Geoscience Currents #25 takes a close look at the State University of New York College at Oneonta’s Earth Science Outreach Program (E.S.O.P.) and how it approaches recruiting new geoscience majors from the pool of high school graduates. Since its inception in 2004-2005, 402 students from 10 high schools across New York have taken advanced geoscience elective courses in their high schools through E.S.O.P. A snapshot of the most recent year for 5 schools shows 13 of 67 students (19.4%) have decided to major in the geosciences as a result of participating in E.S.O.P. Read more in Geoscience Currents #25.
Posts Tagged ‘News’
Geoscience Currents #25: Earth Science Outreach Program Recruits New Majors
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009U.S. Paleoclimatology Students Arrested in Brazil
Thursday, July 9th, 2009Three American and two Brazilian graduate students conducting paeloclimatology research in Brazil were arrested for unauthorized extraction of mineral resources. The students, who have been released on bail, are unable to leave Brazil until the legal issues have been resolved. To learn more about the research these students were conducting, and their current situation visit http://arizonageology.blogspot.com/2009/07/open-letter-signatures-sought-for.html.
Geoscience Currents #20: Geoscience and Science & Engineering Employment by State
Monday, June 15th, 2009Geoscience Currents #20 reports on geoscience and and science and engineering employment at the state level. Science and engineering employment comprises a small percentage (~2%) of every state’s total employment. Geoscience employment comprise an average of 12% of the total state science and engineering employment. Read more in Geoscience Currents # 20: Geoscience and Science & Engineering Employment by State.
Geoscience Currents 21: Percentage of Bachelor Degree Recipients with Disabilities
Friday, June 5th, 2009Geoscience Currents 21: Percentage of Bachelor Degree Recipients with Disabilities examines the percentage of geoscience bachelor degree recipients with physical disabilities as compared to other STEM fields. On average percentage of geoscience bachelor degree recipients with physical disabilities (6.45%) is on par with other STEM disciplines. Within the sub-disciplines of the geosciences there is some variation, with four sub-disciplines having higher percentages of bachelor degree recipients with physical disabilities than other STEM fields. Read more in Geoscience Currents 21: Percentage of Bachelor Degree Recipients with Disabilities.
University of Florida Geological Sciences Department Spared from Budget Cuts
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009The Geological Sciences department at the University of Florida had been slated for the chopping block due to school wide budget cuts. The department actively campaigned along with several prominent geological organizations (including the American Geological Institute) to highlight the importance of the geosciences at the University. After gaining nationwide attention, the successful campaign to keep the department open, coupled with lower than expected budget cuts school wide, has paid off. The Geological Sciences Department will continue to be a vital part of the University into the future.
Donation from Houston Couple Establishes Departmental Chair in Iowa State University’s Geology Department
Monday, May 4th, 2009AMES, Iowa—A new gift from Tom and Evonne Smith has the opportunity to transform the department of geological and atmospheric sciences in Iowa State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS).
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The Houston couple has established the Smith Family Foundation Departmental Chair in Geology to further enhance the mission of the department through a $2 million endowment.
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“This gift will provide us with unprecedented opportunities to advance the teaching and research missions of the department,” said Carl Jacobson, professor and chair of the department of geological and atmospheric sciences. Jacobson will serve as the Smith Family Foundation Departmental Chair in Geology.
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The endowed department chair will provide annual earnings that will be used by the chair to support activities within the department. The Smith Family Foundation Departmental Chair in Geology is just the second such endowed position at Iowa State. The funds will be used for such items as supporting cutting-edge research, recruitment of world-renowned faculty and attracting top students.
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“During my years at Iowa State I formed life-long friendships and to be in close proximity to outstanding faculty members was a wonderful, unique opportunity,” said Tom Smith. “Evonne and I hope that this gift will help establish the department as a world-class center of learning in the geological sciences.”
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“We’re extremely grateful for Tom and Evonne’s commitment to create this first endowed department chair position in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,” said LAS Dean Michael Whiteford. “Their appreciation for the education Tom received as a student at Iowa State speaks highly of the quality instruction offered then and today.”
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Tom Smith holds both bachelor’s (1968) and master’s (1971) degrees in geology from Iowa State. The Smiths were the founders and former owners of Seismic Micro-Technology in Houston. The couple has previously provided $370,000 for improvements at the Carl F. Vondra Geology Field Camp near Shell, Wyo. Tom Smith is also a member of the LAS Dean’s Advisory Council and a past recipient of the Citation of Merit Award, the college’s top alumni honor.
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The Smith gift will generate additional funding for items the department was unable to fund in previous years.
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“One of the great benefits of the new gift from the Smiths is that the distributions can be used broadly for faculty and student support,” Jacobson said. “We should be able to bring in distinguished scientists as part of our seminar series and expose them to our outstanding department.
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Jacobson has worked with the department’s faculty members to outline additional opportunities including lab equipment, graduate student scholarships and matching funds for national research grants.
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The gift creating the Smith Family Foundation Departmental Chair in Geology is part of Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose, the university’s $800 million fundraising effort. More than $670 million in gifts and future commitments for facilities and student, faculty and programmatic support have been made to Campaign Iowa State.
UConn adding Geoscience Major
Thursday, April 30th, 2009Beginning with the fall 2009 semester, the University of Connecticut will be adding a major in geology to the Bachelor of Science degree. The Department of Geology and Geophysics had been dissolved in 2004. Since that time students were only able to receive a geology degree through the Individulaized Major Program.
The Center for Integrative Geosciences at UConn was formed in 2005. It consisted of classes and professors from many disciplines that overlapped with the geosciences. Many students continued to take geology courses and wanted to pursue a geology degree through the Individulaized Major Program and the Center for Integrative Geosciences, thus it was deemed it necessary to reinstate geology as an official major.
With this change, it will be easier for students to declare a geosciences major and the department will be able to actively recruit students.
To learn more about geosciences at the University of Connecticut please visit http://www.geosciences.uconn.edu/.
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AGI Announces Earth Science Week 2009 Theme
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009The American Geological Institute is announcing that “Understanding Climate” is the theme for the 2009 Earth Science Week.
Climate is perhaps the most visible earth science topic in the news. Climate affects humans today just as it has for millions of years. It is also pivotal in understanding how the dynamics of our planet function across different scales of time and space. Earth Science Week 2009 will engage students, educators, and the general public in understanding all the factors driving climate and the role climate plays in the history of Earth and humankind.
“Students and the general public need to understand Earth’s climate system, above and beyond the sound bites of public debate,” says Ann E. Benbow, AGI’s Director of Education and Outreach. “Earth Science Week 2009 will provide educators, students and interested citizens with the information, resources, and activities they need for scientifically sound climate education.”
AGI coordinates Earth Science Week annually in cooperation with its sponsors and the geoscience community as a service to the public. Each year, community groups, educators, and interested citizens organize celebratory events. Earth Science Week offers the public opportunities to discover the earth sciences and engage in responsible stewardship of the Earth. Earth Science Week is supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, the AAPG Foundation, and the broader geoscience community through grassroots activities.
To learn more about this week and ways to become involved; including newsletters, local events, and classroom activities, please go to the Earth Science Week website at http://www.earthsciweek.org.
Effects of the Economic Crisis on Geoscience Departments
Monday, April 6th, 2009The Effects of the Economic Crisis on Geoscience Departments report provides a snapshot of the impacts of the economic downturn as of March 2009 on geoscience departments within the United States as well as in other countries. The report includes analyses based on institution type and regional analyses for U.S. geoscience departments.
Overall, 83 percent of geoscience departments that responded to the survey expect budget cuts for 2009 and/or 2010. These budget cuts are expected to impact faculty (reductions and hiring freezes) and support activities (IT, lab equipment, etc.) the most. Graduate student admission and graduate student support will be least impacted. Although the majority of departments expect to be viable beyond the next three years, several U.S. departments indicated that their future was “definitely” or “immediately” threatened by the impacts of the economic downturn.
Read more about how geoscience departments are weathering the economic downturn by downloading the report from the Geoscience Workforce Program’s Reports page: http://www.agiweb.org/workforce/data.html.
Second National Geographic Geotourism Competition Opens
Thursday, February 19th, 2009Online Contest Seeks Top Innovators in Sustainable Tourism
WASHINGTON (Feb. 18, 2009) - The National Geographic Society and Ashoka’s Changemakers today opened the entry process for the second annual “Geotourism Challenge” to showcase how tourism done well sustains, enhances and preserves local culture and the environment. The competition will identify individuals worldwide who have introduced the most innovative practices in tourism and destination stewardship.
Conducted in partnership with Ashoka’s Changemakers, the global Geotourism Challenge will accept online applications at http://www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge through May 20, 2009. Applicants must demonstrate an innovation that protects destination quality and furthers geotourism, defined by National Geographic as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place - its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.”
During this period, anyone can debate, endorse or provide additional information on the entries. A distinguished panel of judges - including Keith Bellows, editor of National Geographic Traveler magazine, and Erika Harms, United Nations Foundation’s executive director for sustainable development - will review the applications and select the finalists. The online community will then vote for the geotourism challenge winners, who will be announced this summer. Each winner will receive a cash prize of $5,000.
“The year’s competition theme, ‘Power of Place - Sustaining the Future of Destinations,’ focuses on protecting the locales where history, culture and nature live. We want to recognize business and civic innovators who sustain distinctive places for the enjoyment of current and future generations,” said Jonathan Tourtellot, director of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations.
Last year’s Geotourism Challenge produced 320 nominations from 83 countries. The three winners and 12 finalists gathered at National Geographic’s Washington, D.C., headquarters in October to present their innovative business models at the first Geotourism Challenge Summit attended by 150 country dignitaries and representatives of funding institutions and tourism-industry, conservation and preservation groups. The competition also created an online community of geotourism activists, ranging from preservationists to developers. All can use competition results and resources to apply holistic geotourism principles locally by consulting the Changemakers Web site, http://www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge.
“Changemakers is very excited about this opportunity to partner once again with National Geographic to highlight this important issues,” said Ashoka’s Changemakers Executive Director Charlie Brown. “Our last competition revealed a wide selection of amazing innovations in geotourism. We are looking forward to many more such creative projects surfacing this spring within the Changemakers community.”
The Geotourism Challenge is one of the key programs of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations (CSD). For more information on geotourism and destination stewardship, visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable.