News Article

Edison State College Adjunct Professor Receives Prestigious Inaugural Award

Apr 12, 2013

Edison State College Adjunct Professor, Joseph van Gaalen, is the recipient of the inaugural Outstanding Adjunct Faculty award for the Geo2yc Division of National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT).   Recipients of this award are adjunct faculty who should be recognized for the work they do in supporting education in the geoscience area, and the efforts they put forth to contribute to the departments in which they work. 

“Joe embodies all the characteristics of what we expect from our full-time faculty,” said Dr. Rozalind Jester, Professor of Marine Science, Edison State College.  “He makes a point to participate in departmental projects, meetings and discussions, as well as contribute to curriculum development.”

Dr. van Gaalen received his B.S. in Environmental Science in 2002, his M.S. in Geological Oceanography in 2004 and his Ph.D. in Geology in 2011.  He has worked in the private sector for six years, and in the academic and research area for seven years, and has been published in various publications related to the field of Geoscience.

Additionally van Gaalen served aboard four research vessels while working on his M.S. degree.  These included time aboard the R/V Bellows, R/V F.G. Walton Smith, R/V Pelican, and R/V Suncoaster.   He also spent time in New Zealand working with their National Institute for Water & Atmospheric Research on beach morphology investigations which produced a series of publications in the Journal of Coastal Research, Geomorphology, and EOS. 

About NAGT:

The National Association of Geoscience Teachers works to raise the quality of and emphasis on teaching the geosciences at all levels. We count among our members K-12 teachers and college and university faculty as well as educators working with the general public through outlets such as museums and science centers. NAGT's purpose is to foster improvement in the teaching of the earth sciences at all levels of formal and informal instruction, to emphasize the cultural significance of the earth sciences, and to disseminate knowledge in this field to the general public. (Courtesy of http://www.nagt.org)

Last Updated: April 12, 2013