GP-EXTRA: A geoscience pathway field experience in near-surface geophysics to promote recruitment and retention of transitional students in quantitative geosciences

GP-EXTRA：近地表地球物理学的地球科学途径现场经验，以促进定量地球科学领域过渡学生的招募和保留

• 批准号: 1701013
• 负责人: Kristina Keating
• 金额: $ 38.08万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University Newark
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-07-01 至 2022-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1701013&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: GP; EXTRA; geoscience; pathway; field

Part IGeoscience fields have the worst record of any STEM field in terms of diversity and generating interest among under-represented minority (URM) students. Statistically, geoscience fields are the least ethnically diverse of all the sciences with only about 9% of BS/BA and 2% of PhD?s going to URM candidates nationally. The number of students receiving geoscience degrees will not meet future workforce demands and URM students represent an untapped resource to fill this demand. Increasing the retention of students and increasing the number of URM students enrolling in the geosciences can address these problems. The goal of this GP-EXTRA project is to recruit and retain students in the geosciences through a multi-institutional near-surface (NS) geophysics applied field experience. The field experience will focus on addressing ongoing scientific questions in critical zone science. It will expose students to state-of-the-art geophysical equipment, an active field research laboratory, and experts in near-surface geophysics and critical zone science, and potential geoscience career paths. This positive field experience and post-activity mentoring will provide GEOPATH students with a sense of community within the geosciences and increase the likelihood that they will continue to pursue careers in the geosciences. Part IIAs outlined in the GP-EXTRA program solicitation, the number of students receiving geoscience degrees will not meet the future workforce demand. This problem can be addressed by both increasing the retention of students and increasing the number of students enrolling in the geosciences. In particular, minority students are severely underrepresented in the geoscience fields and represent an untapped resource to fill this demand. To address this problem, we propose to implement a multi-institutional near-surface (NS) geophysics applied field experience, focused on addressing ongoing scientific questions in critical zone science. The experience will expose students to state-of-the-art geophysical equipment, an active field research laboratory, experts in near-surface geophysics and critical zone science, and potential geoscience career paths.The GEOPATH (GP) students in the NS geophysics field experience will be drawn from the two primary institutions involved in this project: Rutgers University, Newark (RN), a Hispanic- Serving Institution, and Temple University (TU). These institutions are connected to 2- and 4-year colleges via the Garden State-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (GS-LSAMP; PI Gates), the Northern New Jersey Bridge to the Baccalaureate (NNJB2B) program, and Temple Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP). GP students will also be drawn from secondary participating 4-year institutions in the northeast (Penn State University, Dickinson College, Kutztown University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Bucknell University).Recruitment of GP students from these institutions will focus on underrepresented minorities (URMs) and students from 2-year institutions. The participants will be lower-level undergraduate students (freshman/sophomores) who will have a unique opportunity to participate in a NS geophysics field experience, usually only taught to upper-level undergraduate students. These students are at a critical juncture in their academic career when exposure to opportunities and career options can have an impact on decisions about which major to choose. Focusing our recruitment on first and second year students will also ensure students enter the field experience with an equivalent exposure to the subject matter regardless of academic background.The field experience will be held at the Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SH-CZO). This field site is ideal as it will expose students to ongoing research in critical zone science. The syllabus and NS geophysics problem sets for the field experience will be developed to address pressing research questions at the SH-CZO. At field stations, GP students will work alongside a graduate student mentor in smaller cohorts (6 students); larger group workshops and presentations are integrated in the schedule to give students the resources to work effectively within a group, learn how to design a research experiment, and analyze datasets. The 2-week field experience will conclude with smaller cohort presentations and a workshop on careers available within the geosciences. Students will enter the field experience as individual students and leave as a team of geoscience students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make a more informed decision about their future goals and interests. The project aims to retain most of these students in the geosciences through a positive field experience and post-activity mentoring. GEOPATH (GP) students will be linked with volunteers from within the RN and TU Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) student chapters, providing the GP students with a sense of community within the geosciences and increase the likelihood that this cohort will continue to pursue careers in the geosciences.

在多样性和引起少数族裔学生兴趣方面，部分地球科学领域是STEM领域中最差的。据统计，地球科学领域是所有科学中种族多样性最低的，只有9%的学士/学士和2%的博士。“在全国范围内支持统一民运候选人。获得地球科学学位的学生数量将无法满足未来的劳动力需求，而URM的学生代表着填补这一需求的未开发资源。增加学生的保留率和增加URM注册地球科学专业的学生数量可以解决这些问题。GP-EXTRA项目的目标是通过多机构近地表（NS）地球物理应用现场经验来招募和留住地球科学专业的学生。实地经验将侧重于解决关键区域科学中正在进行的科学问题。它将使学生接触到最先进的地球物理设备，一个活跃的实地研究实验室，近地表地球物理和关键带科学的专家，以及潜在的地球科学职业道路。这种积极的实地经验和活动后的指导将使geoath学生在地球科学领域有一种社区意识，并增加他们继续从事地球科学职业的可能性。在GP-EXTRA项目征集中概述的IIAs部分，获得地球科学学位的学生数量将无法满足未来的劳动力需求。这个问题可以通过增加学生的保留率和增加地球科学专业的学生人数来解决。特别是，少数民族学生在地球科学领域的代表性严重不足，是填补这一需求的未开发资源。为了解决这一问题，我们建议实施多机构近地表地球物理应用现场经验，重点解决关键带科学中正在进行的科学问题。这一经历将使学生接触到最先进的地球物理设备、活跃的实地研究实验室、近地表地球物理和关键带科学的专家，以及潜在的地球科学职业道路。参与该项目的两个主要机构：罗格斯大学，纽瓦克（RN），一个西班牙裔服务机构，和天普大学（TU），将选出具有NS地球物理现场经验的GEOPATH （GP）学生。这些机构通过花园州-路易斯·斯托克斯少数民族参与联盟（ls - lsamp; PI Gates），北新泽西通往学士学位的桥梁（NNJB2B）计划和寺庙少数民族参与联盟（AMP）与2年制和4年制大学联系在一起。GP学生也将从东北部的中学参与四年制院校（宾夕法尼亚州立大学、迪金森学院、库茨敦大学、宾夕法尼亚印第安纳大学和巴克内尔大学）中抽取。从这些院校招收全科医生学生的重点是少数族裔和两年制院校的学生。参与者将是较低水平的本科生（大一/大二），他们将有一个独特的机会参加NS地球物理现场体验，通常只对高年级本科生开放。这些学生正处于学术生涯的关键时刻，接触到的机会和职业选择可能会对他们选择专业的决定产生影响。将我们的招聘重点放在一年级和二年级的学生身上，也将确保学生无论学术背景如何，都能以同等的方式接触到相关学科。实地体验将在页岩山临界区天文台（SH-CZO）举行。这个场地是理想的，因为它将使学生接触到临界区科学的正在进行的研究。将为现场经验制定教学大纲和NS地球物理问题集，以解决SH-CZO的紧迫研究问题。在实地站，GP学生将以较小的小组（6名学生）与研究生导师一起工作；更大的小组研讨会和演讲被整合在时间表中，为学生提供在小组中有效工作的资源，学习如何设计研究实验和分析数据集。为期两周的实地体验将以较小的队列演讲和地球科学领域的职业研讨会结束。学生们将作为单独的学生进入实地体验，并作为一个地球科学学生团队离开，他们拥有技能、知识和信心，可以对他们未来的目标和兴趣做出更明智的决定。该项目旨在通过积极的实地体验和活动后指导，将这些学生中的大多数留在地球科学领域。GEOPATH （GP）学生将与来自RN和TU勘探地球物理学家协会（SEG）学生分会的志愿者联系起来，为GP学生提供地球科学领域的社区意识，并增加这一群体继续从事地球科学职业的可能性。