Welcome to my electronic portfolio

Hello!  My name is Dr. Laura Guertin.  I am an Associate Professor of Earth Science at Penn State Brandywine in Media, PA.

This blog captures my professional accomplishments, both in and out of the classroom.  Here, you can learn about my teaching philosophy, use of technology, and view a listing of presentations and publications.

At Penn State Brandywine, I am the coordinator of the Jane E. Cooper and Schreyer Honors Programs.  In addition, I oversee the intercollege minor on civic and community engagement for the campus and co-chair the minor for the university.

I maintain close ties with the College of Earth & Mineral Sciences at Penn State.  In addition to serving as the college representative at the Brandywine campus, I participate in research and pedagogical projects with faculty and students at University Park.

My goals for the courses I teach are to provide students experience working with the scientific method, to integrate technological tools (such as Palm Pilots, GPS, Google Earth, and Penn State's Digital Commons), and to have students effectively communicate their new content knowledge.  My pedagogical research allows me to develop and integrate new and innovative methods like Just-in-Time Teaching to effectively engage and increase student learning.  I also serve as a councilor-at-large for the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.

I have a passion for mentoring undergraduate students in their first two years on inquiry-based projects and independent research.  A number of students have worked with me and presented their findings at conferences and/or co-authored papers for peer-reviewed publications.  I currently serve as the chair-elect for the Geoscience Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research.