The Geography Faculty Development Alliance (GFDA) Early Career Workshop offers hands-on training experience for geographers preparing for an academic faculty career or who are in the early years of a faculty position, either tenure-track or on an annual contract, at any type of higher education institution.
This program is designed for graduate students and faculty who are beginning their careers in higher education — including adjunct instructors, lecturers, assistant professors, and other untenured faculty. The goal of the workshop is to help participants balance the many responsibilities of academic life and to understand how their teaching, research, service, outreach, and personal lives intersect and interconnect.
Enrollment is limited to 30 participants and the registration deadline is June 1, 2024.
The 2024 workshop focuses especially on teaching and learning topics, particularly issues revolving around designing effective courses, online education, diversity and inclusion, and active pedagogy. Other sessions will address some of the most frequent sources of stress in the first years of a faculty appointment. In the past, these topics have included:
- Writing grant proposals
- Publishing
- Time management
- Academic conferences & networking
- Professional ethics
- Preparing for the job search
- Promoting collegiality
- Understanding the tenure process
- Balancing personal and professional life
Virtual sessions will be held in the afternoons starting at 1:00 pm Eastern Time, with plenty of time for breaks.
Questions about the workshop may be sent to the AAG’s Senior Advisor for Geography Education, Dr. Michael Solem.
Registration fees
AAG members: FREE!
Individuals whose AAG memberships are current may attend the 2024 GFDA Early Career workshop at no cost. Registration is required and may be completed by selecting the button above and following the directions to sign in to your AAG account.
Non-AAG members: $250
The fee for non-members includes access to all sessions and materials. Select the button above to register and follow the instructions to sign up for an AAG account. If you already have an account sign in to your account.