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)提供资金的。非洲阵列将创建一个卓越的和可持续的管道计划，以增加非洲裔美国人和西班牙裔学生在地球科学中的代表性。该项目的核心是北卡罗来纳A&T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的教育联盟。该项目正在帮助北卡罗来纳州农工大学建立一个地球系统科学研究所，到2014年，每年将有多达25名STEM领域的学士学位学生毕业。这些学生正在准备进入全国各地的地球科学研究生项目，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/干预措施被证明能够吸引代表人数不足的少数族裔学生进入地球科学领域。联盟合作伙伴内部已经在帮助培养少数族裔学生渠道的活动/干预措施包括：1)为高中教师举办暑期讲习班；2)在非洲举办暑期实地课程，招募和指导本科生；3)为支持本科生提供奖学金，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)为博士后讲授地球物理学入门课程，7)衔接协议，8)高中外联计划。该计划将扩大这些活动/干预活动的参与者人数，并增加：1)一名全职协调员/招聘者，他将是北卡罗来纳农工州立大学该计划的“代言人”；2)与非洲地球科学研究有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暑期研讨会的机会；4)每月一次的网络研讨会和网络论坛；5)年度“全体人员”会议；以及6)向高中生和本科生广泛分发有关地球科学职业生涯的宣传材料。

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.