Expanding Diversity in the Aquaitc Sciences

该提案将使用2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）提供的资金进行奖励。汉普顿大学和美国湖沼学与海洋学学会（ASLO）提议重新资助一个项目，以增加选择从事水生科学职业的少数族裔人数。该项目面向对水生科学感兴趣的少数民族学生、教师和专业人士，以及在历史上少数民族学院和大学（HMCU）工作的教师。与会者将获得ASLO的免费会员资格，并获得参加年会和特别会前讲习班的支持。目前的建议将促进过去参与者的发展，并将新的学生群体纳入这一过程。通过继续建立目标群体成员对ASLO年会的积极参与，该计划旨在实现四个目标：1。通过积极参与ASLO会议，让更多的少数民族本科生和研究生接触到前沿的水生科学。2. 通过在ASLO会议上的互动，为少数族裔学生提供实习、深造、特殊项目和潜在就业的机会。3. 继续将新的少数民族学生群体引入少数民族和多数水生科学家的网络。4. 在ASLO中建立少数民族科学家的重要存在，这将成为正在招募新的少数民族进入该领域的导师核心。自1990年该项目启动以来，已有654多名学生参加了该项目。大约42%的学生参加了随后的会议，25%参加了两次，16%参加了三次或更多。近年来，许多参与者（80%）是女性，这反映了全国高校招收少数民族男性学生的趋势。参与者群体多样化，包括57%的非洲裔美国人，33%的西班牙裔美国人，7%的美洲原住民和4%的太平洋岛民。在项目过程中，参与者的人口结构发生了变化，包括西班牙裔、女性和研究生人数的增加。此外，还有11名获得博士学位的校友回国担任导师。多年来，来自181个不同院校的学生参加了这项活动。大约57%的学生来自有游泳项目的少数族裔服务机构（汉普顿大学、萨凡纳州立大学、波多黎各大学、谷堡州立大学、马里兰大学东海岸分校、杰克逊州立大学、加州州立大学洛杉矶分校和德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校、佛罗里达州a&m）。许多学生通过与REU项目的特殊关系参加，例如香农角（西华盛顿大学），港口分支/萨凡纳州立大学，弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所和俄勒冈州立大学。最好的估计表明，28%的参与者完成了研究生或专业学位，其中约155人获得硕士学位，31人获得博士学位或法律学位。

This proposal will be awarded using funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Hampton University and the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) propose renewed funding for a program to increase the numbers of under-represented minorities electing careers in aquatic sciences. The program targets minority students, faculty and professionals interested in aquatic sciences, as well as faculty working at Historically Minority Colleges and Universities (HMCU). Participants received a free membership in ASLO and support to attend the annual meetings and special pre-meeting workshops. The present proposal will cultivate the development of past participants and incorporate new cohorts of students into the process. By continuing to build active participation of target group members in the annual meetings of ASLO, the program aims to achieve four objectives: 1. Expose more minority undergraduates and beginning graduate students to cutting edge aquatic science through active participation in ASLO meetings. 2. Link minority students to opportunities for internships, advanced studies, special programs and potential employment through interactions at ASLO meetings. 3. Continue to bring new cohorts of minority students into the networks of minority and majority aquatic scientists. 4. Establish a significant presence of minority scientists in ASLO that will form a mentor core for the ongoing recruitment of new minorities into the field. Since the initiation of the program in 1990, over 654 students have participated in the program. About 42% of students return for subsequent meetings, 25% attend two, and 16%, 3 or more. Many (80%) of the participants are female in recent years, reflecting a national trend of declining enrollment of male minority students in colleges. The participant group has been diverse, consisting of 57% African-Americans, 33% Hispanic-Americans, 7% Native-Americans, and 4% Pacific Islanders. Shifts in participant demographics over the course of the program include increasing numbers of Hispanics, women and graduate students. In addition, 11 former students who have earned Ph.D. degrees returned as mentors. Students from 181 different institutions participated over the years. About 57% of the students came from key minority serving institutions with aquatics programs (Hampton U., Savannah State U., The U. of Puerto Rico campuses, Fort Valley State U., The U. of Maryland, Eastern Shore, Jackson State U., Cal. State, LA and the University of Texas, El Paso, Florida A&M U.). Many students participated via special relationships with REU programs, such as those at Shannon Point (Western Washington Univ.), Harbor Branch/Savanna State U., the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and Oregon State U. Best estimates suggest that, 28% of the participants completed graduate or professional degrees, with about 155 earning MS and 31 completing PhD or Law degrees.