Lauren E. Shumaker

lauren shumaker

Director | Assistant Teaching Professor
Thorson First-Year Honors Experience
University Honors and Scholars Programs

 

Thorson first-year honors experience

The Thorson First-Year Honors Experience (TFYHE) is a collaborative effort, pulling on the widely varying expertise and passions of our faculty team, undergraduate TAs, and student cohort to create a vibrant educational community. The heart of our program is the interdisciplinary IDEAS course (Innovation and Discovery in Engineering, Arts, and Sciences), where we teach introductory design, communication, and ethics, illuminating the interconnections among these topics in the context of engineering and science.

As Director of TFYHE, I lead the faculty team in developing our innovative curriculum using best practices in honors pedagogy. As a professor, I strive to create a classroom environment where students can share and discuss their ideas without fear of judgment. I hope to impart my perspective as a geologist and artist to help students draw on the scientific method, critical reasoning skills, healthy skepticism, and a sense of wonder in their approaches to problem-solving. I am particularly passionate about helping students develop better communication skills in all modes – written, verbal, and visual.

 

Education

  • BA in Earth Sciences & Anthropology, University of California – Santa Cruz
  • PhD in Geology, Stanford University

Contact

1704 Illinois St
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO 80401
303-273-3013
shumaker@mines.edu