GP-EXTRA: TU GEO Careers (Towson University Geoscience Educational Opportunities for Careers)

预计到2022年，美国将缺少约13.5万名地球科学家，这意味着必须增加地球科学专业的招聘和留住，并为劳动力或研究生院做好准备。该项目通过三个机制增加了地球科学专业本科生的招聘：1)通过与区域高中和社区大学建立伙伴关系，2)通过更多地使用实际操作和积极的学习实践，通过地球科学入门课程，3)通过改进关于地球科学职业机会的宣传，包括在K-12一级的教学。该项目通过1)在项目层面提供学术建议以减少障碍和培育学习社区，2)发展同行网络，以及3)在Towson大学(TU)地球科学学生和更广泛的地球科学界之间建立联系，从而提高留存能力。从事由教师指导的研究的本科生群体是TU地球科学项目得到加强和发展的核心。队列经验是招募和留住地学专业学生的主要工具。本科生的研究经验已被证明可以提高学业成绩、对研究生院的兴趣，以及从事科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)相关职业的学生比例。进入地球科学职业的学生数量和多样性的增加将有助于满足美国经济对劳动力的需求。该项目建立在现有的招聘、学生参与和专业发展最佳实践方法的基础上，以增加进入地球科学职业生涯的学生的数量和多样性。TU的教职员工与两年制社区学院(2YC)和高中合作，共同宣传地球科学专业和就业机会，以增加TU地球科学专业的招生人数。TU和2YC的教职员工也在寻求建立进入TU地学专业的转学途径，因为目前TU的新生中有42%是以转学学生的身份进入TU的。对这些方法的结果的评估促进了对拓宽地球科学专业学生从两年制转到四年制院校的途径的认识，并有助于为从事这些过渡工作的其他机构提供信息。对学生体验的定性研究提供了关于哪些最佳实践方法最有效以及为什么最有效的见解。这个项目将有助于为学生提供相对较少的关于课外地球科学研究经验的文献。到该项目结束时，至少有18名学生将通过研究队列直接受到影响。此外，每学年将通过实地考察接触到数十名学生，通过招聘工作和地球科学入门课程的教学改革，每年将接触到500名学生。为转学学生从两年制到TU铺平道路，将减少学生在大学花费的时间和他们产生的经济成本，包括攻读地球空间科学二级教学认证的学生。将通过从2YC招募少数民族学生比例高于TU的2YC，以及考虑多样性和学业表现的队列计划的遴选过程，增加代表不足的群体对TU地球科学项目的参与。

The predicted shortage of ~135,000 geoscientists in the US by the year 2022 means that it is essential to increase recruitment and retention of geoscience majors as well as improve preparation for the workforce or graduate school. This project is increasing undergraduate geoscience major recruitment through three mechanisms: 1) through partnerships with regional high schools and community colleges, and 2) through introductory geoscience classes by increased use of hands-on, active learning practices, and 3) through improved publicity about geoscience career opportunities, including teaching at the K-12 level. This project is improving retention through 1) academic advising at a program level to reduce barriers and foster learning communities, 2) developing peer networks, and 3) building of connections between Towson University (TU) geoscience students and the broader geosciences community. Cohorts of undergraduates engaged in faculty-mentored research serve as a core around which the geoscience programs at TU are being strengthened and grown. The cohort experience serves as a major tool to recruit and then retain students to geoscience majors. Undergraduate research experiences have been demonstrated to improve academic outcomes, interest in graduate school, and the percentage of students working in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related careers. An increase in the number and diversity of students entering geoscience careers will help meet workforce demands for the U.S. economy. This project builds on existing best-practice methods for recruitment, student engagement, and professional development to increase the number and diversity of students entering geoscience careers. Faculty from TU and partnering 2-year community colleges (2YCs) and high schools are working together to publicize geoscience majors and career opportunities to increase recruiting into TU geoscience majors. TU and 2YC faculty also are seeking to establish transfer pathways into TU geoscience majors, since 42% of current incoming TU students enter as transfer students. Evaluation of the results of these approaches is advancing knowledge of methods to broaden pipelines for geoscience students transferring from 2YCs to four-year institutions and serves to inform other institutions working on these transitions. Qualitative research of student experiences offers insights into which best-practice methods are most effective and why. This project will contribute to the relatively thin literature on extracurricular geoscience research experiences for students. By the end of the project, at least 18 students will be affected directly through the research cohorts. In addition, tens of students per academic year will be reached through the field trips and 500 students per year will be reached through recruiting efforts and pedagogical reform of introductory geoscience courses. Smoothing pathways from 2YCs to TU for transfer students will reduce the time students spend in college and the financial costs they incur, including students pursuing secondary teaching certification in Earth-Space Science. Underrepresented group participation in TU geoscience programs will be increased through recruitment from 2YCs with a higher percentage of minority students than TU and through the selection process of the cohort program, where consideration will be given to diversity and academic performance.