized research centers spanning the core geoscience disciplines of Geology & Geophysics, Geography, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences...

A "Jobs in Geosciences" Speaker Series: Addressing What Geologists Really Do part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Lynsey LeMay, Virginia Peninsula Community College
The geology department at Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) recently initiated a program to bring geologists employed in a variety of fields to campus. Noted both anecdotally and through survey data collected about perceptions and careers in geosciences, students often have misconceptions about what geologists actually do in their various job functions. To address these misconceptions, the "jobs in geosciences" speaker series was started. This was funded by a small grant from the TNCC Educational Foundation.

2YC / 4YC Collaboration to Bring Geospatial Technology to a Rural Region part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Tora Johnson, University of Maine at Machias
I teach geospatial technology (GST) in two two-year programs shared between the University of Maine at Machias and Washington County Community College, both in beautiful and remote Downeast Maine. The Associate of Science program is administered by WCCC and the certificate program is administered by UMM; all courses are taught by UMM faculty.

Engaging Students Through Research at a 2YC part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
I can honestly say that for the past six years of teaching full-time I have been excited about going to work every day. The prospect of having the opportunity to introduce something new to a group of students, or explain something that they take for "granite" everyday gives me as much excitement and contentment as my regular morning tall Starbuck House Blend coffee! I like to think that all college professors had that one instructor, professor, or advisor that made them want to go down the path of education and forgo the path of fame or fortune in the geosciences.

PRIME - Promoting Research Investigations in the Marine Environment - A program for 2YC students part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Jan Hodder, University of Oregon
I am a marine biologist at the University of Oregon's Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB) and the Director of the Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence -Pacific Partnerships (COSEE-PP). The COSEE-PP project has concentrated on providing 2YC faculty and students with professional opportunities to work with ocean scientists and learn about current ocean science research...

Working Towards a Geoscience Degree part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Erica Barrow, Ivy Tech Community College-Central Indiana
Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana's only 2-year college, is still transitioning from a technical college to an all-encompassing fully accredited community college. Within the science department we have 4 full-time faculty members who cover the basic science disciplines (biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science) through introductory laboratory classes...

Creating and Promoting 2-Year Geoscience Degrees part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Debra Woodall, Daytona College
I joined the faculty at Daytona State College (DSC) in 2008 as the first and only geoscience professor—which continues to be true. My initial responsibilities included teaching introductory courses in Oceanography and Geology—predominately to non-science majors. While teaching these courses, I quickly became aware of the immense opportunities to grow the geosciences; Daytona Beach is not only located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, but also lays at the front door of the most diverse ecosystem in North America—the Indian River Lagoon Estuary.

A Geologic Pathway to Success part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Tania Anders, Mt. San Antonio College
Among the geoscience community, geology is increasingly referred to as "the science of the 21st century". The general public isn't as aware of the importance of geology and career options in the field...

Sustainability and Hanford Reach part of Integrate:Workshops and Webinars:Systems, Society, Sustainability and the Geosciences:Essays
Tracy Lai, Seattle Community College-Central Campus
Tracy Lai, Humanities/Social Sciences, Seattle Central Community College The struggle over Hanford Reach, the last wild stretch of the Columbia River, is difficult to understand unless we take an interdisciplinary ...

Collaboration Between Wake Tech and NC State to Increase the Number and Diversity of Geoscience Students part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Gretchen Miller, Wake Technical Community College
I have been successful in recruiting several students into geoscience majors in recent years simply through enthusiastic teaching and identifying students who are asking the right kinds of questions. I keep an email list of interested students, and forward any relevant information regarding educational opportunities...

Working Toward a Statewide Transfer Agreement for Geology in Colorado part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Eleanor Camann, Red Rocks Community College
Preparing students for transfer to bachelor's degree programs in geology and related disciplines is one of my primary goals as discipline lead and the only full-time geology faculty member at Red Rocks Community College (RRCC). To that end, I have become heavily involved in curriculum development and revision at the state level in order to strengthen our courses, and have worked with faculty from other institutions to determine course requirements for an AS in Geology degree. I will focus on the latter efforts for this essay.

2YC students from a 4YC chair's perspective part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Matthew Schwartz, The University of West Florida
As chairperson of a four year college department of Environmental Studies, I have two main types of interaction with 2YC students: 1) I have worked directly with 2YC students via a course designed as part of a collaborative ATE research grant and 2) we accept many 2YC students as transfers into University of West Florida...

Early Advising and Successful Transfer to Four-Year Degree Programs part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Michael Cummings, Portland State University
The Department of Geology at Portland State University offers B.S./B.A. in Geology and B.S./B.A in Earth Science. The B.S./B.A. in Geology is the program for students intending to practice as professional geologists. The B.S./B.A. in Earth Science is a supporting degree for other professions such as law, K-12 teaching, urban and regional planning...

Using a 2+2 Agreement and a Simulated Geological Investigation to Improve Student Preparation part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Andrew Smith, Warrick County Soil and Water Conservation District/Crane Environmental Services llc
At Vincennes University we have found a number of techniques to be effective in preparing students for the geoscience workforce and/or transitioning to four-year programs. I would like to highlight two of the methods we use to improve student preparation.

Water Resources Management part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Mustapha Kane, Florida Gateway College
This project is a Water Resources Technology field work at the Suwannee River Water Management District monitoring stations in the Ichetucknee basin in North Florida.

Identifying geoscience 'majors' at Waubonsee part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
David Voorhees, Waubonsee Community College
I have been teaching Earth Science, Geology, Astronomy and Geography full time at Waubonsee Community College for 10 years. As most of my teaching is the General Education Survey of Earth Science class, a 3-­‐credit lecture course covering physical geology, oceanography, meteorology and astronomy, I don't have many, or know of many, geoscience majors in my classes, although I have identified several over the years using various techniques, four of which are described below.

UT El Paso-El Paso Community College Activities part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Diane Doser, University of Texas at El Paso
For the past ~3 years the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has been working with El Paso Community College (EPCC) to help ease the transition of geoscience and environmental science students between our institutions. We have initiated a number of activities to accomplish this including: articulation of degree programs, review of introductory course content, cross-institution research projects with EPCC students and co-sponsored student research symposiums...

Not a Teacher, But Want To Play a Really Good One in the Classroom part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Ian Miller, Peninsula College
I am a specialist with Washington Sea Grant and my paycheck comes from the University of Washington, but my work site is at Peninsula College, a small 2-year college on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. In return for office space I am responsible for teaching at least one class a year, and because I am also developing a research program I recruit and work with students as interns...

Preparing Students for Geoscience Careers -- CCSF part of SAGE 2YC:Workshops:Preparing Students in Two-year Colleges for Careers:Essays
Katryn Wiese, City College of San Francisco
After transferring to a 4YC, my 2YC students should feel competitive, confident, and supported. To achieve that goal means setting up a support network of faculty and fellow students and giving them strong foundational skills, knowledge, and experiences. It also means building career and workforce skills. Since I cannot supply all of this myself, I rely on colleagues at 4YCs and research labs and industry and consultants. And I strive to bring part-time faculty into my department who can help us stay fresh in what the workforce wants.