Webinars

Geology licensure and its role in student preparation and program assessment

Friday, February 7, 2025 at 1:00 PM EST | 1 hour

The ASBOG® Fundamentals of Geology Examination is a requirement for a person to become a Licensed Professional Geologist and to offer geologic services to the public in States that register geologists by examination. Join Randy Kath, Senior Geologist at Petrologic Solutions, Inc and ASBOG® Academic Assessment Coordinator and Jack Warner, Psychometrician with Test, Inc to learn how this exam is being used to not only prepare students for entry into the workforce but also how the Fundamentals of Geology exam is helping departments assess their geology programs.

Graduate student perspectives on the importance and difficulty of finding a research group

Friday, March 7, 2025 at 1:00 PM EST | 1 hour

Joining a research group is one of the most important events on a graduate student’s path to becoming an independent researcher and earning a Ph.D. Despite its importance, graduate students’ perspectives on the experience of finding a research group are not well-documented. In this webinar, our panelists will use data collected in the context of physics graduate education to illustrate how successfully joining a research group tends to increase students’ sense of belonging in their programs which can lead to improved student retention and overall graduate experience.

Our panelists are:

• Dr. Mike Verostek - Post Doctoral Research Associate, School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Dr. Casey Miller - Sr. Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Dr. Ben Zwickl – Associate Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy and Co-Director of the Center for Advancing Scholarship to Transform Learning, Rochester Institute of Technology

Jumpstart Your Broader Impacts with the ARIS Toolkit!

Friday, April 4, 2025 at 1:00 PM EDT | 1 hour

Many researchers often take a limited view in thinking about the Broader Impacts (BI) of their research. For example, a researcher may suggest that building a lab website, working with a graduate student, and publishing their work in journals is enough to meet the needs of the BI criteria when in fact, they are basic job expectations at most universities or colleges. Or some PIs might think that working with K-12 school children is the only way to meet their BI requirements.

The NSF Funded ARIS center (Advancing Research Impacts in Society) has a robust collection of digital tools and resources ready to help you create an exciting Broader Impacts (BI) plan! Whether you’re crafting an NSF proposal or simply flexing your STEM communication muscles, our toolkit is here to help you turn ideas into action.

Our speakers are:

• Janice McDonnell, Co-PI Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS), Rutgers University
• Dr. Susan Renoe, Associate Vice Chancellor, Division of Research, Innovation & Impact, Executive Director, ARIS, University of Missouri