Gwen Young, Phd Email and Phone Number

My ultimate academic and professional achievement to date was the development and implementation of the inaugural College of Sciences Study Abroad Program in Urbino, Italy during fall semester 2022, AND my continued coordination of the COS Program. I independently developed and delivered new pedagogies for three science courses taught with cultural immersion (social, economic, ecological) in Urbino, Italy. Courses include weekly field trips, language and communication activities, and immersion in the culture of Italy and the University of Urbino. Development and implementation of the COS Program included: all curriculum, methods, partnerships, experiences, and assessments to initiate deep learning and critical thinking in students ages 18-25, freshmen through seniors, and multidisciplinary science majors. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity results in an education for UTSA science students that would not have been possible had I not worked closely with Global Initiatives to develop and implement the program. The program will continue into the forseeable future.My goal for teaching is to provide a solid foundation of knowledge in a variety of courses, guide my students to think critically about the subject matter, provide them with the foundation needed to develop a broader mindset, and assist in the development of their (science) communication skills. I have taken a non-traditional path to becoming an educator and as such spent the majority of my professional life in the non-academic world of business and industry. It is here that I saw first-hand the importance of application and communication of acquired knowledge - for it is not through statements of fact and recitation of numbers that political, social, cultural or economic change comes about, but by the stories behind those facts and numbers. I acquired the knowledge that to truly affect change - as so many of my students desire to do – it is not enough to be knowledgeable. Students must become confident in their knowledge, make a connection to their own lives, develop the skills necessary to communicate complex subject matter to others of differing opinions, and then lead by example. Environmental problems involve complex systems that cross multiple disciplines. Therefore, I have set goals for student learning that include: written, visual, and oral communication: critical thinking; and application of such knowledge and skills.