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

GP-EXTRA：TU GEO Careers（陶森大学地球科学职业教育机会）

• 批准号: 1540631
• 负责人: Joel Moore
• 金额: $ 34.82万
• 依托单位: Towson University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-09-15 至 2020-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1540631&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: GP; EXTRA; TU; GEO; Careers

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.

预计到2022年，美国将短缺约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保留，并为劳动力或研究生院做好准备。该项目通过三种机制增加了本科地球科学专业的招生：1)通过与地区高中和社区大学的合作；2)通过增加动手、主动学习实践的方式开设地球科学入门课程；3)通过改善对地球科学职业机会的宣传，包括在K-12阶段的教学。该项目通过以下方式提高学生的保留率：1)在项目层面提供学术建议，以减少障碍并促进学习社区；2)发展同伴网络；3)在陶森大学地球科学学生与更广泛的地球科学社区之间建立联系。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。队列体验是招募和留住地球科学专业学生的主要工具。本科生的研究经历已被证明可以提高学术成果，提高对研究生院的兴趣，以及从事科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）相关职业的学生的百分比。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的劳动力需求。该项目以现有的招聘、学生参与和专业发展的最佳实践方法为基础，以增加进入地球科学职业的学生的数量和多样性。来自理工大学和合作的两年制社区学院（2YCs）和高中的教师正在共同努力宣传地球科学专业和职业机会，以增加对理工大学地球科学专业的招聘。TU和2YC的教师也在寻求建立转到TU地球科学专业的途径，因为目前有42%的TU新生以转学生的身份进入。对这些方法的结果进行评估，有助于拓宽地球科学专业学生从两年级转到四年制大学的学习渠道，并为其他从事这些转变的机构提供信息。对学生经历的定性研究提供了对最佳实践方法最有效及其原因的见解。这个项目将为学生课外地学研究经验方面相对薄弱的文献做出贡献。到项目结束时，至少有18名学生将通过研究队列直接受到影响。此外，每学年将有数十名学生通过实地考察，每年将有500名学生通过招生工作和地球科学入门课程的教学改革。对于转校生来说，从2YCs到TU的平滑路径将减少学生在大学里花费的时间和他们所产生的经济成本，包括追求地球空间科学二级教学认证的学生。通过从少数民族学生比例高于理工大学的2YCs中招聘，以及通过队列项目的选择过程，考虑多样性和学术表现，将增加未被充分代表的群体参与理工大学地球科学项目。