Banner for the Triple Joint 75th Southeastern / 60th North-Central / 60th South-Central Annual Section Meeting. The left side displays the Geological Society of America logo and event details: 'Memphis, Tennessee, USA | 8–11 March 2026' on an orange background. The right side features a scenic aerial view of downtown Memphis, highlighting the iconic glass Memphis Pyramid along the Mississippi River at sunset.

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 building 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).

Stackable Track Options at the Triple Joint Section Meeting

  • 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.

Triple Joint Section Meeting-Only Track Options

  • Groundwater/Hydrogeology: Aquifer characterization, groundwater flow and transport, contaminant hydrogeology, water resource management, and applied hydrogeologic modeling.
  • Seismic Geohazards: Earthquake processes, fault systems, seismic risk assessment, and applied hazard mitigation and resilience planning.

Build Your Pathway for the Geologic Mapping & Digital Field Methods Track

To earn pathway recognition, complete at least 1.0 CEU (10 contact hours) of aligned programming, including participation across at least two program formats (e.g., technical session + field trip or short course).

Technical Sessions

  • T18. Advances in Geologic Mapping, Databases, and Dissemination: Establishing fundamental resources for the earth science community (Oral Session, 0.3 CEUs)
  • T4. Advances in Geologic Mapping, Databases, and Dissemination: Student Posters (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T21. Near-Surface Geophysics and Geoarchaeology: Methods and Mapping (Oral Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T19. AI-Driven and Machine Learning Approaches in Geospatial Modeling for Hydrologic and Geologic Mapping (Oral Session, 0.1 CEUs)
  • T20. Advances in understanding landslides and other mass movements (Oral Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T29. Interstate Stratigraphic Correlation: A Practical Geology Session (Oral Session. 0.15 CEUs)
  • T14. Geological Surveys and Resource Mapping/Evaluation Studies (Oral Session, 0.15 CEUs)
  • T11. Geologic Maps, Geophysical Maps, 3-D Geologic Models, Digital Mapping Techniques, Map Derivatives, and Digital Map preparation (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)

Field Trips

  • FT26SE06 – Recent Mapping Of Upper Cretaceous Strata In Western Tennessee: Reevaluating Regional Correlations Based On Litho-Bio-Chemostratigraphic Relationships (1.6 CEUs)
  • FT26SE05 – Virtual reality field trip of the Alabama Appalachian Mountains (0.2 CEUs)

Short Course

  • SC26SE02 – Ground Penetrating Radar: Principles & Practice (0.3 CEUs)

Build Your Pathway for the Critical Minerals Track

 

To earn pathway recognition, complete at least 1.0 CEU (10 contact hours) of aligned programming, including participation across at least two program formats (e.g., technical session + field trip or short course).

Technical Sessions

  • T14. Geological Surveys and Resource Mapping/Evaluation Studies (Oral Session, 0.15 CEUs)
  • T28. Depositional systems and resource distribution in eastern and southern North America: from orogens to coastal plains (Oral Session, 0.25 CEUs)
  • T29. Interstate Stratigraphic Correlation: A Practical Geology Session (Oral Session. 0.15 CEUs)

Field Trip

  • FT26SE01 – Exploring the Geologic Setting, Production, and Regulations of Natural Resources in West Tennessee and the Northern Mississippi Embayment (1.6 CEUs)

Build Your Pathway for the Geoheritage Track

To earn pathway recognition, complete at least 1.0 CEU (10 contact hours) of aligned programming, including participation across at least two program formats (e.g., technical session + field trip or short course).

Technical Sessions

  • T5. Building Connections Between Educators and Geoscientists to Foster the Future Workforce (Oral Session, 0.4 CEUs)
  • T23. Building Connections Between Educators and Geoscientists to Foster the Future Workforce (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T24. Transforming Geoscience Education: Reimagining how we teach the Earth (Oral Session, 0.3 CEUs)
  • T6. Transforming Geoscience Education: Reimagining how we teach the Earth (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T21. Near-Surface Geophysics and Geoarchaeology: Methods and Mapping (Oral Session, 0.2 CEUs)

Field Trip

  • FT26SE04 – Toxic Tour – Legacy Contamination and Impacts to Memphis Communities (0.4 CEUs)

Short Course

  • SC26SE01 – Designing Transformative Geoscience Learning Experiences (0.4 CEUs)

Build Your Pathway for the Groundwater/Hydrogeology Track

 

To earn pathway recognition, complete at least 1.0 CEU (10 contact hours) of aligned programming, including participation across at least two program formats (e.g., technical session + field trip or short course).

Technical Sessions

  • T15. Advances and integration of water management techniques to enhance water security under increasing demand (Oral Session, 0.1 CEU)
  • T25. Terrestrial records of hydroclimate variability from the Pleistocene through the Common Era (Oral Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T18. Advances in Geologic Mapping, Databases, and Dissemination: Establishing fundamental resources for the earth science community (Oral Session, 0.3 CEUs)
  • T4. Advances in Geologic Mapping, Databases, and Dissemination: Student Posters (Poster Session, 0.2 CEUs)
  • T19. AI-Driven and Machine Learning Approaches in Geospatial Modeling for Hydrologic and Geologic Mapping (Oral Session, 0.1 CEUs)

Field Trips

  • FT26SE02 – From source to sink (literally!): Hydrogeology of the Wilcox and Claiborne aquifer systems in western Tennessee (1.6 CEUs)
  • FT26SE04 – Toxic Tour – Legacy Contamination and Impacts to Memphis Communities (0.4 CEUs)

Short Course

  • SC26SE02 – Ground Penetrating Radar: Principles & Practice (0.3 CEUs)

Build Your Pathway for the Seismic Geohazards Track

To earn pathway recognition, complete at least 1.0 CEU (10 contact hours) of aligned programming, including participation across at least two program formats (e.g., technical session + field trip or short course).

Technical Session

  • T22. Recent advances in our understanding of the New Madrid seismic zone (Oral Session, 0.3 CEUs)

Field Trips

  • FT26SE07 – Reelfoot Scarp, Reelfoot Lake, and Landslides: Signatures of the Great 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes (0.8 CEUs)
  • FT26SE05 – Virtual reality field trip of the Alabama Appalachian Mountains (0.2 CEUs)
  • FT26SE02 – From source to sink (literally!): Hydrogeology of the Wilcox and Claiborne aquifer systems in western Tennessee (1.6 CEUs)

These pathways are designed to complement—not replace—professional licensure and certification. They provide documented continuing education and competency-focused professional development.

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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