R. Heather Macdonald

Education

• Ph.D. & M.S., University of Wisconsin
• B.A., Carleton College

Current Projects

• Faculty as Change Agents: Transforming Geoscience Education in Two-year Colleges (http://serc.carleton.edu/sage2yc/index.html)
• Geoscience Education Research community projects:
  • http://serc.carleton.edu/earth_rendezvous/2016/program/morning_workshops/w3/index.html
  • http://www.nagt.org/nagt/profdev/workshops/geoed_research/index.html
  • http://serc.carleton.edu/earth_rendezvous/2015/morning_workshops/w3/index.html
• Recruitment, Preparation, and Retention of Math and Science Teachers: Noyce Scholars Program and the Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow (TCT) Teaching Fellows Program
• On the Cutting Edge: Strong Undergraduate Geoscience Teaching (http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/index.html)
• Building Strong Geoscience Departments

Research Interests

Geoscience education, faculty professional development, geoscience in two-year colleges, teacher education

Selected Publications

Beane, R.J., McNeal, K.S., & Macdonald, R.H. (2019) Broadening participation: Results from the National Geoscience Faculty Survey. Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 67, p. 427-445. https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2019.1621714

Macdonald, R.H., Beane, R.J., Baer, E.M.D., Eddy, P.L, Emerson, N.R., Hodder, J., Iverson, McDaris, J.R., O’Connell, K., Ormand, C.J. (2019) Accelerating change: The power of faculty change agents to promote diversity, equity, and inclusive teaching practices, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 67, p. 330-339.  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10899995.2019.1624679

St. John, K., Bitting, K., Cervato, C. Kastens, K.A., Macdonald, R.H., McDaris, J., cNeal, K.S., Petcovic, H., Pyle, E., Riggs, E., Ryker, K., Semken, S. & Teasdale, R. (2019), An evolutionary leap in how we teach geosciences, Eos, 100, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EO127285.

Manduca, C. A., Iverson, E. R., Luxenberg, M., Macdonald, R. H., McConnell, D. A., Mogk, D. W., and Tewksbury, B. J., 2017, Improving undergraduate STEM education: The efficacy of discipline-based professional development: Science Advances, v. 3, doi:10.1126/sciadv.1600193

Hodder, J., Macdonald, R. and Apple, J., 2015, Two- and four-year colleges team up to support science students, Eos, 96, doi:10.1029/2015EO022645. 

Macdonald, R.H., Beane, R.J., Allen-King, R.M., Iverson, E.R., Manduca,C.A., Mogk, D.W., Ormand, J., Richardson, R.M., Tewksbury, B.J., and Yuretich R.F., 2013, On the Cutting Edge workshops and web resources for early career geoscience faculty: in The Role of Scientific Societies in STEM Faculty Workshops, Robert C. Hilborn (ed.). American Association of Physics Teachers. p. 46-55.

Tewksbury, B.J., Manduca, C.M, Mogk, D.M., and Macdonald, R.H.., 2013, Geoscience education for the Anthropocene in Bickford, M.E., ed., The Impact of the Geological Sciences on Society: Geological Society of America Special Paper 501, p.189-201.

Manduca, C.A., D.W. Mogk, B. Tewksbury, R.H. Macdonald, S.P.. Fox, E.R. Iverson, K. Kirk,J. McDaris, C. Ormand, and M. Bruckner, 2010, SPORE: Science Prize for Online Resourcesin Education: On the Cutting Edge: Teaching Help for Geoscience Faculty: Science, v. 327, no.5969, pp. 1095-1096.

Fortenberry, N. L., Cady, E., T., Bramwell, F., Clewell, B., Flaris, V., Jolly, E., Martin, D., Macdonald, H., Poston, M., Rodriguez, A., & Spalter-Roth, R., 2009, Metrics for measuring broadening participation in NSF programs: Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 15 (3), 245-261.

Wenner, J.M., Baer, E.M., Manduca, C.A., Macdonald, R.H., Patterson, S., and Savina,M., 2009, The case for infusing quantitative literacy into introductory geoscience courses:Numeracy, v. 2, Iss. 1, Article 4. Available at: http://services.bepress.com/numeracy/vol2/iss1/art4

Manduca, C.A., Baer, E., Hancock, G., Macdonald, R.H., Patterson, S., Savina, M., and Wenner, J., 2008, Making undergraduate geoscience quantitative. Eos, v. 89, p. 149-150.

Tewksbury, B.J. and Macdonald, R.H., 2007, A practical strategy for designing effectiveand innovative courses, in Designing, Implementing, and Sustaining a Research-SupportiveUndergraduate Curriculum: A Compendium of Successful Curricular Practices from Faculty andInstitutions Engaged in Undergraduate Research (eds K.K. Karukstis and T. Elgren), Council onUndergraduate Research.

Kennedy, C.J., Schwartz, J.D., and Macdonald, R.H., 2006, What a Difference a Day Makes: The First Day of Class, Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, v. 17, p. 143-159.

Macdonald, R.H., Manduca, C.A., Mogk, D.W., and Tewksbury, B.J., 2005, Teaching methodsin undergraduate geoscience courses: Results of the 2004 On the Cutting Edge survey of U.S.faculty: Journal of Geoscience Education.

Macdonald, R.H., Srogi, E., and Stracher, G.B., 2000, co-editors of Building the QuantitativeSkills of Majors and Non-majors in Geoscience Courses, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 48,p. 412-486. Our introduction, Building the quantitative skills of students in geoscience courses, is on p. 409-412.

Macdonald, R.H., and Bailey, C.M., 2000, Integrating the teaching of quantitative skills acrossthe geology curriculum in a department: Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 48, p. 482-486.

Courses

GEOL 306:  Marine Geology

GEOL 322:  The Sedimentary Record

GEOL 407:  Learning and Communicating in the Geosciences

GEOL 424:  Evolution of the Coastal Plain

INTR 150W:  Improving America's Schools: Mathematics and Science Education in the 21st Century

COLL 550:  College Teaching

MSCI 698:  College Science Teaching