OEDG: Mentoring Through Research: Catalyst for Success in the Geosciences

摘要研究指导：地球科学成功的催化剂加州州立大学北岭分校地质科学系（CSUN）将制定一项计划，以吸引和保留其地球科学课程中代表性不足的少数民族。这个为期三年的催化剂项目以同行指导的研究小组为中心，该小组由研究生（CSUN硕士候选人）、本科生（来自CSUN和当地社区学院）和来自代表性不足群体的高中生组成。多层次的方法将学生与导师横向（同伴）和纵向（近同伴和顾问）联系起来。该项目为期三年，允许第一年建立的指导关系延续到随后的几年，并使继续学习的学生逐步承担越来越多的责任和经验。导师与学生之间的联系是在课堂环境中开始的，通过课程设计来教授指导和研究概念，并使学生彼此熟悉，研究项目和教师顾问。然后，学生们加入四个重点研究小组中的一个，这些小组以令人兴奋的、引人入胜的、具有本地到全球意义的研究项目为中心。所选的研究项目具有显著的主题重叠（例如，地震学，构造/活动构造，沉积和构造，沉积学和低温地球化学），为学生通过课程互动提供了共同的基础，并促进学生在研究兴趣改变时从小组转到小组。Catalyst项目为参加该项目的30名或更多学生提供指导和研究培训，以确保他们在学术界和工业界取得成功。它还提高了教师导师的指导技巧和研究效率，加强了系里的研究能力，增加了从各种来源获得持续资金的可能性。

ABSTRACTMentoring through Research: Catalyst for Success in the GeosciencesThe Department of Geological Sciences at California State University Northridge (CSUN) will develop a program to attract and retain underrepresented minorities in its geosciences curriculum. The three-year Catalyst Program centers on peer-mentored research groups composed of graduate (CSUN MS candidates), undergraduate (from CSUN and local community colleges), and high-school students from under-represented groups. The multi-tiered approach connects students with mentors both horizontally (peer) and vertically (near-peer and advisor). The three-year scope of the project allows mentoring relationships developed during the first year to continue into subsequent years and for continuing students to step into roles of increasing responsibility and experience. Mentor-protege connections are initiated in a classroom setting through a course designed to teach mentoring and research concepts, and to familiarize students with each other, the research projects, and the faculty advisors. Students then join one of four focused research groups centered on exciting and engaging research projects of local to global significance. The selected research projects have significant topical overlap (e.g., seismology, structure/active tectonics, sedimentation and tectonics, and sedimentology and low temperature geochemistry), providing common grounds for student interaction through coursework and facilitating student transfer from group to group if research interests change. The Catalyst Program provides mentoring and research training for the 30 or more students who will participate in the program to ensure success in academe and industry. It also enhances the mentoring skills and research productivity of the faculty mentors and strengthens the research capacity of the department, increasing the likelihood of continued funding from a variety of sources.