HEATHER MACDONALD’S IMPACT ON 2YC GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION IN NORTH CAROLINA

Geoscience faculty members from Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech) in North Carolina have been participating in professional development activities co-led by Heather Macdonald for over a decade. It started with one faculty member’s attendance at a workshop titled “Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Teaching, Research, and Managing Your Career” in 2005. Attendance at additional workshops and conferences followed, with the participating faculty bringing new ideas back to share with the larger group of geoscience faculty at the college. The Wake Tech geoscience program has grown and evolved over time, and has benefited from the positive and impactful guidance of Heather Macdonald.

Wake Tech geoscience faculty members have most recently participated in the Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education in Two-Year Colleges (SAGE 2YC) project. Selected faculty attended national SAGE 2YC workshops in 2012 and 2013, and in 2014 they began hosting regional workshops so all Wake Tech geoscience faculty, as well as other 2YC geoscience faculty around the state, could benefit. In 2016, two Wake Tech faculty members formed a North Carolina Change Agent team under the SAGE 2YC: Faculty as Change Agents project. Over the years, the SAGE 2YC project has provided many opportunities for the participating North Carolina geoscience educators to explore ways to increase student success and interest in geoscience.

To date, Wake Tech has hosted five, one-day regional workshops for geoscience educators from more than 10 different 2YCs, 4YCs, and state government agencies across North Carolina. The workshops have been designed to assimilate all three strands of the SAGE 2YC project, including topics such as metacognition, backwards design, accessibility, and increasing diversity in geoscience. The regional community has been building over time, increasing collaboration and professional socialization between the North Carolina educators. Some participants have attended multiple events and have further encouraged colleagues to attend. There is strong interest in continuing the workshops, as well as developing partnerships among additional institutions across the state.