Claire O. Harrigan

I believe that my responsibilities as an educator are to nourish curiosity and to support the growth of students as individuals. I want to show students that Earth is complex and wonderous yet still knowable if we ask good questions and investigate creatively. I am dedicated to teaching and mentoring in a way that supports my students’ needs so they can develop their identities as scientists. I think there are many ways to be an Earth scientist, so I emphasize skill development so that students have the tools to explore their own questions.

I like to teach about deep time and the rock record because I love the tension of geoscience being an inherently observational discipline that is attempting to understand things we can never directly observe, like events that happened millions of years ago. I teach my students about how Earth scientists view problems from multiple angles and rely on multiple modes of investigation to create well-supported interpretations. I bring the spirit of multiple ways of knowing into my classroom in terms of both content and teaching style. In my classroom, we draw diagrams, build Play-Doh models, investigate rock samples, do calculations, inspect maps, closely analyze scientific papers, go on field trips, and more. This approach helps me show students that effective Earth scientists are nimble thinkers.

This year I am excited to participate in Bowdoin Faculty Fellows, a program that supports a cohort of faculty in developing and implementing inclusive pedagogical strategies. 

I have experience teaching lecture and laboratory courses, leading field trips, developing curriculum, guest lecturing, and assisting with workshops.