The Southern Arizona Geosciences Union for Academics, Research, and Outreach (SAGUARO): A Track 1 Program for Enhancing Diversity at the University of Arizona

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。亚利桑那大学（UA）正在复制一个成功的推广、指导、网络和研究项目的组成部分，该项目吸引了地球科学领域代表性不足的高中生和本科生。南亚利桑那地球科学学术、研究和推广联盟（SAGUARO）项目以布法罗地球科学项目为蓝本，每年招募5名本科生实习生参加独立的研究项目，并在附近的皮马社区学院和图森地区的一些高中开展有关地球科学职业的推广活动。在亚利桑那州，只有不到8%的地球科学本科学位授予了来自传统上代表性不足的群体的学生。与这些群体在该州人口中的比例相比，这一数字不成比例。35%)。一个相关但经常被忽视的问题是，许多公立学院和大学很难从周边社区招收当地学生。为了解决这个概念上广泛的问题，UA正在从一系列先前资助的多元化项目中吸取一些最佳实践。这些成功的项目包括广泛的项目参与者基础，支持教师和工作人员的网络，独特的外展活动，参与者的研究经验，以及定量和定性的自我评估。为了长期服务代表性不足的群体，正在组织一个示范项目，以便在初始赠款的生命周期之后自我维持。亚利桑那大学正在建立一个包括地球科学教师、研究生导师和本科生实习生在内的支持网络。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The University of Arizona (UA) is replicating components of a successful outreach, mentoring, networking and research program that engages underrepresented high school and undergraduate students in the geosciences. The Southern Arizona Geosciences Union for Academics, Research and Outreach (SAGUARO) project, modeled after the Buffalo Geosciences Program, is recruiting 5 undergraduate interns each year to participate in independent research projects and conduct outreach activities about geoscience careers at nearby Pima Community College and select high schools in the Tucson area. In Arizona, less than 8% of geosciences undergraduate degrees are awarded to Arizona students from traditionally underrepresented groups. This figure is disproportionate when compared to the ratio of these groups in the state population (approx. 35%). On a related but often overlooked issue, many public colleges and universities struggle to recruit local students from within their surrounding communities. As a solution to this conceptually broad issue, UA is incorporating several best practices from a range of previously funded diversity programs. These successful projects have included broad bases of program participants, networks of support faculty and staff, unique outreach activities, research experiences for participants, and both quantitative and qualitative self-assessment. In order to serve underrepresented groups for the long term, a model program is being organized to self-sustain beyond the lifetime of the initial grant. A support network involving geoscience faculty, graduate student mentors, and undergraduate interns at the University of Arizona is being established.