AAG Seeks Reviewers for EDGE Project

The AAG’s “Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education (EDGE) in Geography” project, funded by NSF, is developing a collection of professional development resources for graduate students and early career faculty. The resources will be published in print, online, and CD format and will provide practical advice and strategies for improving knowledge and skills in areas such as teaching, time management, writing grant proposals, academic publishing, professional ethics, and career planning.

These materials are being prepared in response to a longitudinal assessment of the professional development needs of more than 300 graduate students and early career faculty who have participated in workshops, surveys, and interviews conducted by researchers with the Geography Faculty Development Alliance, a project that has sponsored summer institutes for advanced doctoral students and untenured faculty since 2002.

EDGE researchers are currently planning the details of the review process.  This page will be updated when information becomes available.  In the meantime, interested individuals and programs should contact Michael Solem (msolem@aag.org) to request further information.

EDGE Workshops for Graduate Students and Early Career Faculty

The 2008 AAG Annual Meeting program will feature workshops based on the two books produced by the AAG’s EDGE project, Aspiring Academics and Teaching College Geography.  Workshops are also being planned for AAG regional meetings later this year (the schedule will be announced in a future issue of this newsletter and at www.aag.org/edge).

Graduate students and early career faculty are especially encouraged to attend these workshops.  Participants will receive a complimentary copy of one of the books and $100 for completing an evaluation questionnaire following the workshop.

Wednesday, April 16

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

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

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.

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

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

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. 

Thursday, April 17

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

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

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.

Friday, April 18

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

Instructor: Patricia Solis – Association of American Geographers

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.