Banner for the 61st Annual Meeting of the GSA Northeastern Section. The left side features the Geological Society of America logo and event details: 'Hartford, Connecticut, 21–24 March 2026' on a teal background. The right side shows an aerial evening view of downtown Hartford, Connecticut, with illuminated buildings and streets.

Professionals

Learning and Certificates

GSA is introducing Professional Learning Pathways at 2026 Section Meetings—curated tracks that organize sessions, short courses, and field experiences into coherent, workforce—aligned themes.

Follow a structured pathway to build applied skills in high-demand areas of geoscience.

Participants can:

  • earn verified CEUs,
  • receive a digital badge,
  • obtain documented recognition of your structured learning,
  • and build progress toward future GSA Certificate opportunities (for select pathways).

Some pathways offer enough CEUs to complete meeting-level pathway recognition (1.0 CEU), while others allow participants to begin building progress toward longer-term Professional Learning Pathways across multiple GSA meetings.

Northeastern Section Meeting-Only Track Options

  • Coastal & Marine Processes: Coastal dynamics, shoreline change, sediment transport, marine systems, and applied coastal resilience and hazard management.
  • Hydrogeology: Aquifer characterization, groundwater flow and transport, contaminant hydrogeology, water resource management, and applied hydrogeologic modeling.
  • Tectonics in the Northeastern U.S.: Appalachian orogen evolution, rift basin development, magmatism and metamorphism, structural geology, petrochronology, and regional geologic history.
  • Geoscience Education: Teaching and learning in the geosciences, curriculum innovation, community engagement, collections-based learning, and strategies for connecting education with research and careers.

Track Options Available at All Section Meetings

  • Geologic Mapping & Digital Field Methods: Field mapping, GIS workflows, digital data capture, and applied interpretation.
  • Critical Minerals: Mineral resource assessment, applied exploration, and environmental considerations, and supply chains.
  • Geoheritage: Structured pathways aligned with geoheritage, education, and applied geoscience outreach.

Build Your Pathway

Each pathway highlights sessions, field trips, and short courses that can be combined to build CEUs and focused professional development in a specific geoscience area.

These pathways are designed to complement—not replace—professional licensure and certification. All pathway activities contribute toward documented continuing education and may also support progress toward future GSA Certificate opportunities.

Coastal & Marine Processes Track

  • T28. Advances in characterizing groundwater, surface water, and their interactions (Oral Session, 0.4 CEUs)
  • T8. Advances in characterizing groundwater, surface water, and their interactions (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T31. High latitude paleoceanographic discoveries from Scientific Ocean Drilling (IODP, ODP, DSDP) (Oral Session, 0.35 CEUs)
  • T11. High latitude paleoceanographic discoveries from Scientific Ocean Drilling (IODP, ODP, DSDP). (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T29. Nearshore and Estuarine Research: Dynamics and Future Resiliency in the Coastal Zone (0.3 CEUs)
  • T30. Nearshore and Estuarine Research: Dynamics and Future Resiliency in the Coastal Zone II (Oral Session, 0.35 CEUs)
  • T10. Nearshore and Estuarine Research: Dynamics and Future Resiliency in the Coastal Zone (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T24. Integrated Digital Workflows in Geoscience: Mapping, Marine Exploration, and Machine Learning (Oral Session, 0.25 CEUs)

FT26NE02. Shifting Sand: Barrier Spit Migration and Science Based Management: The Napatree Point Conservation Area (0.8 CEUs)

Hydrogeology Track

  • T28. Advances in characterizing groundwater, surface water, and their interactions (Oral Session, 0.4 CEUs)
  • T8. Advances in characterizing groundwater, surface water, and their interactions (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T22. Functions of River Corridors, Floodplains and Wetlands (Oral Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T2. Functions of River Corridors, Floodplains and Wetlands (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T9. Applied Geological Investigations at State Geological Surveys in the Northeastern Section of GSA (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T3. Geologic frameworks and conceptual site models for investigating hydrogeologic conditions in overburden and bedrock aquifers at remediation sites (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)

  • SC26NE04. Machine Learning for Groundwater Science (0.4 CEUs)
  • SC26NE05. Ground Penetrating Radar: Principles & Practice (0.3 CEUs)

Tectonics in the Northeastern U.S. Track

  • T38. New advances in geological and geophysical research on the Appalachian orogen (Oral Session, 0.4 CEUs)
  • T39. New advances in geological and geophysical research on the Appalachian orogen (II) (Oral Session, 0.35 CEUs)
  • T18. New advances in geological and geophysical research on the Appalachian orogen. (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T37. Recent Work in Mesozoic East Coast Rift Basins: Structure, Sedimentology, Paleontology, Mapping, and More! (Oral Sessions, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T17. Recent Work in Mesozoic East Coast Rift Basins: Structure, Sedimentology, Paleontology, Mapping, and More! (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T34. Mesozoic Magmatism, Postrift Tectonics, and Passive Margin Development of Northeastern North America (Oral Session, 0.35 CEUs)
  • T14. Mesozoic Magmatism, Postrift Tectonics, and Passive Margin Development of Northeastern North America (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T35. Rates, Dates, and Plates: Petrochronological Approaches to Unraveling Tectonometamorphic Histories (Oral Session, 0.4 CEUs)
  • T15. Rates, Dates, and Plates: Petrochronological Approaches to Unraveling Tectonometamorphic Histories (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T20. Critical Mineral Deposits and Ore Systems of the Northeast (Oral Session, 0.3 CEUs)
  • T1. Critical Mineral Deposits and Ore Systems of the Northeast (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • D8. Structural Geology and Tectonics (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)

FT26NE03. Tectonometamorphic Evolution of Northern Manhattan: Constraints on (Neo)Acadian Tectonism (1.0 CEUs)

SC26NE01. Methods and Applications in (U-Th)/He Thermochronology (0.4 CEUs)

Geoscience Education Track

  • T27. Advancements in undergraduate education: connecting classrooms to research and careers in sustainable geology (Oral Session, 0.25 CEUs)
  • T26. Sharing Geology: Building the Geocommunity Through Creative Engagement (Oral Session, 0.25 CEUs)
  • T7. Sharing Geology: Building the Geocommunity Through Creative Engagement (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T23. Old Collections, New Tricks (Oral Session, 0.4 CEUs)
  • T4. Old Collections, New Tricks (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)

SC26NE02. Teaching the Anthropocene (0.4 CEUs)

Geologic Mapping & Digital Field Methods Track

Participants interested in this pathway can begin building CEUs in digital mapping and field data collection methods through the activities listed below. These activities contribute toward longer-term Professional Learning Pathways offered across GSA meetings.

T24. Integrated Digital Workflows in Geoscience: Mapping, Marine Exploration, and Machine Learning (Oral Session, 0.25 CEUs)

FT26NE01. Connecticut’s Jurassic Park: The Theropod Tracksite at Dinosaur State Park (0.3 CEUs)

SC26NE05. Ground Penetrating Radar: Principles & Practice (0.3 CEUs)

Critical Minerals Track

Participants may begin exploring the critical minerals pathway through the sessions listed below. These activities contribute toward longer-term Professional Learning Pathways available across GSA meetings and events.

  • T20. Critical Mineral Deposits and Ore Systems of the Northeast (Oral Session, 0.3 CEUs)
  • T1. Critical Mineral Deposits and Ore Systems of the Northeast (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)

Geoheritage Track

These activities contribute toward longer-term Professional Learning Pathways available across GSA meetings and events.

  • T23. Old Collections, New Tricks (Oral Session, 0.4 CEUs)
  • T4. Old Collections, New Tricks (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T26. Sharing Geology: Building the Geocommunity Through Creative Engagement (Oral Session, 0.25 CEUs)
  • T7. Sharing Geology: Building the Geocommunity Through Creative Engagement (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • D4. History and Philosophy of Geology (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)

  • FT26NE01. Connecticut’s Jurassic Park: The Theropod Tracksite at Dinosaur State Park (0.3 CEUs)
  • FT26NE02. Shifting Sand: Barrier Spit Migration and Science Based Management: The Napatree Point Conservation Area (0.8 CEUs)

SC26NE02. Teaching the Anthropocene (0.4 CEUs)

Submitting Pathway Activities

After participating in sessions, field trips, or short courses aligned with a Professional Learning Pathway at an event, you can submit your activities to document your progress and verify your CEUs.

To earn pathway recognition, complete at least 1.0 CEU (10 contact hours) of aligned programming, including participation across at least two program formats (for example, a technical session plus a field trip or short course). Prepare to provide:

  • a list of the sessions, courses, and field trips you completed within the pathway;
  • a brief reflection on the technical sessions you attended; and
  • your total CEUs earned.

Submit your pathway activities within 30 days of the meeting. Your submission allows GSA to verify CEUs, confirm pathway recognition at the meeting, and track progress toward future GSA Certificate opportunities where available.

Once submitted, the GSA team will review your materials and notify you of your pathway progress within 7–10 business days.

Mentoring

If you enjoy sharing your enthusiasm and experience in applied geology, please consider mentoring at a GSA section meeting. Being a mentor is a rewarding experience that helps young geoscientists find their career paths. Mentoring opportunities at section meetings include roundtable mentoring at the Mann and Shlemon Mentor Lunches, and the Geoscience Career Exploration Session. To learn more, or sign up to mentor, contact Jessica Harbeson at gsamentors@geosociety.org.

CEUs

Section meetings offer an excellent opportunity to earn CEUs toward your continuing education requirements for your employer, K–12 school, or professional registration. The CEU certificate may be downloaded from the meeting website after the meeting.

Learn more about CEUs

 
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