About Energy Excursions
Our goal with Energy Excursions is to inspire conversation around global energy challenges and solutions through the development and dissemination of energy-focused content for a variety of audiences: high-school teachers, high-school students, and the general public.
Instructors
The courses at Energy Excursions were created by faculty members at numerous universities, as well as professionals with a range of industry backgrounds and environmental approaches.
Associate Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D. Candidate, Hildebrand Department of Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Why did the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering develop these courses?
Our department has a long history of delivering professional development for K-12 teacher. Through the years we have partnered with various organizations to help Texas teachers emphasize the basic science, engineering, and technology that are fundamental to understanding the energy sector in their classrooms. Below is a list of some of our partners throughout the years.
- UT’s Jackson School of Geosciences
- Department of Geological Sciences
- Institute for Geophysics
- Bureau of Economic Geology
- Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching
- UT’s STEM Center
- Education Service Center Region 13
- National Science Foundation’s Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences
- TXESS Revolution program at UT Austin
- Huston Tillotson University (Special Topics in the Geosciences course for pre-service teachers)
- GeoFORCE Texas
Energy Doesn’t Exist in a Vacuum
Helping Students Envision Their Future
As we design each course, we think about not only the curriculum and content standards, but how to enable students to envision themselves in various career opportunities in the energy sector. We emphasize careers through profiles of various Texas scientists and engineers who have made significant impacts on the energy sector, not only in Texas but throughout the world. The signature motto of The University of Texas is “What starts here changes the world.” Students and faculty who decide to continue their education and careers at the university do so because they want to matter in the world. We believe our university gives them the opportunity to accomplish this goal. We hope that we convey a sense of this broader university initiative to teachers and students through our courses. And whatever you decide to invest your time and energy in, do it with gusto so that it matters!
Equipping the Public to Make Informed Choices and Decisions
Our content is designed to allow the public to better understand the complexity and challenges that engineering, science and technology are addressing in order to achieve a sustainable energy future. We want to help communities be more cognizant of and educated in their choices and decisions related to the energy resources and production required to meet those demands. Well-informed citizens are the key to ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all (United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7).
No Hidden Agendas
Energy Excursions is created by experts in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. Our faculty, researchers, and staff have expertise in a broad range of energy and related environmental topics:
- Petroleum Geology
- Petroleum Engineering
- Geothermal Resources
- Carbon Storage Technology
- Petrophysics
- Geophysics
- Methane Hydrates
- Nanoparticle Technology
- Computational Applied Mathematics
- Machine Learning
- Big Data Analytics
- Sustainable Energy Development
As we design each course, we think about not only the curriculum and content standards, but how to enable students to envision themselves in various career opportunities in the energy sector. Following our university’s mission, we wish to advance society through research, creative activity, scholarly inquiry, and the development and dissemination of new knowledge.
Energy Excursions is produced at The University of Texas at Austin through the collaborative efforts of faculty, researchers and students at the university, as well as colleagues at other universities across the country. Dr. Hilary Olson directs the educational program with support from the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering at the Cockrell School of Engineering.
Web site produced by Disco Learning Media. Site design and production by Jeffrey M. Phillips.
Image Credits
- Keivan Khaleghi: Keivan Khaleghi
