Faculty Profile for Dr. Michael Solem

profile photo for Dr. Michael Solem
Dr. Michael Solem
Professor — Dept of Geography & Environmntl Studies
ELA 145
phone: (512) 245-4770
Scholarly/Creative Work
Awards
Grants
Service

Biography Section

Biography and Education

 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.

Teaching Interests

 At the undergraduate level I primarily teach geography courses for pre-service teachers. My graduate level courses include seminars in geographic analysis and courses taught as part of the online MAG and PhD Geographic Education degree programs.

Research Interests

 Geography education, particularly 1) curriculum studies and theory, 2) teacher education and professional development, 3) large-scale educational assessment studies, 4) diversity and inclusion, and 5) professional development for geography students and early career faculty.

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • 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/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., & Zadrozny, J. (2022, November 8). Powerful Geography at Work. AAG Newsletter. https://doi.org/10.14433/2017.0121
  • Solem, M., Vaughan, P. W., Savage, C., & De Nadai, A. S. (2021). Student- and school-level predictors of geography achievement in the United States, 1994-2018. Journal of Geography, 120(6), 201–211.

Selected Awards

  • 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: Excellence in Research Funding and Sponsored Programs, College of Liberal Arts, Texas State University. 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Significant Achievement Award for Centers, College of Liberal Arts, Texas State University. 2020

Selected Grants

  • 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.

Selected Service Activities

Chair
Search Committee, TXST Global Assistant Professor of Instruction
November 1, 2024-Present
Chair
Scholarships and Awards
September 1, 2024-Present
Co-Chair
IGU Commission on Geographical Education
August 1, 2020-Present
Chair
National Center for Research in Geography Education
September 1, 2019-Present
Member
Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education
September 1, 2019-Present