NAGT Activities at the 2025 GSA Annual Meeting

NAGT is pleased to sponsor a variety of sessions, workshops, short courses, and meetings at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America held in San Antonio, Texas, from 19–22 October 2025. Please consider attending the following sessions highlighting key issues of importance to geoscience educators at all levels. For those that will be onsite in San Antonio, we will have some information at the NAGT booth. More information about NAGT activities at GSA will be added to this page as it becomes available.

NAGT Booth

Visit us at booth #716 in the exhibit hall! The NAGT booth will be open all week. Interested in helping staff the NAGT booth? Add yourself to our booth sign-up sheet or contact Brianna Douglas (bdouglas@carleton.edu) if you're interested in volunteering.

Informal "NAGTea" Gatherings

Visit the NAGT booth for informal gatherings around a variety of topics! Hot water, tea, and mugs will be available--or bring your own! Gatherings will happen at the table at the NAGT booth or adjacent tables in the exhibit hall, as needed. These will be scheduled closer to the conference.

Town Hall and Listening Session

Tuesday, October 21, 10-10:30 am | Exhibit Hall Innovation Spotlight Stage

What challenges are geoscience departments and programs facing, and what resources would help heads and chairs address those challenges? Joing NAGT Executive Director Anne Egger and other representatives from NAGT to discuss these topics and more at the Innovation Spotlight Stage in the GSA Connects 2025 Exhibit Hall.

Association Business Meetings

NAGT meetings, including the annual business meeting of the association, and meetings for each Division, will be held virtually around the time of GSA. These meetings are open to all NAGT members and provide opportunities to hear about NAGT activities in the past year and plans for the future. Keep an eye out for scheduling details as they become available. We hope you will join us.

Virtual NAGT, GSA GED, GeoCUR Joint Awards Ceremony

Friday, September 26, 2025 (Open to all current members to invite friends/colleagues; Online) 12:00-1:00pm PT / 1:00-2:00pm MT / 2:00-3:00pm CT / 3:00-4:00pm ET

Join NAGT, the GSA Geoscience Education Division, and CUR to celebrate the achievements and contributions of our community. We look forward to honoring our awardees.

Join the ceremony (Zoom link)

NAGT Annual Business and Council Meeting

Details coming soon.

All members are invited to attend NAGT's annual business and Council meeting to hear about the past year at NAGT and what we have planned for next year.

Two Year College Division Business Meeting

Wednesday, October 8 (Open to all current members) 5:00-6:00pm PT / 6:00-7:00pm MT / 7:00-8:00pm CT / 8:00-9:00pm ET

Join NAGT Geo2YC for their annual Division business meeting. All members are invited to attend.

Geoscience Education Research Division Business Meeting

Details coming soon.

Join NAGT GER for their annual Division business meeting. All members are invited to attend.

Teacher Education Division Business Meeting

Wednesday, October 8 (Open to all current members) 5:00-6:00pm PT / 6:00-7:00pm MT / 7:00-8:00pm CT / 8:00-9:00pm ET

Join NAGT TED for their annual Division business meeting. All members are invited to attend.

Join the meeting (Microsoft Teams link)

Socials and Receptions

Are you hosting a geoscience education-related reception? Contact Mitchell Bender-Awalt (mawalt@carleton.edu) to get your event added to this page.

Geoscience Education Division Educators' Reception

Monday, October 20, 2025 (Open to all attendees) 6:00-8:00pm | Iron Cactus Mexican Restaurant and Margarita Bar

Join NAGT and the GSA Education Division for an evening of socialization, networking, and reconnection.

NAGT-Sponsored Topical Sessions

Sunday, October 19

2YC and 4YCU Geoscience Student Research Poster Showcase

Sunday, October 19, 8am
Session Advocates: Gretchen L. Miller, Kelsey Russo-Nixon, Jessica Kelley, Ian Brown, Stephanie Rollins

Endorsers: GSA Geoscience Education Division, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), NAGT Geoscience Two-Year College Division (Geo2YC), American Geophysical Union (AGU), GSA Limnogeology Division, Geological Society of Africa (GSAf), NAGT Teacher Education Division (TED)

Description: This session is designed for two-year college (2YC) and four-year college and university (4YCU) students presenting research posters in any sub-discipline of geoscience.

Geoscience Education Research: Methods, Frameworks, and Results from Emerging Scholars (Oral Session)

Sunday, October 19, 1:30-5:30pm
Session Advocates: Elizabeth Kenderes, Larry Collins, Caitlin Callahan

Endorser(s): GSA Geoscience Education Division, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) (GER Division), National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA)

Description: This session will highlight empirical research being done in the field of geoscience education as well as the methods and theoretical frameworks that shape our field. Presenters are encouraged to highlight their decision-making process in research studies. New approaches and applications of established methods/frameworks are also encouraged. Early career and student presenters who submitted abstracts to the Totten session will be considered for the Geoscience Education Division's Totten Awards.

Current Advances in Geoscience Education Research (Posters)

Sunday, October 19, 8am
Session Advocates: Larry Collins, Victor J. Ricchezza, Stacy Yager

Endorsers: GSA Geoscience Education Division, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) (GER Division), National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), GSA Geoinformatics and Data Science Division, Geological Society of Italy, National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA)

Description: This session will highlight empirical research being done in the field of geoscience education. We welcome submissions from geoscience education researchers at all career stages to showcase projects that highlight current areas of interest in the discipline.

Expanding Neurotypical Borders: Building a Future of Inclusion with Disabled and Neurodivergent Perspectives in Geoscience (Pardee Keynote Symposia)

Sunday, October 19, 2:30-6:00pm

Session Advocates: Taormina Lepore, Jennifer Wagner, Ian O. Castro

Endorser(s): GSA Diversity in the Geosciences Committee, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), Paleontological Society (PS), International Association for Geoscience Diversity (IAGD), GSA Geology and Society Division, National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA), Mineralogical Society of the UK and Ireland (MS), Mineralogical Society of America (MSA), Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP), International Medical Geology Association (IMGA), International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG), American Geophysical Union (AGU), GSA Geoarchaeology Division, GSA Planetary Geology Division, GSA Karst Division, GSA History, Philosophy, and Geoheritage Division, GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division, Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG), NAGT Teacher Education Division (TED), NAGT Geoscience Two-Year College Division (Geo2YC), GSA Hydrogeology Division, GSA Geobiology and Geomicrobiology Division, History of Earth Sciences Society (HESS)

Description: We invite contributors and audience participants of all backgrounds to learn, lead, and celebrate disability and neurodivergence as core to our fields and our collective and intersectional science identities.

Monday, October 20

Balancing Tradition and Innovation: Evolving Geoscience Curricula for a Changing World (Posters)

Monday, October 20, 8am

Session Advocates: Miriam Barquero Molina, Angela Van Boening

Endorser(s): GSA Geoscience Education Division, American Geosciences Institute, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), NAGT Teacher Education Division (TED)

Description: This session examines geoscience curricula balancing traditional foundations and innovative, interdisciplinary approaches. We invite abstracts exploring how programs address evolving societal challenges while preparing students for licensure exams and diverse career pathways.

Current Advances in Geoscience Education Research (Oral Session)

Monday, October 20, 8-11am

Session Advocates: Larry Collins, Victor J. Ricchezza, Stacy Yager

Endorser(s): GSA Geoscience Education Division, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) (GER Division), National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), GSA Geoinformatics and Data Science Division, Geological Society of Italy, National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA)

Description: This session will highlight empirical research being done in the field of geoscience education. We welcome submissions from geoscience education researchers at all career stages to showcase projects that highlight current areas of interest in the discipline.

Diversifying Geoscience Education Across the Academic Playing Field: Using Creative Methods to Foster the Current and Next Generations of Geoscience Professionals, Part I

Monday, October 20, 8am-12pm

Session Advocates: Leonard Melzer, Steven Jaret, Maya Pincus, Sarah L. Sheffield

Endorsers: GSA Geoscience Education Division, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), NAGT Teacher Education Division (TED), NAGT Geoscience Two-Year College Division (Geo2YC), National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA), American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

Description: A wide range of geoscience educators across several disciplines will share a multitude of diverse and innovative ideas regarding lesson plans, projects, and pedagogical techniques best suited for today's ever-changing classrooms.

Diversifying Geoscience Education Across the Academic Playing Field: Using Creative Methods to Foster the Current and Next Generations of Geoscience Professionals, Part II

Monday, October 20, 1:30-5pm

Session Advocates: Leonard Melzer, Steven Jaret, Maya Pincus, Sarah L. Sheffield

Endorser(s): GSA Geoscience Education Division, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), NAGT Teacher Education Division (TED), NAGT Geoscience Two-Year College Division (Geo2YC), National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA), American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

Tuesday, October 21

Quantitative and Data Analysis Skills in Geoscience Education: Supporting Student, Course, and Program Outcomes, Part I (Oral Session)

Tuesday, October 21, 8-11:30am

Session Advocates: Eric Baer, Rory McFadden, Beth Pratt-Sitaula

Endorser(s): GSA Geoscience Education Division, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), GSA Geoinformatics and Data Science Division, NAGT Teacher Education Division (TED), National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA)

Description: Quantitative and data analysis skills are critical for geoscientists but often a barrier for students. This session includes strategies for skill development, from activities to geoscience-focused quantitative skills courses to departmental innovations supporting quantitative and analysis skills across degree programs.

Quantitative and Data Analysis Skills in Geoscience Education: Supporting Student, Course, and Program Outcomes, Part II

Tuesday, October 21, 1:30-4pm

Session Advocates: Eric Baer, Rory McFadden, Beth Pratt-Sitaula

Endorsers: GSA Geoscience Education Division, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), GSA Geoinformatics and Data Science Division, NAGT Teacher Education Division (TED), National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA)

Wednesday, October 22

Balancing Tradition and Innovation: Evolving Geoscience Curricula for a Changing World, Part I (Oral Session)

Wednesday, October 22, 8-11am

Session Advocates: Miriam Barquero Molina, Angela Van Boening

Endorser(s): GSA Geoscience Education Division, American Geosciences Institute, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), NAGT Teacher Education Division (TED)

Balancing Tradition and Innovation: Evolving Geoscience Curricula for a Changing World, Part II (Oral Session)

Wednesday, October 22, 1:30-5pm

Session Advocates: Miriam Barquero Molina, Angela Van Boening

Endorsers: GSA Geoscience Education Division, American Geosciences Institute, National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), NAGT Teacher Education Division (TED)

Diversifying Geoscience Education Across the Academic Playing Field: Using Creative Methods to Foster the Current and Next Generations of Geoscience Professionals (Posters)

Wednesday, October 22, 8am

Planetary Exploration and Education: How We Learn About Our Solar System and Beyond

Wednesday, October 22, 1:30-5pm

Session Advocate: Nicholas Patrick Lang

Endorser(s): GSA Planetary Geology Division, GSA Geoscience Education Division, National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA), National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), GSA Geobiology and Geomicrobiology Division

Description: This session links how we teach and learn about the solar system to how we have gained that information (i.e., space missions). Descriptions of teaching activities/courses, and strategies for working with students are encouraged.

Quantitative and Data Analysis Skills in Geoscience Education: Supporting Student, Course, and Program Outcomes (Posters)

Wednesday, October 22, 8am

Short Courses

SC25CN526. Transforming Undergraduate Geoscience Teaching: Implementing Recommendations from a National Academies Report

Endorsed by: GSA's Planetary Geology, Mineralogy, Geochemistry, Petrology, and Volcanology, Geoscience Education Divisions
Led by: Anne Egger, Kerry Brenner
Date: Sat. 18 Oct. 2025, 1-5 p.m.
Format: In-Person
Cost: $15

In this short course, we will explore the 2025 report from the National Academies titled Transforming Undergraduate STEM Teaching. Central to the report are seven core principles that underlie effective teaching, along with recommendations for how to implement them. Our focus will be on applying these principles specifically to undergraduate STEM education in the geosciences. Through interactive discussion and practical exercises, participants will engage with the evidence behind the principles and explore how they can be translated into effective teaching strategies. By the end of the workshop, participants will be familiar with the core principles and the research supporting them, be able to describe specific teaching strategies aligned with each principle, and begin developing an action plan to implement these strategies in their geoscience courses or departmental policies and practices.

Field Trips

FT25CN401. An Educator's Look at West Texas Geology

Led by: Joshua Villalobos, Callan Bentley
Date: Thu–Sat. 16–18 Oct 2025, 12 p.m. (first day), 9 a.m. (last day)
Location: El Paso, Texas, USA
Cost: $510

This tour highlights the geological wonders between El Paso and San Antonio, emphasizing the Franklin Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, and Carlsbad Caverns. Participants will explore tectonic, sedimentary, and karst landscapes. We plan a day and a half in the field exploring these sites as well as "meta" level discussions about field trip organization and facilitation. We hope for vibrant and rich discussions set in some of the most mind-blowing geological sites of west Texas. Cost includes transportation (mini vans), two nights at the Hilton Garden Inn El Paso (double occupancy), meals, snacks, and water.

This field trip starts and ends in El Paso, Texas and will cross into Carlsbad, New Mexico. There is one Border Patrol Check point leaving El Paso County, where only non-US citizens may need to show a passport. October is conducive to mild temperatures in the region rarely falling below 65°F or exceeding 91°F so please bring appropriate outdoor gear. The climate is typically very dry year around so hydrational is essential for outdoor activities. Almost all field trip stops will be park-and-walk with one short non-strenuous hike and the trip down to Carlsbad Caverns. Water bottles, sunscreen, sunglasses, and hiking boots are highly recommended. The dry climate of the southwest is also conducive to high pollen counts and allergies, please plan accordingly. Sample collecting is permitted at all stops so bring your rock hammer and collecting bags, though there is no collecting in Carlsbad National Park. Restroom availability will be intermittent but accessible if needed.