Posts Tagged ‘Workforce’

GeoConnection Webinar: USGS EDMAP Program - Training the Next Generation of Geoscientists

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

EDMAP is an interactive and meaningful matching-funds grant program with universities for students to gain experience and knowledge in geologic mapping as well as contribute to the national effort to geologically map all of the United States.

The American Geological Institute invites you to join us September 21, 2010 at 1:00 pm (US EDT) to listen to EDMAP participants: John T. Haynes of James Madison University; Randall C. Orndorff of the U.S. Geological Survey; and Alan F. Halfen Ph.D. Student at the University of Kansas; discuss the program’s history, future, and benefits.

This program trains the next generation of geologic mappers and is one of the three components of the congressionally-mandated U.S. Geological Survey National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP). Geology faculty, skilled in geologic mapping, request EDMAP funding to support upper-level undergraduate and graduate students at their institution in a one-year mentored geologic mapping project that focuses on a specific geographic area. Also, each EDMAP proposal must be closely coordinated with a State Geologist or a USGS geologic mapping project. Every federal dollar awarded is matched with university funds. EDMAP has supported 144 universities and over 850 students from geoscience departments across the Nation.

The webinar is free. Visit AGI’s GeoWebinar page to learn more and register: http://www.agiweb.org/workforce/webinars.html.

This webinar is co-sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey.

AGI to Co-chair Session at 2010 AGU Fall Meeting

Monday, August 9th, 2010

The American Geological Institute (AGI) will be co-chairing a session with the YES Network at the 2010 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting (13-17 December 2010) on creating professional development resources for early-career geoscientists.

This session aims to address the low percentage of geoscience graduates that transition successfully into the profession. National Science Foundation data indicates that approximately 14 percent of all geoscience graduates work in the core geoscience profession, and another 22 percent work in closely-aligned disciplines. With approximately 50 percent of the current workforce expected to retire within the next 10 to 15 years, there is a critical need for establishing professional development resources that will boost the flow of geoscience graduates into the profession.

AGU abstracts submissions are currently being accepted and the last day for submissions will be September 2, 2010. To submit your abstract to this session, please search for session ED27: Creating Professional Development Resources for Early-Career Geoscientists.

MSU Proposes Eliminating Department of Geological Sciences

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Michigan State University has proposed closing its Department of Geological Sciences.   This measure is part of a larger cost-saving effort to deal with state budget shortfalls and the economic downturn.  The Geological Sciences Department at MSU is home to undergraduate, masters and doctorate-level programs.

For more information about the school’s proposed changes and the administrative process involved, visit the school’s official website at http://shapingthefuture.msu.edu/ and http://news.msu.edu/story/7056/.  Read reactions to the proposed department closing in the Haspsoftware.com press at the Lansing State Journal website and StateNews.com.

If you would like to get involved, the  next Board of Trustees meeting is December 11th, 2009, and there is an online petition for those who disapprove of MSU’s proposal.

Geoscience Currents #26: Catchment Areas for Geoscience Program Student Recruitment

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Geoscience Currents #26 examines the sources of high school graduates from which geoscience programs and their universities recruit. Geoscience departments see students coming from generally the same catchment as their parent institution, though geoscience students tend slightly to be more “local” than their peers on campus. Some regional variations are evident, especially in the Northeast where a higher percentage of undergraduate students are recruited from outside the region as compared to other U.S. regions. Also, geoscience departments in the South tend to have a higher percentage of bachelor degree recipients that graduated from high schools in the South as compared to all bachelor degree recipients from universities in the South. Read more in Geoscience Currents #26.

Y.E.S. Congress 2009 Roundtable Registration Now Open

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Registration is now open for the Y.E.S. Congress 2009 roundtable symposia. The roundtables will include a series of short presentations by subject matter experts, a panel discussion and then working group sessions in which roundtable participants will work together to propose actions and tasks for the Y.E.S. Network to address in solving the issues raised by the roundtable session presentations and discussions. The roundtables will engage both senior and young geoscientists as both presenters and participants and aim to foster a prominent conversation between scientists, policy makers and society as a whole. . Roundtables session deal with two main topics: scientific challenges of our generation and academic and career pathway challenges for young geoscientists. Although registration is not required for roundtables, participants are encouraged to register in order to reserve a seat at the roundtable session. There will also be a virtual component to the roundtable sessions for those participants who are not able to join the Y.E.S. Congress in person. Virtual participants are required to register in advance of the meeting.

Details, schedules, and registration information for roundtable symposia can be viewed at:  http://www.yescongress2009.org/RoundtableDetails/Roundtables.html.

Roundtable Symposia Sessions

Climate Change in the Polar Regions
Natural Resources and Energy Sustainability
Natural Hazards

Transfer of Credentials / International Licensure
Issues Facing Global Geoscience Education and Research
Women in the Geoscience Workforce
Industry-Academic Linkages

Synthesis & Strategy - Summary of Roundtable Sessions

About the Y.E.S. Congress 2009

The Young Earth-Scientists for Society (Y.E.S.) Network, an association of earth-scientists who are under the age of 35 years that represent geological organizations and companies from across the world, in collaboration with the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) is organizing the first international YES Congress. The conference will focus on global climate, environmental and geological challenges facing today’s society, as well as career and academic pathway challenges faced by young geoscientists. The conference also aims to establish an interdisciplinary global network of individuals committed to solving these challenges, and furthering the IYPE motto of “Earth Sciences for Society”. The conference will be hosted at China University of Geosciences in Beijing, China from 25 to 28 October. More information about the conference can be viewed at:  http://www.yescongress2009.org/.

TeraGrid “Bridge Day” Strengthens K-12 Science Education

Friday, August 14th, 2009

The National Science Foundation sponsored TeraGrid program is a partnership of people, resources, and services working to advance scientific research, technology, and education. A key part of this mission is helping educators better prepare  students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

On June 25th, 2009, TeraGrid hosted a Bridge Day event that brought middle school and high school teachers together with experts in high performance computing (HPC) to discuss strategies for improving STEM education. Bridge Day gave these teachers a small sample of the resources TeraGrid provided to K-12 classrooms this year.

Find out more about TeraGrid at http://www.teragrid.org/.

Maps in Schools Project

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

The Corpus Christi Geological Society is busy inspiring a new generation of young geologists with its Maps in Schools project.

Retired petroleum geologist Owens Hopkins came up with the Maps in Schools project as a way to get young people curious about Earth Science at an early age. Towards this end, CCGS has presented over 1300 laminated, framed USGS Geologic Maps of Time and Terrain to schools throughout the country. Each map is accompanied by an explanatory booklet and a 45 minute presentation to students and teachers from a CCGS geologist.

Interested in helping fund or distribute these maps? Find out more by visiting the CCGS website, http://www.ccgeo.org/phase1.asp.

Geoscience Currents 22: Student Debt by Degree Field

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Geoscience Currents 22: Student Debt by Degree Field compares the student debt load of geoscience bachelor degree recipients and master’s degree recipients with other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degree recipients. Geoscience bachelor’s degree recipients tend to have higher student debt load when compared to other STEM degree fields. The majority (55%) of geoscience bachelor degree recipients have a debt-load in excess of $10,000. Similarly, in comparison to other STEM fields, geoscience master’s degree recipients tend to have higher amounts of debt.
Read more in Geoscience Currents #22: Student Debt by Degree Field.

Geoscience Currents #24: U.S. Geoscience Salaries Continue Upward Climb

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Geoscience Currents #24 examines the latest salary data in geoscience professions. U.S. Geoscience salaries for all geoscience-related professions continue to exceed the national mean salary for all other science occupations in 2008. Petroleum engineering salaries lead all other geoscience occupations at $119,400, and salaries for geoscientists (except hydrologists and geographers) averaged $89,300. Salaries for environmental scientists and specialists averaged $65,280, just $1,000 over the national average for other science occupations. Read more in Geoscience Currents #24.

Geoscience Currents #23: Geoscience Enrollments Jump Sharply in 2008-2009

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Geoscience Currents #23 takes a look at the most recent enrollment and degrees granted data for the geosciences as collected by the American Geological Institute, for the academic year of 2008-2009.US undergraduate geoscience enrollments jumped sharply in 2008-2009, increasing by 8% to 22,191. This increase reflects reports from departments about increasing numbers of new majors, much of which appears driven by increased awareness of energy and environmental issues.This increase is not seen at the graduate level, which tends to lag undergraduate trends by several years and is also contrained by the number of available research and teaching assistantships. This is also somewhat reflected in reports from departments about increased trouble for new bachelor recipients to gain admission to geoscience graduate programs. Read more in Geoscience Currents #23.