The Southern Arizona Geosciences Union for Academics, Research, and Outreach (SAGUARO): A Track 1 Program for Enhancing Diversity at the University of Arizona

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The University of Arizona (UA) is replicating components of a successful outreach, mentoring, networking and research program that engages underrepresented high school and undergraduate students in the geosciences. The Southern Arizona Geosciences Union for Academics, Research and Outreach (SAGUARO) project, modeled after the Buffalo Geosciences Program, is recruiting 5 undergraduate interns each year to participate in independent research projects and conduct outreach activities about geoscience careers at nearby Pima Community College and select high schools in the Tucson area. In Arizona, less than 8% of geosciences undergraduate degrees are awarded to Arizona students from traditionally underrepresented groups. This figure is disproportionate when compared to the ratio of these groups in the state population (approx. 35%). On a related but often overlooked issue, many public colleges and universities struggle to recruit local students from within their surrounding communities. As a solution to this conceptually broad issue, UA is incorporating several best practices from a range of previously funded diversity programs. These successful projects have included broad bases of program participants, networks of support faculty and staff, unique outreach activities, research experiences for participants, and both quantitative and qualitative self-assessment. In order to serve underrepresented groups for the long term, a model program is being organized to self-sustain beyond the lifetime of the initial grant. A support network involving geoscience faculty, graduate student mentors, and undergraduate interns at the University of Arizona is being established.