R. Heather Macdonald

Professor

Office: McGlothlin-Street Hall 227
Email: [[rhmacd]]
Office Phone: 757 221 2443

Education
  • Ph.D. & M.S., University of Wisconsin
  • B.A., Carleton College
Current Projects
Research Interests

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

Selected Publications

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 measuringbroadening 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