AGS-FIRP Track 1: Undergraduate Field Experience in Atmospheric Chemistry at the Storm Peak Laboratory in Spring 2023

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This award will provide funding for a 3-day field-based research experience at the Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL). SPL is a Community Instruments & Facilities (CIF) site supported by the NSF Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE) program. Sixteen undergraduate students from Colorado College, which is a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI), will participate. These participants will be students enrolled in an upper-division elective course for Environmental Science majors at Colorado College. The overall goal of this field-based course component is to provide a diverse group of Colorado College undergraduate students majoring in Environmental Science or related subjects with an experiential learning opportunity in atmospheric chemistry. Students participating in the project will be introduced to core facets of the scientific research process, including research question development, field study design, measurement techniques, data analysis, and synthesis of information. A major outcome of this course will be to aid in the preparation of undergraduate Environmental Science and other science, technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) majors at Colorado College for their post-graduation career paths. The proposed project will also contribute to the development of a globally competitive STEM workforce and improved STEM education by providing an educational opportunity that enables students to gain experience and professional skills in environmental instrumentation, field-program design and execution, scientific collaboration, and scientific communication.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.