4. Review of 2016 Annual Meeting at GSA Denver
The IAGD was well represented at GSA’s annual meeting in Denver Colorado this past September. We sponsored a session entitled “Supporting Diverse Student Populations: Innovations and Strategies for Student Success”, chaired by Wendi W.J. Williams and Rene Shroat-Lewis. The session included talks from educators studying issues of diversity in the geosciences, and teachers working to design more accessible course material for students with disabilities. Talks were also presented by students who are meeting the challenges of accessibility head on, in the classroom and even out at sea! IAGD Director Chris Atchison gave an invited presentation about approaches to inclusive field work.
A highlight of this year’s annual meeting was another accessible field trip along Colorado’s Front Range. The day started with a stop at the Geology Museum at the Colorado School of Mines where participants enjoyed a world-class rock and mineral collection and were also encouraged to provide feedback to museum directors to help improve the accessibility of the museum for future visitors. A stop at the famous Interstate-70 roadcut in Golden provided an opportunity to work in teams to interpret this spectacular geologic feature. The next stop was Red Rocks Amphitheater where lunch was served along with an amazing view of Ship Rock; an erosional remnant of the Fountain Formation. Of course, a stop at Red Rocks would not be complete without a photo op at the “Great Unconformity” which represented approximately 1.5 Billion years of erosion! The day ended with a stop at Dinosaur Ridge, where well-preserved footprints and bones of several species of dinosaur are easily accessible thanks to thoughtfully designed visitor walkways. It was a great day of geology with a great group of people.
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- The GSA Booth Photo Op
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- Tactile Maps introduced in the field at Denver
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- Working in the Field.
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- Group photo from the field in Denver.
