Penzo, Michael

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Bridgewater ReviewVolume 36 | Issue 2 Article 9Nov-2017Teaching Note - Bridging the Gap between theClassroom and Business: A View from GeologyMichael PenzoBridgewater State University, michael.penzo@bridgew.eduThis item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts.Recommended CitationPenzo, Michael (2017). Teaching Note - Bridging the Gap between the Classroom and Business: A View from Geology. BridgewaterReview, 36(2), 25-28.Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/br_rev/vol36/iss2/9November 2017 25the challenge is to provide students with a rigorous learning experience by modeling the methods and expectations that they will face in the environmental consulting profession after graduation. two models have existed for some  time: the Cooperative education (or Co-op) model, which alternates academic quarters with work; and the Summer internship Model, which many universities offer in some form. But at BSU, neither model works.  we have no Co-Op program and too few of our students have time for a summer internship. But there is a  third option: create a classroom that mimics the environmental consulting business workplace while insisting on rigorous academic content. drawing upon my 35 years of experience as an environmental consultant, i have  begun to frame courses in geology  that bridge the divide between the worlds of university learning and  professional practice. Hydrology 240 Inc.in the fall of 2015, i had the opportu-nity to teach “geOL 240 Hydrology,” an upper-level undergraduate course required for geology majors. the course is modeled after a function-ing environmental consulting firm. Specifically, it aims to impart four main skills necessary to succeed in obtain-ing an entry-level environmental consulting position with a Bachelor’s degree in geology: academic mastery, technical application, business compe-tence, and accountability. academics includes understanding surface and groundwater f low, groundwater qual-ity, the hydrologic cycle, darcy’s Law, the theis and theim equations, f low nets, and performing routine hydroge-ological calculations. technical applica-tions include preparing groundwater contour maps and f low nets, running groundwater f low simulations, moni-toring wells and sampling groundwater, and understanding soil vapor extraction systems and other remedial technolo-gies. Business skills include communi-cating findings comprehensibly to an audience in clear and concise writing, working cooperatively, meeting dead-lines, accepting constructive criticism, and networking with other environ-mental professionals. the final skill is accountability, a very difficult concept to teach. However, it can be modeled. the course sets high expectations and standards; no excuses are accepted for late work except illness or work, and students and their instructor are respon-sible to each other. in this course, it is critical for students to perform the same types of writ-ing, calculations, field activities and teaCHing nOteBridging the gap between  the Classroom and Business:  a view from geology Michael A. Penzo, PG, CPG, LSP When we hire entry-level geologists fresh out of school … we have to pay them for a week of training, plus the cost of training… We’re certainly not averse to hiring entry-level geologists.  We can and do hire them when the need arises. But I could see looking for someone with one or two years of experience over an entry-level candidate … They know what work is, and understand the field a bit better.these words were uttered by one of my former colleagues in the environmental consulting industry. they address a question often asked by students in my geology courses at Bridgewater State: “why is no one hiring entry-level geologists?” in truth, entry-level geologists with experience and training are being hired. But how does anyone get  that experience and training while going to school  and working part-time or, in some cases, full-time?  in geology, there is a disconnect between what colleges offer their students and what businesses in  the field need. it is a problem that i am attempting  to address in my courses at BSU.Atlantic OceanMassachusetts Military Reservation MASSACHUSETTSCape CodPlume oftreated wastewater0 10 20 MILES0 20 KILOMETERS10U.S. Geological Survey’s Toxic Research  Site on Cape Cod (Source: U.S. Department  of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey,  http://ma.water.usgs.gov/MMRCape/toxics.html)26 Bridgewater Reviewprofessional activities that they will as environmental consultants. this includes how to act, dress and speak in a professional environment. Course assignments aim to develop students’ capabilities in hydrogeologic calcula-tions; technical writing; crafting maps, cross-sections and tables; researching conductivity, created groundwater contour maps and performed seepage measurements from groundwater to surface water. the second field  trip went to the gulf Cumberland Farms (gCF) Middleborough MCP disposal Site, where Matthew young, Senior environmental Project Manager with gCF (and a BSU alumnus), pro-vided an overview. a former gas  station/convenience store, this site  had soil and groundwater contamina-tion and is now being assessed and cleaned up using a soil vapor extraction system, then in the process of being installed. with the permission of  gulf Cumberland Farms, this site  was used for our second group project.in addition to field trips, students in geology 240 attended two professional conferences, gatherings that are critical to any environmental professional’s career advancement. the first was the aeHS Conference on Soils, Sediments, water and energy at UMass amherst in October 2015. there, six BSU students attended seminars run by environmen-tal professionals and networked with senior environmental professionals from a variety of consulting firms. Our students brought their resumés with them, and one of them was impressive enough to get a job interview. the second gathering they attended was the Licensed Site Professional association (LSPa) membership meeting in november 2015. the LSPa is a profes-sional association that advocates for the cleanup and reuse of Massachusetts properties that have been contaminated with hazardous waste—“brownfields.” at this meeting, our students had the opportunity to network with senior environmental profession-als and attend a technical presenta-tion on Massachusetts environmental regulations.in this course, it is critical for students to perform the same types of writing, calculations, field activities and professional activities that they will as environmental consultants.  this includes how to  act, dress and speak in a  professional environment.The Wells G & H Superfund site in Woburn, Massachusetts (Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency)and reviewing Federal and State regula-tions, laws and databases; monitoring and sampling to collect field data; and making technical presentations and client presentations—both individually and in groups.Field trips are central to the course. in fall 2015, we did two. the first one went to the U.S. geological Survey’s (USgS) toxic research Site on Cape Cod. denis LeBlanc, Senior Hydrologist at USgS, ran the visit, which gathered student groups from Bridgewater State, Massachusetts institute of technology and the University of Massachusetts amherst. Students gauged monitoring wells,  collected and field-analyzed ground-water samples, calculated hydraulic November 2017 27group projects and client projects continued the exposure of these stu-dents to the sorts of hands-on work that hydrologic professionals do. Most projects at environmental consulting firms are group efforts. in fall 2015, the two projects we undertook pro-vided students with a chance to learn about the federal Superfund regula-tions and the Massachusetts environ-mental regulations related to waste site cleanups. the first of these concerned the wells g & H Superfund site in woburn, Massachusetts made famous by Jonathan Harr’s 1996 book and the 1998 film, A Civil Action (both of which we discussed in class). in two groups consisting of project managers, project geologists, technical writers and graphic artists, students represented expert-witness consulting firms for two potentially responsible parties. Using the wells g & H data set to calcu-late groundwater f low, contaminant transport and the sources and extent of contamination, each group then pre-pared a technical report and an argu-ment specifying for how much of the contamination in wells g & H their respective clients were responsible.  the exercise concluded with a presen-tation from dr John guswa about his experiences as a real expert witness on wells g & H site case. For our second group project, involv-ing the Middleborough gCF site, students reviewed the work that had already been performed at the cleanup site and, using data gathered from the Massachusetts department of environmental Protection (MassdeP) on-line database, put together a Phase i initial Site assessment report and Students in Geology 240 doing a groundwater seepage study of a pond on Cape Cod. Denis LeBlanc of the US Geological Survey is instructing  the students (Author’s photo).28 Bridgewater ReviewPhase ii Scope of work plan. the students prepared groundwater contour maps, isochem maps, proposed addi-tional subsurface investigation maps, and a Method 3 risk Characterization. the project was completed in formal client presentations—in oral and  written forms—to gCF Project Manager Matthew young, almost and it requires hard work, clarity of thought and perseverance. especially perseverance. But how to teach that quality is a challenge that faces us all. Self-confidence is key for our students to make a successful transition to the world of professional work. Many of our students arrive at BSU with a in addition, the students developed and exemplified self-confidence as a group. after our joint field trip to the USgS toxic Substances research Center on Cape Cod with students from Mit  and UMass, i received an email message from my contact at the USgS telling me how impressed the professor from Mit was with BSU students and  their ability to learn and perform  the skills taught during the field trip. and when i showed my students  this email, they were visibly moved  by it and seemed even more self- confident afterward.Of the seven students in that fall 2015 course, two were immediately hired  by environmental consulting firms  and are currently working in the  field. One received a scholarship  from the LSP association and was a summer intern at the Museum of natural History in new york. One went on to graduate school. So, overall, the course was successful in achieving its goal of preparing students for  entry-level geologist positions with environmental consulting firms.  and in making them “job-ready,” geOL 240 helped explode the some-times intimidating psychological  barriers that separate classroom study from the “real world” of work. the challenge is to provide the students with a rigorous learning experience by modeling the methods and expectations that they will face in the environmental consulting profession after graduation. Michael A. Penzo is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences.exactly as a consultant would perform a project under the Massachusetts Contingency Plan.Learning Work Culture: There’s No Crying  in Baseballthere is an often-quoted line from the 1992 film A League of Their Own that says “there’s no crying in baseball.” the same goes for the business world. to be successful, there’s no room for whining or excuses. there’s no hid-ing mistakes. we have to learn to take responsibility for our actions and errors; to recognize, admit and correct things when something goes wrong. the working world is much more competi-tive than the academic environment, self-confidence deficit and it is impera-tive that we tackle it head on. it can be a direct impediment to getting a good position after graduation.One of my Hydrology students had low self-esteem and self-confidence and felt that she could not do well in this course. to this i responded that it was my goal to help her realize that, by doing the real work that professional hydrogeologists do, she is capable of succeeding and having confidence in her own abilities. that student turned out to be one of my best and earned  an a in the course. when one of my colleagues in the field asked me to rec-ommend a student for a position with his company, i recommended her. She is working at his consulting firm and my colleague thanks me every time  i see him. 

Teaching Note - Bridging the Gap between the Classroom and Business: A View from Geology

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Teaching Note - Bridging the Gap between the Classroom and Business: A View from Geology

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