Anna Courtier

Anna Courtier

PhD

Director of Community-Based Learning

she/her

anna.courtier@wisc.edu

(608) 265-5526

Room 104F
445 Henry Mall
Madison, WI 53706

Anna Courtier

About

My scientific roots are in geology—I attended UW–Madison as an undergrad and later earned my PhD in Geophysics at the University of Minnesota. After that, I was a professor in James Madison University’s Department of Geology and Environmental Science.  I collaborated with several geoscience education researchers there, and my primary professional interests began to shift toward science outreach and community engagement (though I will always be a geologist at heart—there are rocks in my office to prove it!).

I made the transition by moving back to Wisconsin and serving as the Science Outreach Coordinator at UW-Whitewater, about 10 miles from my hometown. In 2017, I joined the WISCIENCE staff as the Director of Community-Based Learning.

I teach two undergraduate classes:

I am also the Director for the STEM Public Service Fellows program, a year-long professional development sequence for graduate students and postdocs who are interested in connecting their scientific work with community partners across Madison.

Outside of work I enjoy modern art, used bookstores, trivia, and traveling to big cities. And of course, rocks.

Publications Related to Education & Outreach

Courtier, A., TeSlaa, J. J., Cramer, J. H., & Branchaw, J. L. (2025). A Model First-Year Seminar Introducing STEM Students to Community Engagement and Public Service. College Teaching.

Schneider, M., Bonjour, J., & Courtier, A. (2018). Methods & Strategies: A Noteworthy Connection Developing science knowledge and literacy with science notebooks, 56(3), 68–72. Science and Children.

Liu, J. C., St. John, K., & Courtier, A. (2017). Development and Validation of an Assessment Instrument for Course Experience in a General Education Integrated Science Course, 65(4), 435–454. Journal of Geoscience Education.

For publications and technical reports related to geology and geophysics, please contact me at anna.courtier@wisc.edu.