Faculty Profiles

Dawn Marie Gaid

Academic Advisor

Environmental Sciences

What do you see as the advantages of taking classes online?

The ability to take classes online increases the opportunity for a wider range of individuals to pursue a higher education.  The online format provides flexibility for students managing multiple priorities, allowing greater control over when and where they complete their coursework.  

Why do you feel it is important to support online learning by being the academic advisor for Environmental Sciences?

Online learning is rapidly becoming a widely accepted means for students to attain a higher education.  As such, I believe it is important that distance students have the access to the same quality advising support that is afforded to on-campus students.  

What has been the biggest surprise to you about online learning?

Online learning facilitates a different kind of engagement between students and their instructor.  The relative anonymity of students in a "virtual" classroom provides a degree of safety and security that appears to encourage more inclusive conversations than those found in a traditional classroom setting.  

What's one thing about yourself you'd like distance students to know?

My educational background is in the environmental sciences and humanities fields.  I hold a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources with a Human Dimensions option, and a Master of Public Policy with a Rural/Environmental option.  I believe that my educational background, my experiences as a single parent while pursuing my education, and my experiences taking online courses, provides me with a unique perspective that will benefit my advisees.  

What do you enjoy about advising Environmental Sciences majors?

It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to know that I am helping students move towards realizing their academic goals in a shared area of interest.  

Get more info about our online Environmental Sciences degree.  To contact me, send an e-mail to dawn.gaid@oregonstate.edu. 

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