12 Dr. Brendan Hanger Teaching Assistant Professor; Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Mineralogy, Field Geology, Geoscience Education G’Day. I arrived in early August to begin as a Teaching Assistant Professor with a focus on igneous and metamorphic petrology, mineralogy, field geology and introductory classes. It was a big move coming from the Australian National University, Canberra where I had been for nine years, firstly as a graduate student, and then as a lecturer. I’m originally from Melbourne, Australia and I did my undergraduate studies in geology, chemistry and chemical engineering at Monash University. After that I headed to the Australian National University, Canberra where I completed a PhD in Mantle Petrology, looking at how changes in the redox state and fluid activity in the deep mantle could affect the stability of diamond, though I mainly looked garnet peridotite. Whilst I was looking at samples from South Africa, I spent most of my in experimental and analytical laboratories. During my PhD, I had many opportunities to TA courses in petrology and introductory geology, and developed a real passion for educating students about the Earth. After finishing my PhD I was lucky enough to get an opportunity as a lecturer at the Australian National University for 2.5 years, where I taught a range of courses including petrology, mineralogy, geochemistry, hydrogeology and introductory geology, as well as lots of field geology. My role in the Boone Pickens School of Geology is a unique and developing role. My major focus is on undergraduate education and therefore I will be aiming to constantly improve and update aspects of our program, starting with my own courses. Last fall I taught Physical Geology and Mineralogy, whilst I’m currently teaching Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Volcanology and a freshman honors course on Earth Resources, and I’ve also covered part of Marine Geology. This coming summer will also be the first of many years teaching field camp, which is another part of my role. During my interview I spent a few days out at camp, and I’m very excited to get back there in May for a full camp, especially I have already taught many of the students who will be there. All of this has been very fun, but not without challenges, and it keeps me constantly busy. So far there have been a number of field trips including the Arbuckles (Physical Geology), Glass Mountain/Salt Flats (Mineralogy) and the Wichita Mountains (Igneous Petrology), and I’m constantly looking for new ideas of where I can take students. Most of the courses I am teaching are being completely overhauled, and I’m very keen to integrate more geochemistry and field geology into igneous and metamorphic petrology, as well as more quantitative aspects into all my teaching. Developing new courses is also part of my role, and so far I have reintroduced volcanology after a multi-‐year hiatus. Next fall will see an economic geology course taught for the first time since the 90s, bringing in a focus of traditional and developing mineral and metal resources. We have also developed ‘Exploring Earth: An Introduction to Geology’, to replace ‘Geology and Human Affairs’ from fall 2018, and I will be writing a new lab course to complement this. I’m also planning to develop new labs for Physical Geology and hope to add some fun new activities for the students (and TAs). I’m also expected to help develop our TAs as teachers, and from next year onwards I will be aiming to improve their teaching ability, and thus student learning. Next year will be another big year, and I’ve also got some ideas for developing a few more student field experiences, including potential study abroad courses as well trips to see some of the geological highlights of the USA. Whilst the first months in Stillwater have been hectic, I have also had the chance to relax and try new things, including going to both football and basketball games. I must admit it is hard to understand a football game that is somehow much faster and much slower than the Australian Rules Football I am used to watching, and I was happy to find that I can watch cricket on TV easily enough. I have also spent many hours enjoying cycling the rolling hills around Stillwater, and survived winter temperatures well anything I had previously experienced. If you want to know more about myself or my role, or know where I can get some good rocks for teaching some of my courses (new or old), feel free to contact me. Dr. Mary Hileman Visiting Assistant Professor; Sedimentology; Petroleum Geology The 2017-‐2018 school year marks my tenth year as a faculty member of the Boone Pickens School of Geology. I started teaching one course each semester in the Spring of 2009 and began teaching full-‐time in the Spring of 2011. I am currently a full-‐ time Visiting Assistant Professor with responsibility for teaching 6 courses each year. 1) Geology of the National Parks (GEOL 3043): This popular elective Online course for Junior and Senior non-‐science majors, is offered twice a year (Fall and Spring semesters). The focus for this course is to understand basic geologic concepts and scientific methodology, using 26 of the U. S. National Parks as examples. I prepare and record the lecture videos, as well as write the quizzes and exams. The online enrollment for Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 has increased from 75 students last academic year to 100 students both semesters this year. The factor limiting enrollment for this Natural Science Distribution course is the A & S College required written component. For this course, students write a 4 page research Term Paper on the geology of one of 17 National Parks not covered in lecture. This paper includes: a Thesis Statement, an Outline and Bibliography, First Draft and Final Draft. Use of grading rubrics enables equivalent grading for parks with geology as different as Gates of the
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