Personal information
Biography
Dr. Laura A. Guertin is a Distinguished Professor of Earth Science at Penn State Brandywine in Media, PA. She received her B.A. in Geology from Bucknell University and her Ph.D. in Marine Geology and Geophysics from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.
Dr. Guertin’s research portfolio includes the effective integration of innovative technologies to improve student learning and student information/science literacy in introductory-level geoscience courses. Another area of her original contributions is the creative arts for science communication, such as science storytelling through quilting, including an entire 19-quilt collection from her time at sea on JOIDES Resolution: https://www.sciodquilts.studio/
She has earned several awards at the campus, state, and national level for teaching, advising, and research mentoring. She is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America (GSA) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She has been honored with the GSA Biggs Earth Science Teaching Award, and the INSIGHT Into Diversity 2015 Inspiring Women in STEM Award. Penn State awards include the Penn State Brandywine Distinguished Teacher Award, Penn State – Commonwealth College Award for Teaching Excellence, Penn State University's George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Academic Integration.
She is the campus coordinator for the Environmental Inquiry Minor and Earth Sustainability Certificate. She has received grant funding from the National Science Foundation, EPA, U.S. Science Support Program for Scientific Ocean Drilling, the Society of Women Environmental Professionals, and Penn State. She is a past chair and councilor of the Geoscience Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research and a former councilor with the National Association of Geoscience Teachers and The Oceanography Society. She served nine years on the Board of Trustees of Tyler Arboretum (Media, PA) and chaired its Education Committee. She blogged for eleven years for the American Geophysical Union (AGU) on geoscience education, educational technology, and science communication at GeoEd Trek, now available at: https://geoedtrek.org/ This blog was recognized as part of The 2015 Dean’s List: 50 Must-Read Higher Ed I.T. Blogs by EdTech: Focus on Higher Education.