GP-EXTRA:Pathways to atmospheric science through immersion in geoscience research

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As the U.S. becomes increasingly a nation of ethnic minorities along with increasing numbers of women in the workforce, the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce is not as diverse and does not reflect the change in demographics. The low numbers of African-American, Hispanic, and Native-American students graduating with either undergraduate or graduate degrees in the geosciences is the lowest within all of the STEM fields. In general, the rate at which geoscientists are trained in this country will not be enough to fill the large number of vacant STEM positions to be created in the near future. Despite continued efforts, the geosciences community still has difficulty recruiting and retaining students and faculty from underrepresented groups, and there are very few geosciences programs at minority serving institutions like Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Training of geoscientists is critical for the nation since informed decisions on important global issues related to energy, water management, climate change, and air quality require training in the geosciences. For example, because severe weather events have impacted the most vulnerable (low income and minority) communities, it is imperative that students from these communities be trained in the geosciences to help create a pool of qualified professionals who can then address the issues of severe weather impacts in disadvantaged communities and provide climate and severe weather literacy. The objective of this proposal is to develop a sustainable pipeline to undergraduate and/or graduate programs in atmospheric sciences at NCAT through a new program design. The program design has four components: 1) Recruitment of qualified students through competitive selection criteria and financial support, 2) Cohort building activities based on reported best practices, 3) Undergraduate year round research opportunity at NCAT complemented with field trips to atmospheric sciences and meteorology facilities in the region and the state, and 4) Short but intensive research trip to Colorado State University and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).The proposed program will provide carefully designed problem-based academic-year geosciences (atmospheric sciences) research experience for cohorts of eight undergraduate students competitively selected annually (24 over the life of the grant). The cohort will be recruited from a pool of undeclared majors (sophomores and juniors) at NCAT, pre-service teachers and seniors from the Early STEM College high school on the campus of NCAT. The research experience will include topics that are socially relevant in atmospheric chemistry and weather and climate modeling. The key mechanisms for creating an environment of innovation will be exposure to the cutting-edge research in major university and national research laboratories during internships. The research experience is enhanced and enriched through short visits to Colorado State University and NCAR and daylong field trips to local National Weather Service facilities, NOAA, facilities, university facilities and private weather and climate related facilities.