8 Building Connections Between Educators and Geoscientists to Foster the Future Workforce (Posters)

Join us in sharing effective educational outreach practices and opportunities to connect geoscience researchers, educators, and outreach professionals. Topics include using data in the classroom, place-based and experiential learning, co-developing educational resources, and community engagement.

Monday, 9 March 2026
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
RCC, Lower Level Hall

Changing Perspectives to Build a Stronger Geoscience Workforce: State Geological Surveys Serving as the Nexus Between Education, Industry, and the Public

Paper number: 8-0
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Authors

Abstract

Despite a healthy job market, students and universities are leaving geoscience behind due to a lack of understanding, representation, and communication. Many students and their families regard geology and its cognate disciplines as a science focused on dinosaur fossils, extractive industries, and rock/mineral collections. Often, careers in the geosciences are not seen as readily available or particularly lucrative. Front-of-mind jobs such as those in oil and gas exploration or mining, which are viewed more optimistically, are seen as scarce and unstable. These misconceptions are partly the result of limited exposure to geoscience in grade school, but they also arise due to a lack of geoscience representation in daily life. For example, petroleum companies maintain high visibility by investing heavily in public advertising and in recruitment events such as job fairs and internship programs. At the same time, other geology-centric industries lack similar representation, resulting in several trends with worrisome implications for the future of geoscience.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a looming shortage of geoscience professionals is expected in the near future due to expected high retirement rates, continued market expansion, and currently low numbers of qualified graduates. Since 2018, eighteen geoscience departments across the United States have closed or been absorbed by other units, including physics, environmental science, and engineering, due to declining enrollments and limited resources. In Kentucky, one undergraduate geoscience program closed in 2025, leaving only two standalone programs in the state. The shrinking number of dedicated degree programs will result in fewer geoscience graduates entering the workforce, straining an already tight job market.

The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) has organized a Geoscience Education Working Group to bring together faculty members from eleven institutions of higher education across Kentucky to address these concerns and develop solutions. KGS is uniquely positioned to provide resources and develop programs to help bridge the gap between public perception and market realities regarding the role of geoscience in Kentucky. In partnership with faculty, administrators, and stakeholders across the state, KGS hopes to meaningfully contribute to the future of geoscience by redefining what it means to work in this field and leveraging its versatility to engage a new generation of students.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 1

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026SE-411711

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