When Henry Agbogun was a boy in his native Nigeria, his love of working outdoors, hiking and the “fascination of rock outcrops” drew him to the world of geology – and for him that proved to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
But the connection didn’t stop at the rocks.
Add to that natural dynamic the admiration and respect he had for his late father, then a teacher at a Nigerian technical school, and his father’s mantra – “He who asks questions never gets lost” – and the seeds of a career in geoscience education were safely planted.
Asking questions helped inspire Agbogun to become the man he is today – and that’s a gift he wants to share. The results? Geoscience students around the world benefit from both his expertise in geology and inspiration in teaching.
Agbogun is this year’s recipient of the AAPG Foundation’s Inspirational Geoscience Educator Award, awarded annually to university and college level educators who have creatively and with excellence inspired their geoscience students.
Agbogun is an assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences at Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kan., where he teaches courses in basic, environmental and structural geology; stratigraphy; sedimentology; hydrogeochemistry; principles of geophysics; and petroleum geochemistry.
His students and peers call him inspirational, of course, but also exciting, creative, thorough and, importantly, effective in “equipping us with the most sought-after skills for graduate school and a career in geosciences.”
“I feel privileged and grateful to have my commitment to geoscience education recognized by worldwide organizations like AAPG and the AAPG Foundation,” Agbogun said when told of his selection. “It certainly is encouragement for me to continue striving for excellence.”
In being named the 2024 IGEA recipient, Agbogun will receive a $6,000 prize from the Foundation, and will be recognized along with other Foundation award recipients at this year’s IMAGE event, scheduled this August in Houston.
Foundation Chair Jim McGhay, in announcing Agbogun’s selection, noted that the IGEA is an important program in not only rewarding excellence in education, but also in putting the geosciences in the public’s awareness.
“As those who support the Foundation know, geoscience education is a major priority for the Trustees, and honoring and encouraging excellence in teaching is an important way in support and influence our future,” said McGhay.
“Dr. Agbogun, based on what we’ve learned from his students and looking at the results of his entire career, is doing great work preparing his classes for a career in the geosciences – we’re happy for him, and we’re excited because he is an example of dedication and excellence that will one day benefit all of us,” McGhay added.
“We’re proud to be able to bring public recognition to his efforts,” he said, “and we’re excited to add Henry to the list of those educators who are making a difference.”
Agbogun is the 13th IGEA recipient since the Foundation started the program in 2012, and the first in its history to be the second recipient from the same school – Hendratta Ali, a geosciences professor also at Fort Hays State University, won the honor in 2017.
Inspiration In Action
Agbogun’s path to Fort Hays took an international route. He received:
- His undergraduate degree in geology at Federal University of Technology, Yola, Nigeria
- Two master’s degrees – one in applied geophysics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, and a second in petroleum geochemistry from Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
- A doctorate in geology from the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada
His teaching career included stints at the University of Calgary and Athabasca University, both in Canada, before moving to Fort Hays.
In an educational world that is often criticized for being increasingly didactic and, perhaps, even pedantic, Agbogun learned to take a different approach.
He encourages his students to think for themselves, because he wants to give them something more than facts. He gives them the insight to inspiration.
“My mantra in teaching is based on a Hausa (Nigeria) proverb that says, ‘He who asks questions never gets lost,’” Agbogun said. “I teach by nudging students to ask questions, which helps them to gain clarity and to elicit expatiation.
“I also follow my late father’s (Chief Abel Agbogun) mantra of ‘He who is tired of learning is tired of living,’” he added.
And, for good measure, his classes emphasize the relationship between geological concepts and their impacts on and with everyday life.
His students notice his efforts – and the impacts they bring to their education.
“Dr. Agbogun is always enthusiastic about every topic covered in a given course,” one student said, “and actively speaks with vigor to keep students engaged.
“At the very center of his teaching philosophy is the practical application of knowledge gained throughout a course,” they continued. “This is the key aspect of his teaching that not only helps to set him apart, but also inspires me and other students as well.”
He’s also praised for giving students “a comprehensive view of geology by connecting the information to other fields, such as chemistry, physics and economics.
“He also presents multiple hypotheses for scientific controversies in a neutral manner and leaves it to students to be convinced by the evidence one way or the other,” one student said, “which is one of the greatest aspects of his classes, and also sets him above many other teachers.”
Another student praised him as “an outstanding advocate of improving diversity in the geosciences and STEM in general,” as well as for “creating a comfortable learning environment where everyone felt happy asking questions and satisfying their curiosity.”
They all seem to be seeing and experiencing “inspiration” in action. Because to Agbogun, his goal is to always remember what he learned about inspiration as a boy in Nigeria. It is:
“Impacting knowledge and eliciting an ‘ah-ha’ moment when students develop a grasp of concepts being taught.”