REU Site: Dynamic Urban Environmental Systems and Sustainability in Newark, NJ

位于新泽西州纽瓦克的动态城市环境系统和可持续发展(DUESS)REU网站让学生参与与城市环境中的环境和可持续发展相关的研究。参与者来自地球科学中代表性不足的群体，包括社区大学生，他们要么就读于城市机构，要么生活在城市地区。对城市系统的关注使学生能够进行与他们的日常生活和社区相关的研究，并展示了科学研究如何造福社会。学生由罗格斯大学纽瓦克分校的研究活跃教师指导，接受专业发展培训，参与丰富活动，并与纽瓦克社区组织和当地政府建立联系。学生们被引导到从社区大学到四年制项目到研究职业的道路。为未被充分代表的学生创造职业道路至关重要，因为少数族裔占美国人口的33%，但只占受雇科学家和工程师的14%。这代表着STEM职业生涯中尚未开发的人力资源潜力。最大限度地发挥人力资源潜力对纽瓦克等城市地区尤为重要，这些地区需要训练有素的专业人员来推动当地的环境和可持续发展努力。DUESS REU旨在提高学生对地球和环境科学的兴趣，并让他们认识到有组织的科学研究的价值。它提供了从大学到研究生院的成功和潜在的研究职业的关键联系。其结果是提高了对地球科学的参与度和多样性，并增加了受过适当培训的科学家数量，以满足全国日益增长的需求。DUESS REU参与者将调查集中的人类活动对环境(土壤、水、空气、生物群)和城市系统可持续性的影响。学生在近地表地球物理、城市地球化学和生物地球化学、城市生态学、可持续发展和生物多样性方面的教职研究专长范围内开展研究项目。参与者主要是来自两年制和四年制城市院校的代表不足的少数民族(URM)学生。学生与教师导师一起开展DUESS主题研究；参与专业发展，将研究经验与教育途径相结合；参与促进学生与学生、学生与教职员工以及学生与社区互动的支持活动。DUESS REU有六个目标。1)通过利用罗格斯大学纽瓦克分校的其他NSF和非NSF资助的项目，招募并为3组12名有学术天赋的学生提供研究经验和支持，这些学生至少60%是URM学生，50%是社区学院学生。2)为本科生开发一个综合研究计划，让他们接触尖端的地球科学技术。3)培养从学习研究技术到帮助制定研究计划的研究经验。4)开发一种模式，使城市URM学生参与高级研究，使其与他们的生活和兴趣相关。5)建立一条明确的途径，鼓励学生从事涉及研究的科学职业。6)改变项目文化，更好地将本科生综合研究纳入课程。该项目将通过在城市环境中以群体为基础的研究模式，增加在研究和科学领域寻求职业生涯的人数。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Dynamic Urban Environmental Systems and Sustainability (DUESS) REU site in Newark, New Jersey engages students in research related to the environment and sustainability in urban settings. Participants are from groups underrepresented in the Geosciences, include community college students, and either attend urban institutions or live in urban areas. The focus on urban systems allows students to conduct research relevant to their daily lives and communities, and demonstrates how scientific research can benefit society. Students are mentored by research active faculty at Rutgers University-Newark, receive professional development training, participate in enrichment activities, and interface with Newark community organizations and local government. Students are guided to pathways from community college and 4-year programs to careers in research. Creating career pathways for underrepresented students is essential, as racial minorities comprise 33% of the U.S. population, but only 14% of employed scientists and engineers. This represents an untapped human resource potential for STEM careers. Maximizing human resource potential is especially critical for urban areas, such as Newark, where there is a need for trained professionals to advance local environmental and sustainability efforts. The DUESS REU is designed to reinforce the interest of the students in Earth and Environmental Sciences, and have them appreciate the value of organized scientific research. It provides a critical link from success in college to graduate school and a potential research career. The result is improved participation and diversity in the Geosciences, and an increase in the number of appropriately trained scientists to meet the growing need nationwide.DUESS REU participants will investigate the impact of concentrated human activity on the environment (soils, water, air, biota) and sustainability in urban systems. Students develop research projects within areas of faculty research expertise in Near Surface Geophysics, Urban Geochemistry & Biogeochemistry, and Urban Ecology, Sustainability & Biodiversity. The participants are primarily underrepresented minority (URM) students from 2-year and 4-year urban institutions. Students conduct DUESS themed research with faculty mentors; participate in professional development to integrate the research experience with the educational pathway; and engage in supporting activities that promote student-student, student-faculty and student-community interactions. The DUESS REU has six goals. 1) Recruit and provide research experiences and support for 3 cohorts of 12 academically talented students who are at least 60% URM and 50% Community College students by leveraging other NSF and non-NSF-funded programs at Rutgers University-Newark. 2) Develop an integrated research program for undergraduates that exposes them to cutting edge geoscience techniques. 3) Develop a research experience that builds from learning research techniques to helping formulate research plans. 4) Develop a model to engage urban URM students in advanced research by making it pertinent to their lives and interests. 5) Establish a clear pathway to encourage students to pursue careers in science that involve research. 6) Change the culture of the program to better incorporate integrated undergraduate research into the curriculum. This project will increase the number of underrepresented students pursuing careers in research and science, through a model for group place-based research in an urban environment that may be replicated in urban areas nationwide.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.