Alexandria, VA - Few people have impacted the public understanding of geoscience as much as Dr. Scott Tinker. His documentary Switch, co-produced with Harry Lynch as part of the Switch Energy Project, has screened at over 350 universities, and reached an estimated 3 million people globally. In 2013, it will be distributed in thousands of Earth Science Week kits to students worldwide. For this, and many other esteemed accomplishments, Tinker has been presented the American Geosciences Institute award for Outstanding Contributions to the Understanding of Geoscience. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - The Center for Geoscience Education and Public Understanding at the American Geosciences Institute has released a landmark report on the status of Earth Science education in U.S. middle and high schools. The report, “Earth and Space Sciences Education in U.S. Secondary Schools: Key Indicators and Trends,” offers baseline data on indicators of the subject’s status since the release of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in April 2013. [Read More]

Today, a national center focused on the geosciences launches the world’s most comprehensive and up-to-date online clearinghouse for Earth and space science information and educational resources. The Center for Geoscience Education and Public Understanding’s searchable web site (www.geocntr.org) provides the geoscience community, schools, and the general public with an extensive collection of resources and research from reliable science and education organizations. “Teachers, media, families, and policy-makers should bookmark this site as the starting point for research about Earth and space science education,” said Ann Benbow, director of the Center. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - The majority of bachelor’s and doctoral graduates did not participate in an internship experience during their postsecondary career. In contrast, the majority of master’s graduates did have at least one internship experience. Most of these bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students that held an internship considered their internship experiences to be “very important.” Of these master’s candidates, 48% were employed within the geosciences at a company they had previously interned at the time. [Read More]

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) would like to thank Mr. Lewis (Stan) Pittman for his continued service to the AGI community by honoring him with the William B Heroy Jr. Award. Pittman has served on AGI committees for over a decade, serving in financial roles, including the AGI Executive Committee treasurer. AGI is grateful for Pittman’s service helping shape AGI’s financial goals. Along with his leadership roles with AGI, Pittman is also recognized for his educational and industry contributions. [Read More]

The Executive Committee of the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is proud to announce that Dr. Peter Scholle has been awarded the AGI Medal in memory of Ian Campbell honoring his contributions to the geoscientific community. When measured against the career of the medal’s namesake, Scholle’s colleagues lauded his accomplishments and underscored his leadership both as a scientist and educator. Scholle has conducted research on carbonate sedimentology and petroleum geology in nearly 30 countries and has written, coauthored, or edited eight books, more than 250 papers and abstracts, and 28 CD-ROMs and other computer or audio visual products. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — Readers are advised to download the newly corrected version of the 2013 Status of Recent Geoscience Graduates report. An error was found in the title and x-axis labels on the figure on page 20. The data in the figure displays geoscience graduates that are seeking, or have accepted a job position outside of the geosciences. The associated text has been changed now correctly represents the data presented. [Read More]

An important question asked of recent graduates with geoscience majors is why they chose to major in the earth sciences. Recent analysis of over 400 responses from the National Geoscience Student Exit Survey from 71 geoscience departments identified several common answers among the respondents. Of those surveyed, many declared a geoscience major during their formative undergraduate years for a variety of reasons: Enjoyment working in the outdoors A lifelong interest in the subject Desire for career opportunities Read more [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) and the National Park Service (NPS) invite you to participate in the fourth annual National Fossil Day on October 16, 2013, during Earth Science Week (October 13-19). National Fossil Day brings together paleontologists, educators, and students from across the country to participate in fossil-related events and activities outdoors, in classrooms, and online. AGI and the NPS have developed resources and activities to highlight the scientific and educational value of paleontology, as well as the importance of preserving fossils for future generations. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - Recent analysis of over 400 responses from the National Geoscience Student Exit Survey from 71 geoscience departments identified distinct trends for bachelor’s-, master’s- and PhD-level participants on quantitative classes and core science courses. Notably, 70% of all participants had taken Calculus I and II; following those courses, there was a significant drop in bachelor’s- and master’s-level candidates pursuing further mathematics coursework. Meanwhile, PhD candidates listed multiple courses past Calculus II. [Read More]