REU site: Research Experience for Community College Students (RECCS) in Critical Zone Science

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The Research Experience for Community College Students (RECCS) in Critical Zone Science will engage ten Colorado community college students each summer in research projects on environmental sciences and will guide them from the project definition through its execution and final presentation to the scientific community. These students often have diverse backgrounds with respect to race, ethnicity, age, and income level, and they may be first-generation college students, veterans or, in Colorado, come from rural areas. Targeting diverse and non-traditional students in their first years of college will have a strong formative aspect with respect to career choices. The research environment of RECCS is designed to provide several layers of mentoring by scientists, professional development trainers and RECCS staff, as well as peer-group interaction, to instill a sense of belonging to the student cohorts. This structure will ensure that participants receive the support they need to succeed in their projects and to gain confidence in their scientific abilities and academic skills. The engagement of students from different community colleges will have a ripple effect on the students around them, hopefully inspiring other community college students to pursue science internships and other research experiences. Providing research opportunities and professional development training to community college students will help create a pipeline for students to move on to four-year colleges and possibly graduate school, which will increase the diversity of the STEM workforce. The success of the program will be measured through pre and post student interviews and surveys, including an annual reflection survey of program alumni. The impact of the program on the mentors will be assessed using a post-survey. Formative feedback will be collected throughout the program.