EDUCATION

Through institutional partnerships involving collaborative teaching and course components, AESEDA provides exciting and diverse educational opportunities involving interdisciplinary programs at Penn State, as well as collaborative work with both domestic and international partners.

AESEDA reaches students of all ages.

High School Opportunities

High school students are sponsored by AESEDA to participate in the Summer Experience in Earth and Mineral Sciences (SEEMS), which is organized by the Upward Bound Math and Science Program. SEEMS provides an excellent opportunity for students from underrepresented groups, as early as the 9th grade, to spend six weeks during the summer in residence at Penn State. Students participating in SEEMS receive classroom instruction in core academic areas in addition to a collaborative team research project lead by faculty and graduate students. SEEMS research projects emphasize creativity and critical thinking, and stress the teamwork, research and communication skills that are crucial to the future success of students. The SEEMS program will produce both short-term and long-term changes in the participation of African-Americans in the Geosciences.

Undergraduate Opportunities

Penn State undergraduate students can enroll in an interdisciplinary minor in Science, Society and the Environment of Africa. This minor is designed to offer students an educational vehicle through which to integrate study of sciences and humanities in the context of the natural resource potential development of Africa. The minor will satisfy part of the degree requirements of the Earth Sciences B.S. degree.

Penn State is a host to undergraduate students who are taking part in the Summer Research Opportunities Program. The program is designed to interest talented, undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in academic careers and to enhance their preparation for graduate study through intensive research experiences with faculty mentors.

AfricaArray summer geophysics field experience in South Africa. During summer 2006, AfricaArray will be offering a 6 week summer field experience for up to 5 students for HBCUs. The field experience will be embedded in the Penn State SROP program and the students will spend 3 weeks at Penn State and 3 weeks doing field work in South Africa. For additional information, please contact Dr. Andrew Nyblade.

Undergraduate Course Offerings

"Georesources, Poverty and Power: A Close Look at Africa," EMSC 100. Gold, diamonds, oil, sapphires, and copper are among the many georesources that are exploited on the African continent. Yet, much of the wealth from these resources flows into the pockets of national elites and multinational corporations while the large majority of local populations continue to live in poverty and without access to basic educational and health infrastructure. Minerals that are used in our laptops and cell phones today have fueled environmental destruction, conflict, and even war. This interdisciplinary seminar will take a case-study approach to assess the geographic, social, economic, and political dimensions that surround resource extraction, wealth, and power. In small groups, each focusing on one particular country, students will identify the major local, national, and international stakeholders that are involved in the new scramble for Africa. Students will also develop scenarios to explore potential future visions for resource management. Group projects, presentations, and discussions will form a critical component of this seminar. Throughout the course, the instructor will assist students in enhancing their writing, speaking, and debating skills. At the end of the semester, students will submit one paper that describes their most ambitious vision for socially just and environmentally sustainable georesource extraction for one of the case-study countries. For more information please contact the instructor, Dr. Petra Tschakert.

"Participatory Research and Methods", GEOG 497B is a course offered in the Spring of 2006, that focuses on theoretical, conceptual and practical tools that enhance the science-practice interface through more empowering research processes and linkages to policy formulation and governance. It provides an overview of the origin of participatory methods from participatroy rural appraisals to participatory learning and action. For more information please contact the instructor, Dr. Petra Tschakert.

"Environments of Africa: Geology and Climate Change," Earth/AAAS 105, is taught at Penn State's University Park and Delaware County Campuses. A project is underway to transfer this course into a web-based course to be offered in Spring 2006. It is sponsored by the Dutton e-Education Institute and the Schreyer Institute. For more information, contact Dr. Tanya Furman.

Spanning two semesters, this CAUSE program began in Spring 2005. Rather than a traditional 3-day-a-week lecture format, this unique course will use video conferencing technology for our students to regularly interact with students in a "sister course" at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. The course culminates in a three-week trip to South Africa in June 2005, where students will work in teams with their South African counterparts to conduct applied research and policy analysis in three different communities.

"Labor in the Global Economy (Work and Industrial Relations)," Geography 497H/Sociology 532, collaborative course taught by Chris Benner with Eddie Webster at University of the Witwastersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa) via videoconference. This course develops a framework for understanding the nature of contemporary processes of economic restructuring and its impact on the world of work by examining case studies in the changing nature of work drawn from research in both the South African and U.S. context. For more information, please contact Dr. Chris Benner.

Globalization and Sustainable Development in Africa, EM SC 470W Course taught fall 2006 and spring 2007 by professors Petra Tschakert and Chris Benner. This course examines how globalization has shaped environmental, social, economic, and political processes throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Students will get familiar with participatory research methods to be used during the field research trip. Information for application will be available January 2006. Admission to the course will be by permission of the instructors. Contact Dr. Tschakert (petra@psu.edu) or Dr. Benner (cbenner@psu.edu) for further details.

International Experience: opportunities for any of our undergraduate students to study abroad at AESEDA partner institutions. For further information contact Dr. Tanya Furman.

Graduate Opportunities

Graduate students will soon have the opportunity to enroll in the Sustainable Georesource Management (SGRM) graduate program. This Master of Professional Studies program will provide the base skill set to manage extractive industries with special emphasis on how technical decisions impact the environment, the business and the local and regional community. This program utilizes a multidisciplinary approach with some course work and a professional internship to be held in-country. The degree will be offered in a residential mode for the first full year, followed by the internship.

AfricaArray degree training program in geophysics. AfricaArray runs a degree training program in geophysics (BSc honors, MSc, PhD) at the University of the Witwatersrand. Further details can be found at AfricaArray.

Additional Opportunities

Intern with AESEDA: semester long internship experiences with individual faculty members in various aspects of office management, graphic design, marketing, budget planning, research and speech writing. For further information contact the AESEDA Office.

The Mondialogo Engineering Award is a partnership initiative of UNESCO and Daimler Chrysler designed to promote international cooperation and the sharing of ideas between young engineers in developing and developed countries.

AESEDA/Jackson State University Joint Program—In July 2005, AESEDA will partner with Jackson State University enabling them to become the first HBCU to have a department of physics, atmospheric sciences and geosciences, and a B.S. in earth systems science. Exchange courses will be available at Penn State, including summer research opportunities for students and faculty. If students from Jackson State apply to graduate school at Penn State, they will be funded by the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

Engineers for a Sustainable World: Involving students, faculty, and community members, Engineers for a Sustainable World works to improve the quality of life for the people in developing nations and communities by helping find appropriate technical solutions to their problems. This is accomplished by providing research, design, and educational development opportunities to undergraduate and graduate level students while collaborating with peers at host universities in the developing nations. For more information please contact Dr. Tom Colledge.

AfricaArray has openings for Post-doctoral positions in geophysics at the University of the Witwatersrand. For information, please contact Dr. Andrew Nyblade.