“Next week, five scientists from the University of Akron will be presenting their findings at an unprecedented meeting of 10,000 thinkers from the geological, agronomical and crop sciences. Held at the Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, the first annual Joint Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies will take place Oct.”
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Next week, five scientists from the University of Akron will be presenting their findings at an unprecedented meeting of 10,000 thinkers from the geological, agronomical and crop sciences.

Held at the Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, the first annual Joint Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies will take place Oct. 5-9.

Many research papers will be presented to groups of 50-100 scientists, and 10 Joint Plenary Sessions will be held for all 10,000 visitors to attend.

Most of the papers presented focus on geological disciplines such as crop and agronomic sciences.  Some of the topics discussed include water contaminants, biofuel production and the impact of new technologies on the environment.

The University of Akron will be well-represented with five scientists presenting on various topics.

Kyle Gray, a doctoral candidate at the Department of Curricular and Instructional Studies, will be presenting his paper titled Student Responses and Attitudes Concerning the Use of Physical Models in a Large Classroom Environment.  The paper contains research findings concerning the effectiveness of small-scale models and other physical teaching aids in postsecondary education.

Gray, who plans to teach at the university level, has attended several smaller conventions throughout his career.

Asked if he was excited to attend such a unique meeting, Gray seemed unimpressed.

I’m older than most of the grad students here, he said.  It’s starting to become routine.  It’s the same people you see every year.  Essentially what we’re saying is ‘Here’s what we did the past year, and here’s what we found out.’

If not exciting, the conference will at least be extremely useful and educational. 

Professional networking and friendships could last a lifetime between colleagues and information is shared freely.

The real benefit is meeting people from other schools, Gray explained.

One of the lesser-known facts about the University of Akron is that it remains one of the leaders in Geology Education, and its reputation will grow after next week.

Dr. David Steer, associate professor at the Department of Geology and Environmental Science, will be presenting Evaluating Higher Order Thinking Skills in Large General Education Geology Courses for Non-majors.

His research intends to push college education forward by determining how more complex activities could be implemented into general education science requirements.

Specifically, my research is looking at who can best learn in that environment and the best variables that affect their learning, clarified Dr. Steer.

Other UA presenters include Dr. Lisa Park, professor at the Department of Geology and Environmental Science, who will present A View From the  Interior – Tales of Ostracods, Blue Holes and the Origin of Six Pack Pond and From Salina to the  Salinas – The Influence of Roger Kaesler on An Ostracodologist.

Park will also act as chair for two sessions: Future Research Directions of Paleontology, and one on research in the Bahamas.

Jeffrey Hirko, graduate student in the Department of Geology and Environmental Science, will present Conduit Origin  and Paleohydrology of Haynes Cave, Monroe County, West Virginia.

Sara M. Sipahioglu, graduate student in the Department of Geology and Environmental Science will complete the circle with Event Deposition and Biological Response of a Saline Inland Pond: Storrs Lake, San Salvador Island, Bahamas.

When UA sends its brightest thinkers in the fields related to geology to Houston it helps the visibility of the university.

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