Geosciences workforce awareness is critical for students in preparation for employment following their formal education. The nations of the world are facing a daunting range of geoscience-related environmental challenges, including climate change, declining fisheries, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and coastal development, among many others. As society strives to grapple with these issues and the complex economic, political, and environmental implications, geoscience graduates are finding an increasingly wide array of potential career pathways, both inside and outside of academia.
This webinar series is a follow-up to the workshop conducted during the 2016 AGU Fall Meeting exploring career pathways for geosciences students. The webinars explored pathways not covered during the workshop. More information on the series is posted below, along with links to the archived webinar recordings.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Coastal resilience is a term quickly working its way into communities around the world. As coastal communities face increased flooding events due to storms and climate change, the ability to face these threats is increasingly important. A coastal community’s ability to prepare for and rebound from flooding events can reduce environmental, health and economic impacts. Researchers from the geoscience community play a key role in working with communities to affect policy change.
- Sheila Hutt, Center for Geospatial and Visualization Computing group, Old Dominion University
- Joshua G. Behr, Research Associate Professor at the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC), Old Dominion University
Thursday, October 19, 2017
This webinar reviews the range and evolution of skills necessary to prepare students, within the ocean sciences, for academic employment in the 21st century. Learn more about ocean technologies, ICT (big data), diverse engineering (renewable energy, aquaculture), social sciences (e.g. Coastal & Marine Spatial Planning), resource economics and their role in the academic forum.
- Ivar Babb - Director, University of Connecticut’s Northeast Underwater Research, Technology and Education Center (NURTEC)
- Dr. Robert Chen - Professor, School for the Environment, Director of the Center for Coastal Environmental Sensing Networks (CESN), University of Massachusetts Boston
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Speakers address their paths into the private sector, the nature of the work in their current position as well as the range of positions available in their field, and the skills and experiences that can best prepare a student interested in a similar career pathway.
- José Martinez Diaz, M.Eng., Ocean Mapping and Geospatial Specialist, Fugro Marine GeoServices, Inc.
- Thomas Rockwell, PhD, Professor, San Diego State University and Founder and former senior consultant, Earth Consultants International
