GP-IMPACT: Pathways TO RENEW: Tropical Oceanography Research Experiences for the NExt-Generation Workforce

I非技术研究机会和专业发展是吸引本科生从事科学的有效途径，并增加他们留在大学并在四年内毕业的可能性。虽然研究型大学可能会为本科生提供这样的机会，但非研究型学院和大学为学生提供科学项目的能力通常有限。为了满足这一需要，我们建议建立一个教育中心，为波多黎各两所非研究机构的学生提供服务。通过该中心，我们将学生与研究人员联系起来，这些研究人员将指导他们在波多黎各进行研究。美国沿海的泻湖。西班牙裔学生将在夏季和学年期间参与各种活动，重点是地球科学的体验式学习。学生将获得研究经验，并接触到海洋科学专业人士通过网络，实习，并前往参加全国会议。学生还将参加地球科学专业发展活动（如个人陈述写作、科学传播、口头报告等）。该中心将促进研究和非研究机构、政府和非营利机构之间的伙伴关系，这些机构有兴趣建立一个以波多黎各为重点的可持续和有效的教育中心。美国沿海的泻湖。该项目包括一个由来自美国大陆和波多黎各的科学家和教育工作者组成的多元化跨学科小组。该团队和中心致力于为代表性不足和服务不足的学生增加海洋科学学习机会。为了缩小机会差距，提高非研究型学院和大学中代表性不足群体的STEM保留率，我们将建立热带海洋学本科生研究培训中心（TORTUGA），向波多黎各的早期到高级本科学生介绍地球科学教育和研究。该中心将连接研究机构和非研究机构，加强研究能力，并建立教育项目，向STEM领域的本科生传授研究技能。TORTUGA中心的具体目标是：1)建立可持续的多学科教育和体验式学习项目，重点关注沿海科学问题和解决方案；2)增加代表性不足的学生接受流域、沿海和海洋科学教育的机会；3)发展制度结构，以帮助学生在关键的教育时刻，提高STEM领域的学生保留率，并鼓励追求地球科学职业；4)调整这一模式，增强其长期可持续性。为此，我们将：1)通过一系列试点项目，加强和扩大我们在过去五年中建立的现有跨机构合作伙伴关系和团队科学研究计划；2)为波多黎各少数民族服务机构提供沿海和流域地球科学研究机会；3)结合我校的办学目标和当前的教育教育学研究现状，对我校的教育实践模式进行评估。该项目的预期成果是一套最佳实践，以提高STEM在主要服务于代表性不足群体的非研究机构中的保留率，主要关注波多黎各和西班牙裔人口，但适用于广泛的本科经历。

I Non-TechnicalResearch opportunities and professional development are effective ways to engage undergraduate students in science and increase the likelihood that they will stay in college and graduate in four years. While research universities are likely to offer such opportunities to undergraduate students, non-research colleges and universities usually have limited ability to provide science projects for their students. To address this need, we propose to develop an educational center that will serve students at two non-research institutions in Puerto Rico. Through the center we will link students with researchers who will guide them in conducting research in Puerto Rico?s coastal lagoons. Hispanic students will be involved in a variety of activities during the summer and academic year focusing on experiential learning in the geosciences. Students will gain research experience and exposure to marine science professionals through networking, internships, and travel to national meetings. The students will also participate in geosciences professional development activities (e.g. personal statement writing, science communication, oral presentations, etc.). The center will foster partnerships among research and non-research institutions and government and non-profit institutions interested in building a sustainable and effective education center focused on Puerto Rico?s coastal lagoons. The project includes a diverse interdisciplinary team of scientists and educators from both the mainland United States and Puerto Rico. The team and center are committed to increasing marine science learning opportunities for underrepresented and underserved students. II TechnicalIn an effort to close the opportunity gap and enhance STEM retention for underrepresented groups at primarily non-research colleges and universities, we will establish the Tropical Oceanography Research Training for Undergraduate Academics (TORTUGA) Center to introduce early- through advanced-stage undergraduate students from Puerto Rico to geoscience education and research. This center will link research and non-research institutions to strengthen research capacity and establish educational programs to teach research skills to undergraduates in STEM fields. Specific goals of the TORTUGA Center are to: 1) build sustainable multidisciplinary education and experiential learning programs focused on coastal science problems and solutions; 2) increase access for underrepresented students to watershed, coastal, and marine science education; 3) develop institutional structures to assist students at critical educational junctures, increase student retention in STEM fields, and encourage pursuit of geoscience careers; and 4) adapt this model and strengthen its long-term sustainability. To do this we will: 1) strengthen and expand existing cross-institutional partnerships and team science research programs we have developed over the past five years through a series of pilot projects; 2) provide research opportunities at minority-serving institutions in Puerto Rico for coastal and watershed geoscience research; and 3) evaluate and assess our educational practice model in light of our program goals and current educational pedagogy research. An anticipated outcome of this project is a set of best practices for increasing STEM retention in primarily non-research institutions serving underrepresented groups, focused largely on Puerto Rican and Hispanic populations but applicable to a broad spectrum of undergraduate experiences.