Undergraduate Courses Taught Recently at Pennsylvania State University

Earth/AAAS 105 – Environments of Africa. This course was developed using NSF CAREER grant funds to employ active learning in a multicultural science classroom. This course satisfies requirements for both GN and GI listings and is fully subscribed each spring at 90 students. Exercises are data-intensive and include a 6-week team project on climate change in supra-equatorial Africa. Earth 105 was exported to PSU Delaware County in 2004 and plans are underway to transform it for electronic delivery through World Campus and partner HBCU institutions.

EMSC 100S – Diamonds in Africa: A Continent in Conflict. This first-year seminar integrates the science of diamond genesis and extraction with the historical, societal and economic aspects of the diamond industry. We focus on conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and explore the role of this resource in funding anti-government activities in Africa, the Middle East and the US.

Geosc 001 – Physical Geology. I received a Wilson Teaching Grant to transform this course into a project- and inquiry-based format. Rather than examinations, we use laboratories, technical papers and projects of varying length and complexity as a basis for determining grades. The course was developed for students in science and engineering majors, but can be taken by non-science students for general education credit.

Geosc 201 (2005) – Earth Materials. This course will be restructured entirely into a modular and inquiry-based format that better integrates lecture with laboratory, and that meets more fully the needs of the core curriculum.

Pedagogic Publications

Furman T & Blakey R, Using sedimentary stratigraphy of the Grand Canyon to encourage quantitative reasoning skills in introductory Physical Geology, Journal of Geoscience Education, accepted.

Furman T, 2003, Earth Inquiry: Monitoring and mitigating volcanic hazards. WH Freeman publisher (peer-reviewed educational activity for Physical Geology; available nationally).

Furman T & E Merritt 2000, A data-intensive approach to studying climate and climate change in Africa. Journal of Geoscience Education, 48, 464-468.

Synergistic Activities

Project Kaleidoscope:
Member, F21 (Faculty for the 21 st Century) since 1997
Mentor for PSU Delaware County F21 member since 2003
Selected to National Steering Committee (2003)
Workshop Leader: Project Kaleidoscope Change Agents Roundtable (2001)

AESEDA: Associate Director, Alliance for Earth Science, Engineering and Development in Africa. In this capacity I lead the Education Working Group and help formulate priorities for AESEDA. Recent PSU-based education initiatives include a minor degree program entitled Science, Society and the Environments of Africa (now available) and a graduate degree in Georesource Engineering Management (coming soon). My work with AESEDA is primarily in the areas of minority outreach and engagement. A grant from NSF sponsors course development and export as well as summer research by students from HBCUs who come to Penn State. Our efforts focus on Jackson State University to facilitate their development of an Earth System Science degree program. Separate funding from the Vice Provost for Educational Equity at Penn State supports development of a 3-2 combined bachelors/masters degree program for students at HBCUs to complete their degrees within EMS.