Gordon Geballe
Gordon was born near San Francisco, CA in 1947 and moved at age five to New Jersey. He benefited from the significant attention to education in the post-war, Sputnik era and has vivid memories of great teachers he had in New Jersey public schools. Gordon attended the University of California at Berkeley during the Vietnam War era, majoring in economics and spent a fifth year at Cal getting his secondary school teaching certification in math.
During the 1971-1972 academic years, Gordon taught at a small alternative private school in California that focused on experimental learning for children and youth who were having a difficult time in traditional public schools. In 1972, he moved to New Haven so his wife, Shelley could attend Yale Law School and started his research in plant physiology. He received his PhD in biology from Yale in 1981.
Gordon joined the faculty of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies in 1983, after completing his post-doctoral fellowship and since 1985, has served as its Associate Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs. Over his nearly thirty years at Yale, he has had the opportunity to teach and advise hundreds of Yale undergraduate and graduate students.
His first course for Yale undergraduates, Introduction to Environmental Studies, introduced students to all the disciplines needed to analyze environmental issues, hoping to instill in them his love of interdisciplinary studies. Currently he teachers a freshman seminar, Urban Ecology, which links academic study to community-based learning, pairing students with New Haven community leaders to work on discrete projects that benefit the city's residents. Student projects have included improving bike safety, designing sidewalk landscapes and promoting green buildings.
His graduate student teaching has included creation of two quite novel courses. One course, International Environmental Diplomacy, links students with United Nations' Missions, assisting Ambassadors of small countries with almost no staff. The students attend meetings during the fall United Nation's General Assembly, representing their ambassador and his/her country. The second, International Organizations and Conferences, prepares students to attend and contribute to a major international conference. His students attended the climate change convention in Copenhagen, Denmark, this past December. Prior classes have attended international conferences in South Africa, Thailand and Spain.
Throughout this time, Gordon has been involved in our community, at first working to elect school board members who cared more about quality education than the town's bottom line. He also served on the RTM speaking up for Branford's schools and more recently, serving on the Branford Education Foundation and giving lectures on environmental issues.
Gordon and Shelley's three sons all graduated from Branford High School which prepared them well, enabling them all to attend Yale. Gordon is pleased that one of the three, Ben, is now teaching in the New York City public school system, hopefully inspiring his students just as he and his brothers were inspired by his teachers here in Branford.
During the 1971-1972 academic years, Gordon taught at a small alternative private school in California that focused on experimental learning for children and youth who were having a difficult time in traditional public schools. In 1972, he moved to New Haven so his wife, Shelley could attend Yale Law School and started his research in plant physiology. He received his PhD in biology from Yale in 1981.
Gordon joined the faculty of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies in 1983, after completing his post-doctoral fellowship and since 1985, has served as its Associate Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs. Over his nearly thirty years at Yale, he has had the opportunity to teach and advise hundreds of Yale undergraduate and graduate students.
His first course for Yale undergraduates, Introduction to Environmental Studies, introduced students to all the disciplines needed to analyze environmental issues, hoping to instill in them his love of interdisciplinary studies. Currently he teachers a freshman seminar, Urban Ecology, which links academic study to community-based learning, pairing students with New Haven community leaders to work on discrete projects that benefit the city's residents. Student projects have included improving bike safety, designing sidewalk landscapes and promoting green buildings.
His graduate student teaching has included creation of two quite novel courses. One course, International Environmental Diplomacy, links students with United Nations' Missions, assisting Ambassadors of small countries with almost no staff. The students attend meetings during the fall United Nation's General Assembly, representing their ambassador and his/her country. The second, International Organizations and Conferences, prepares students to attend and contribute to a major international conference. His students attended the climate change convention in Copenhagen, Denmark, this past December. Prior classes have attended international conferences in South Africa, Thailand and Spain.
Throughout this time, Gordon has been involved in our community, at first working to elect school board members who cared more about quality education than the town's bottom line. He also served on the RTM speaking up for Branford's schools and more recently, serving on the Branford Education Foundation and giving lectures on environmental issues.
Gordon and Shelley's three sons all graduated from Branford High School which prepared them well, enabling them all to attend Yale. Gordon is pleased that one of the three, Ben, is now teaching in the New York City public school system, hopefully inspiring his students just as he and his brothers were inspired by his teachers here in Branford.