HOLLY GODSEY

Philosophy and Courses Taught

I believe every student brings something valuable to the classroom and that all students are capable of learning. My role as a teacher is to help them uncover and build on their own knowledge while supporting their growth as both learners and contributors to our shared intellectual community. I strive to create opportunities for students to exchange ideas in small groups, tackle challenging problems in low-stakes settings, and engage in open dialogue. I also intentionally model intellectual risk-taking by letting students see me make mistakes—and by inviting them to help correct them. This vulnerability helps establish a classroom climate where it is safe to ask questions, explore emerging ideas, and take risks.

In science, where instruction can easily narrow to established “facts,” I want students to experience the value of flexible thinking and multiple approaches to problem solving. By encouraging them to draw on their own experiences and backgrounds, I aim to help them gain confidence in their reasoning and creativity.  These habits of mind will support them in future coursework and careers, long after specific facts have faded from memory.

I put this philosophy into practice across the courses I teach in the Department of Geology & Geophysics, the College of Education, and through my leadership in faculty professional development (discussed in “Service”). In Geology & Geophysics, I teach two core introductory courses—GEO 1100 Evolving Earth and GEO 2500 Wasatch in the Field. Despite large enrollments and the lack of a separate lab section in Evolving Earth, I incorporate hands-on mini-labs (such as testing fluid properties to build a density model of Earth’s interior) and frequent small-group discussions. In Wasatch in the Field, I designed a field module that helps students connect the geology of the Wasatch to regional tectonics and global change. These introductory courses have become important pathways for recruiting new Geology majors, including six new Earth Science teaching majors—an outcome I hope reflects my ability to inspire and motivate students.

Over the past two years, I have also taught GEO 3250 Geology of Utah, following David Dinter’s retirement. While Dave set a high bar, I have worked to honor the course by strengthening its emphasis on integrating concepts across the GEO curriculum within the context of Utah’s remarkable geology. This fall, students participated in three major field trips—to the Basin and Range, the Colorado Plateau, and the Middle Rocky Mountains—and even lobbied for a fourth trip after finals (which I am still trying to arrange). An informal mid-semester feedback survey from this fall is included in my packet and illustrates the positive impact of the course.

Beyond traditional coursework, I also teach courses designed to build the geoscience expertise of Utah’s K–12 teachers. These offerings strengthen the state’s science education workforce and ultimately support the pipeline of future students to the department and the University. I developed special-topics courses in physical and field geology for the MS for Secondary School Teachers (MSSST) program and have taught them to the last five cohorts, including 28 teachers who completed an MS in Earth Science (Teaching) in 2023.

In both 2023 and 2024, I taught a semester-long online physical geology course for teachers, followed by a week-long field course in Capitol Reef National Park. These courses build the background knowledge and observational skills necessary for meaningful scientific fieldwork and were part of a broader research collaboration with faculty in the College of Education (see the University of Utah’s Magazine, Fall 2025: https://magazine.utah.edu/issues/fall-2025/rock-solid-teaching/). This summer, I also developed and taught a new course, Matter and Energy in STEM, for K–6 teachers in the Utah State Board of Education’s Elementary Science Endorsement program, using Earth science processes as a unifying thread.

Finally, this summer I will lead my sixth Geology of Iceland expedition for the University’s Go Learn program. This work allows me to share the department’s expertise with a broad public audience and generates meaningful engagement with alumni and community members. I am currently working to transform this experience into a learning-abroad opportunity for our majors, and I am developing a new Go Learn trip to New Zealand scheduled for 2027.

Student Mentoring & Success

Mentoring is another area where I believe I make a significant and lasting impact. I support students as they navigate academic decisions, career pathways, and personal challenges, connecting them with opportunities, people, and resources that foster success. I regularly help students secure research positions, pre-service teaching experiences, scholarships, tutoring, and mental health support.

Within this review period, I served on ten master’s committees—supporting both pre-service MEd students in Educational Psychology and in-service teachers in the MSSST Earth Science (Teaching) program—and advised an undergraduate who designed her own degree through the BS in Undergraduate Studies program. I also mentored her through the completion of her honors thesis on STEAM education.

My mentoring extends beyond individuals to the development of systems that support future science teachers across the Colleges of Science and Education. Through an NSF grant, I led the redesign of the secondary science teaching degrees in four science departments (Geology & Geophysics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics & Astronomy), transforming a 7–8-year pathway into an efficient 5-year BS/MEd program. This combined pathway now forms the backbone of secondary science teacher preparation at the University of Utah and positioned me to secure a subsequent $1.4M NSF Noyce grant supporting academic, emotional, professional, and financial development for future teachers.

In less than five years, this work has grown a pipeline of roughly five STEM teaching majors per year into a thriving cohort of 33 current Scholars, graduated more than 18 new STEM teachers (with 10 more expected by Spring 2026), and provided over $1M in scholarship support to 51 students. These efforts have reshaped both the scale and visibility of STEM teacher preparation at the University. I continue to work closely with the 33 science teaching majors currently in the Noyce/Teach for Utah program through monthly seminars, a fall retreat, and individualized mentoring.

Ultimately, the impact of my teaching is reflected not only in student success, but also in the curriculum, systems, and pathways I help build to support learners across Geology & Geophysics, the sciences, and the College of Education.