Building Strong Geoscience Departments for the FutureCathy Manduca, Carol Ormand Carleton College

Heather Macdonald, Geoff Feiss, College of William and Mary

Randy Richardson, University of Arizona

Tim Bralower, Penn State

Sponsored by NAGT, GSA, AGI, and AGUWith NSF funding

http://serc.carleton.edu/departments

Supporting individual departments

Strengthening the geosciences as a whole

•Promoting communication and discussion

•Sharing information and resources

•Enabling collective action

Phase 1: Establishing Need and PrioritiesPhase 2: Priority Challenges/Opportunities

Topical Workshops: face to face venue for discussion and sharing

Web Resources: extending the discussion and resources to a broader audience

Guidance for undergraduate programs:the curriculum and beyond

Where is our science going?Connecting Geoscience Departments to the Future of Science: New Structures for Research and Curriculum Carleton College, May 2007, 24 departments

Where are our students going?The Role of Geoscience Departments in Preparing Students for Professional Careers College of William and Mary, January 2007, 26 departments

• What are the major themes that are central to geoscience research in the next 25 years?

• What are the key elements of curricula that will prepare geoscience students for the future we envision?

• What types of programs and structures (within and beyond the department) are needed to support this research and education in the future?

Where is our Science Going?Connecting Geoscience Departments to the

Future of Science

• An Increased Emphasis on Addressing Societal Grand Challenges– Bounding likely scenarios for the future through an

understanding of history, the Earth system and modeling

• Understanding More Completely System Behavior– Geo-bio– Earth and space– Models as drivers of data collection and research

• Interdisciplinary Interactions and Cross-disciplinary Synthesis– Collaborations on campus and beyond

Where is our Science Going?

• Learning how to study the integrated Earth System – Data, models, systems approach– Interdisciplinary teams and collaborations

• Learning how geoscience contributes to solving grand societal challenges– Problem based approaches in courses and undergraduate research– Geoscience as a contributor, understanding context

• Preparation for a rapidly changing discipline– Strong foundational skills (what are these?)– Ability to use skills in a wide variety of problems/activities– Learning to learn

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Directions for Undergraduate Programs

• Developing Breadth of Expertise– Curriculum based hiring not

strategic– Hire, grow or collaborate

• Being Recognized as a Player– The contributions of geoscience– Your place on campus

• Fostering Collaboration

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Implications for Geoscience Departments

• An Increasingly Wide Variety of Places– Petroleum, Mining, Environment, Academia, Government – 29% of students intend to look at “non-traditional” careers

• Most Require a Professional Attitude and Skills– Responsible– Running with an Assignment– Teamwork, Writing

• Many Require Geoscience Skills– Field– Quantitative

• Many Require International Skills– Language– International comfort

Where are our Students Going?The Role of Departments in Preparing Future

Geoscience Professionals

• Students need to know about the breadth of career opportunities available - keeping track of alumni can be a valuable resource here

• Courses and other departmental activities can come together in synergistic ways to support a diversity of career interests - course, field trips, leadership opportunities, real world experiences, networking can all be important

• Students often need help learning to recognize and articulate the skills that they have mastered - this skill is critical to flexibility in the job market

• Others on campus share your concern with developing successful professionals - seek out and use campus resources like the career center

Key Themes From the Workshop

• Workshop Presentations and Discussions

• Curriculum and Program Profiles• Profiles of New Kinds of

Geoscience Faculty• Courses Connecting to the Future of

Geoscience • Writings on Interdisciplinary

Teaching and Learning• Information on Internship Programs

and their Design• Interviews of Employers and Recent

Hires Addressing Important Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes

• Career Profiles

Sharing Resources and Strategiesserc.carleton.edu/departments

• Our science is becoming more interdisciplinary, model driven and systems-based

• We have tremendous opportunities to contribute to societal grand challenges

• Our students have a wide variety of career needs and opportunities that are rapidly changing

• An emphasis on core skills, independent learning, and the ability to transfer knowledge to new settings

• Program flexibility/synergies• Collaborations on campus and beyond for

research/education/careers• Departmental discussion and planning

In Sum

Feedback

Prior to November 8• Requests for Website• Requests for topical workshops• Recommendations for other program

elementsPrior to December 15

• Website evaluation participants

Contact Cathy Manduca or Ellen Iverson at SERC