A variety of EDGE workshops and sessions are planned for the 2008 AAG Annual Meeting in Boston.   Session descriptions and schedules will be posted here in January 2008. View Sessions»

EDGE is sponsoring the following sessions and workshops at the AAG Annual Meeting in Boston, April 15-19, 2008:

Panel Session:  1634
Strategies for Student Recruitment: Graduate, Undergraduate, & Diversity Initiatives
4:20 PM - 6:00 PM

Organizer(s):
Leslie A. Duram - Southern Illinois University

Chair(s):
Leslie A. Duram - Southern Illinois University

Panelist(s):
Fred M. Shelley - University of Oklahoma
Robert Brinkmann - University of South Florida
Arthur N. Samel - Bowling Green State University
Darrel L. McDonald - Stephen F Austin State University
Lisa Marshall – UNC at Chapel Hill
Nathan J. Sessoms - University of Southern California

Introducer(s):
Leslie A. Duram - Southern Illinois University

Session Description: The issue of student recruitment is important for AAG members and geography programs across the continent.  We each work to inform the public and university community about our discipline and at the same time recruit academically talented students into our departments.  This panel will discuss several related issues, which include:  actions for graduate student recruitment efforts (both MS and PhD), innovative methods for  undergraduate recruitment, recruitment within an interdisciplinary setting, and strategies for recruiting a diverse student population.  Faculty, administrators and students will participate in this panel and we invite all other interested geographers to join in our conversation. This session is co-sponsored by the Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education in Geography Project (EDGE) conducted by the AAG with funding support from NSF.

Wednesday, April 16

Workshop:  Academic Publishing for Graduate Students and Early Career Faculty
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Organizer(s): 
Beth Schlemper - University of Toledo
Michael Solem – Association of American Geographers

Instructor(s): 
Stanley D. Brunn - University of Kentucky, Department of Geography

Workshop Description:  Aspiring professionals in the academy as well as those entering the public and private sectors are usually expected to be able to initiate or collaborate with others on research projects that advance a field or subfield. While a good first step in reporting findings and getting feedback is to present to appropriate audiences at workshops and conferences, the major method of communication with colleagues is through publication. This workshop is designed to address some of the nuts and bolts of publishing in the academy, specifically the preparation of manuscripts for the peer review process. This workshop is sponsored by the AAG’s Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education (EDGE) in Geography project and is based on material developed for the book Aspiring Academics. Priority will be given to graduate students and early career faculty. Participants will receive a complimentary copy of the book and learn about opportunities to serve in an evaluation program funded by EDGE.

Panel Session:  2160
Supporting Women In Geography
8:00 AM – 9:40 AM

Organizer(s):
Marina Viola - Pennsylvania State University
Beth Bee - Pennsylvania State University

Chair(s):
Beth Bee - Pennsylvania State University

Panelist(s):
Dawn Biehler
Jennifer L. Fluri - Dartmouth College
Yolonda Youngs - Arizona State University
Jennifer Mapes - University of Southern California
Amy Trauger - Penn State University
Emily Murai - University of Minnesota - Minneapolis
Bonnie Kaserman - University Of British Columbia
Melinda Alexander - Arizona State University
Session Description: This session will serve as an informal workshop for the purposes of fostering long-term connections between SWIG groups, sharing resources and strategies, and supporting the formation and maintenance of new SWIG chapters.

Workshop:  Looking Beyond the Lecture: Promoting Significant Learning in Large Classes
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Organizer(s):
Beth Schlemper - University of Toledo
Michael Solem - Association of American Geographers

Instructor(s):
Douglas W. Gamble - Department of Geography & Geology, UNC Wilmington

Workshop Description:  Teaching a large class is frequently the reality of a new academic position and can be a key to positive professional development. Successful instruction of a large class involves looking beyond the lecture and engaging a class through active learning that emphasizes information and ideas, experience, and reflection. This workshop will prepare participants for large classes by guiding them through development of an appropriate course format, aligned active learning exercises, and effective classroom management. This workshop is sponsored by the AAG’s Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education (EDGE) in Geography project and is based on material developed for the book Teaching College Geography. Priority will be given to graduate students and early career faculty. Participants will receive a complimentary copy of the book and learn about opportunities to serve in an evaluation program funded by EDGE.

Thursday, April 17

Workshop:  Advising Students in Geography
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Organizer(s):
Beth Schlemper – University of Toledo
Michael Solem – Association of American Geographers

Instructor(s):
Fred M. Shelley - University of Oklahoma
Adrienne M. Proffer - University of Central Oklahoma

Workshop Description:  The purpose of this workshop is to introduce and discuss principles of academic advising as articulated by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), and to apply these principles to the discipline of geography at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. We discuss NACADA’s philosophy and identify the core values of academic advising. We then develop several principles by which instructors in a college setting can carry out these core values, paying particular attention to the application of these principles to geography as a discipline. Workshop participants will read case studies, participate in role-playing exercises, and undertake group discussions in order to illustrate the operationalization of these principles and practices. This workshop is sponsored by the AAG’s Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education (EDGE) in Geography project and is based on material developed for the book Aspiring Academics. Priority will be given to graduate students and early career faculty. Participants will receive a complimentary copy of the book and learn about opportunities to serve in an evaluation program funded by EDGE.

Panel Session:  3506
Career Planning for Graduate Students
1:00 PM - 2:40 PM

Organizer(s):
Beth Schlemper - University of Toledo

Chair(s):
Beth Schlemper - University of Toledo

Panelist(s):
Antoinette WinklerPrins - Michigan State University
Douglas W. Gamble - University Of North Carolina - Wilmington
Cary Komoto - University of Wisconsin - Barron County
Thomas J. Baerwald - National Science Foundation
Eric J. Fournier - Samford University
Stanley D. Brunn - University of Kentucky

Session Description: This session addresses various aspects of career planning for graduate students from the perspective of geographers in professions both inside and outside of academia.  Some of the topics include teaching, publishing, grant proposals, professional development, and preparing for both academic and non-academic positions.  One of the goals of the AAG's Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education (EDGE) in Geography Project, funded by the National Science Foundation, is to understand and to raise awareness of the types of knowledge and skills that will prepare graduate students in the twenty-first century for a variety of careers.  Along with a solid foundation in the discipline, effective career planning and professional development are important elements of enhancing graduate education.

Paper Session:  3406
Research on Graduate Education in Geography: A Review and Discussion of Findings
3:10 PM - 4:50 PM

Organizer(s):
Beth Schlemper - University of Toledo
Michael N. Solem - Association of American Geographers

Chair(s):
Beth Schlemper - University of Toledo

Introducer:  Kenneth E. Foote - University of Colorado
Presenter:  Michael N. Solem - Association of American Geographers, Departmental Climate and Student Experiences in Graduate Geography Programs,
Jenny Lee, co-author - University of Arizona
Beth Schlemper, co-author - University of Toledo
Presenter:  Ivan Cheung - Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Skills in Professional Geography:  An Assessment of Workforce Needs and Expectations,
Michael Solem, co-author - The Association of American Geographers
Beth Schlemper, co-author - The Association of American Geographers
Discussant: Janice Monk - University of Arizona
Discussant: Beth Schlemper - University of Toledo
Discussant: Nathan J. Sessoms – University of Southern California
Discussant: Bradley Blumer - Michigan State University
Discussant: Nick Hopwood - Oxford University

Session Description: This session will feature two papers reporting the first set of research findings by the AAG's Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education (EDGE) project, funded by the National Science Foundation.   The session will begin with a brief overview of the goals and design of EDGE as an example of a discipline-based approach to studying the process and outcomes of graduate education.   Following the introduction will be two papers.   The first paper reports a comparative analysis of graduate students' perceptions of departmental climate and experiences within M.A. and Ph.D. geography programs.  The second paper focuses on the skills expected of geography graduates in different sectors of the U.S. workforce.   Session discussants will consider the implications of the research for improving climate and professional development practices in graduate programs.

Panel Session:  3501
Your first job: Being hired and surviving the early years. Part II
3:10 PM - 4:50 PM

Organizer(s):
Bruce L. Seivertson - Imperial Valley College
Diana Casey - Muskegon Community College

Chair(s):
Bruce L. Seivertson - Imperial Valley College

Panelist(s):
Bruce L. Seivertson - Imperial Valley College
Kerry Lyste - Everett Community College
Diana Casey - Muskegon Community College
Angie Evans Wood - Blinn College
Tim E. Schultz - Green River Community College
Michelle D Sievertson

Session Description: How does a new faculty member speak for geography when they are the singular voice? Geography faculty at community colleges, two-year institutions, and small liberal arts colleges often find themselves without a content mentor. Additionally, they frequently face a unique set of questions as they become acquainted with their new teaching and community environments. This panel will discuss some of the challenges and successes they have encountered during their careers, including where they looked for jobs, how they found jobs, what types of salaries new graduates can realistically expect to receive, and how they have represented their college within community life.

Friday, April 18

Workshop:  Preparing Competitive Research Grant Proposals
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Organizer(s):
Beth Schlemper – University of Toledo
Michael Solem – Association of American Geographers

Instructor(s):
Patricia Solis – Association of American Geographers

Workshop Description:  Beyond the duties of teaching, research, publishing, and service, expectations that academics should generate external funding are increasingly important. This workshop aims to give advice on how to do that successfully by focusing on Ten Actions You Should Take. It includes practical recommendations for preparing competitive research grant proposals and habits of mind that will help you as a researcher who is successful at generating external funding. Participants will conduct two major activity sets that utilize successful example NSF proposals and participant’s own writing samples. The exercises are designed to help you focus on a good research problem and formulate a convincing, coherent proposal that can be delivered on time and on budget. This workshop is sponsored by the AAG’s Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education (EDGE) in Geography project and is based on material developed for the book publication Aspiring Academics. Priority will be given to graduate students and early career faculty.  Participants will receive a complimentary copy of the book and learn about opportunities to serve in an evaluation program funded by EDGE.

Panel Session:  4437
Women's Roundtable 3: Women's Experiences in Varied Academic Settings
2:30 PM - 4:10 PM

Organizer(s):
Jennifer L. Mandel - University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Chair(s):
Jennifer L. Mandel - University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Panelist(s):
Ebru Ustundag - Brock University
Babette Audant - CUNY Graduate Center
Monica Varsanyi - Arizona State University
Maria Elisa Christie - Virginia Tech
Ellen R. Hansen - Emporia State
Jennifer L. Mandel - University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Session Description: The focus of this panel is women's experiences in a various academic settings ranging from research one universities, to small teaching oriented colleges including those working in geography departments and inter-disciplinary settings. Each panelist will speak to their experiences in these settings focusing on specific topical areas such as department/university climate, work/life issues, advancement, administrative vs. academic work, etc.