Collaborative Research: Track 2: Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences through the AfricaArray Educational Alliance

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。AfricaArray将创建一个卓越和可持续的管道项目，以增加非裔美国人和西班牙裔学生在地球科学领域的代表性。该项目的核心是北卡罗来纳农工州立大学、宾夕法尼亚州立大学、福特谷州立大学、德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校和加州州立大学北岭分校之间广泛而多样化的教育联盟。该项目正在帮助北卡罗莱纳州农工州立大学（North Carolina a&t State University）建立一个地球系统科学研究所（Earth Systems Science Institute），到2014年，每年将有多达25名STEM领域的学士学位毕业生。学生们正准备进入全国各地的地球科学研究生课程，并能够竞争大多数研究机构提供的正常形式的研究生支持。通过协调、支持和扩大联盟合作伙伴内部的许多活动/干预措施，项目目标正在实现，这些活动/干预措施已被证明可以吸引代表性不足的少数民族学生进入地球科学领域。联盟合作伙伴的活动/干预措施已经在帮助发展少数民族学生的管道，包括：1)为高中教师举办夏季研讨会，2)在非洲举办夏季实地课程，以招募和指导本科生，3)为本科生提供奖学金，4)为学生提供参与非洲研究的机会，5)为学生提供参加专业会议的机会，6)教授地球物理学入门课程的博士后，7)一份衔接协议，以及8)高中拓展计划。管道计划将扩大这些活动/干预措施所覆盖的参与者数量，并增加：1)一个全职的协调员/招聘人员，他将成为北卡罗莱纳a&t州立大学项目的“代言人”；2)与非洲阵列研究相关的高中地球科学练习；3)为高中生、高中辅导员和大学入学顾问提供参加夏季研讨会的机会；4)每月一次的网络研讨会和网络论坛；5)每年一次的“全体人员”会议；6)向高中生和大学生广泛分发有关地球科学事业的宣传材料。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). AfricaArray will create a preeminent and sustainable pipeline program for increasing the representation of African-American and Hispanic students within the geosciences. The centerpiece of the program is a broad and diverse educational alliance between North Carolina A&T State University, Penn State University, Fort Valley State University, University of Texas El Paso, and California State University Northridge. The program is helping to establish an Earth Systems Science Institute at North Carolina A&T State University, and will, by 2014, graduate up to 25 students per year with BS degrees in STEM fields. The students are being prepared to matriculate into geoscience graduate programs across the country, and be able to compete for normal forms of graduate support provided by most research institutions. The program goals are being achieved by coordinating, supporting, and expanding many activities/interventions within the Alliance partners that are proven to attract underrepresented minority students into the geosciences. The activities/interventions within the Alliance partners already helping to develop a pipeline of minority students include: 1) a summer workshop for high school teachers, 2) a summer field course in Africa to recruit and mentor undergraduate students, 3) scholarship funds to support undergraduate students, 4) opportunities for students to participate in research in Africa, 5) opportunities for students to participate in professional meetings, 6) a postdoc to teach introductory geophysics courses, 7) an articulation agreement, and 8) high school outreach programs. The pipeline program will expand the number of participants reached by these activities/interventions and add to them: 1) a full time coordinator/recruiter who will be the "face" of the program at North Carolina A&T State University, 2) high school Earth science exercises linked to AfricaArray research, 3) opportunities for high school students, high school counselors and college access advisers to participate in a summer workshop, 4) a monthly webinar and web forum, 5) an annual "all hands" meeting, and 6) promotional material about careers in the geosciences to be distributed widely to high school and undergraduate students.