Faculty Profiles

Colleges and Departments

Dr. Michael Solem

  • Professor - Dept of Geography & Environmntl Studies
Portrait of Dr. Michael Solem

Biography and expertise

Ph.D., Geography. Department of Geography, University of Colorado, Boulder. December 1999.

Dissertation: The Diffusion, Adoption, and Effects of Instruction with the Internet in U.S. College Geography.
Ph.D. Committee Chair: A. David Hill.

M.S., Geography. Department of Geography, Pennsylvania State University. August 1995.

Thesis: Fire History of the Caribou Wilderness, Lassen National Forest, CA.
MS Committee Chair: Alan H. Taylor.

B.S., Earth Sciences (Geography Minor). Department of Earth Sciences, Pennsylvania State University. August 1993.

Education

Doctorate Degree

PhD in Geography

Education

University of Colorado Boulder, 1999

Master's Degree

MS in Geography

Biogeography

Penn State University Park, 1995

Bachelor's Degree

BS in Earth Sciences

Penn State University Park, 1993

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

  • Boehm, Richard G (Principal), Solem, Michael. GO West!, Texas Fund for Geographic Education - THECB & NGS, State, $48775. (Submitted: September 4, 2017, Funded: January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018). Grant.
  • Solem, Michael (Principal), Huynh, Niem (Co-Principal), Boehm, Richard G (Co-Principal), Summers, Emily J (Co-Principal). Geospatial Resources, Materials and Tools for STEM Teacher Preparation, National Science Foundation - RAPID, Federal, $199816. (Funded: August 15, 2014 - August 15, 2015). Grant.
  • Solem, Michael (Principal), Huynh, Niem Tu (Co-Principal), Boehm, Richard G (Co-Principal). Building Capacity for Learning Progressions Research in Geography, National Science Foundation, Federal, $292491. (Funded: January 1, 2014 - January 1, 2016). Grant.
  • Doering Zadrozny, J., & Solem, M. (2026). Bridging Powerful Disciplinary Knowledge with Career Pathways: Data-Driven Implementation of Powerful Geography in the United States Curriculum. The Social Studies Texan, 42, 38–44.
  • Solem, M., Boehm, R. G., & Zadrozny, J. (2024). Powerful Geography for Powerful Teaching and Learning in Social Studies. Social Education, 88(5), 294–300.
  • Solem, M., & Vaughan, P. W. (2024). Reducing Inequality in Student Outcomes in U.S. Geography Education: The Importance of Understanding Student Attitudes. Education Sciences, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010009
  • Zadrozny, J., Crane, M., Boehm, R. G., & Solem. (2023). Teaching Climate Change through Powerful Geography. The Geography Teacher, 20(3), 141–149. https://doi.org/10.1080/19338341.2023.2261480
  • Solem, M., Vander Weil, B. P., Boehm, R. G., & Doering Zadrozny, J. (2022, November 8). Powerful Geography at Work. AAG Newsletter. https://doi.org/10.14433/2017.0121
View all scholarly/creative works
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Gilbert M. Grosvenor Honors in Geographic Education, American Association of Geographers. April 2015
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Research promoting excellence in geography teaching and learning, Journal of Geography in Higher Education. April 2010
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Distinguished Teaching Achievement Award, National Council for Geographic Education. October 2003
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Significant Achievement Award for Centers, College of Liberal Arts, Texas State University. 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Excellence in Research Funding and Sponsored Programs, College of Liberal Arts, Texas State University. 2020
View all awards
  1. Member

    Alumni Relations

  2. Chair

    Scholarships and Awards

  3. Chair

    National Center for Research in Geography Education

  4. Member

    Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education

  5. Other

    American Association of Geographers

  6. Editorial Review Board Member

    Review of International Geography Education Online

  7. View all activities