GP-EXTRA: Freshman Research in Biogeochemistry for Engagement and Retention

在STEM学科（包括地球科学及其附属领域）招募、吸引和留住本科生，是美国高校面临的一项重大教育挑战。作为宾厄姆顿大学新生浸入式研究（FRI）项目的一部分，一个由地质学、生物学和环境研究学科的五名科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教师组成的团队正在利用生物地球化学的多学科领域，让学生在大学早期参与适用于地球科学职业的研究。生物地球化学研究生物、地质和化学过程的相互联系。现代和古代湖泊和海洋沉积物、大气、流域和湿地为生物地球化学研究提供了野外场地和样品。生物地球化学研究流程包括三个课程顺序：1)秋季学期的研究方法课程，2)春季学期的分析技术培训，3)最终在第二年秋季完成一个研究项目。在春季和秋季之间的夏季，一些FRI学生将获得资助，参与他们研究项目的动手，户外，实地部分。这种方法允许学生开发包含和评估季节性因素的项目，这些因素对理解许多生物地球化学过程至关重要。作为拓展计划的一部分，高中教育工作者和他们的一些学生参加了一个夏季研讨会，在那里他们通过与FRI的学生、教师和工作人员的直接互动来了解FRI的机会。反过来，FRI的学生和他们的成就被用来发展一个外联项目，其中包括访问高中和社区大学。因此，该项目正在努力增加地球科学专业学生的数量和多样性，从而满足国家对STEM学科的关键需求。新生研究浸入式（FRI）项目每年支持25-30名生物地球化学学生。生物地球化学经验从研究方法课程开始，强调定量推理，科学交流和一学期的文献回顾，以确定生物地球化学的研究课题。春季学期上半学期，学生学习适用于生物地球化学研究的分析技术；在春季的后半段，他们开始了他们的研究项目。在大二的秋天，学生们有一整个第二学期的时间来继续他们的研究项目。生物地球化学系有一个专门的实验室，配备了研究设备，还有一位博士培训的研究教育家，负责监督学生、研究生助教和本科生导师。FRI计划的特点是多个组件的组合。拥有完善研究计划的教师团队设计并监督新生的研究主题。研究主题明确解决地球科学的核心概念和核心技能。参与项目的大一新生会制作电子作品集，记录他们的研究经历和对科学过程的理解，这些都是他们整个大学生涯的基础。学生们选修了一系列强调团队合作的课程，从而为本科生提供了如何在研究团队中工作的明确培训。学生们接触到跨学科研究（IDR），并有多种机会发展IDR技能。生物地球化学研究项目产生的衍生研究模块正在融入其他课程；因此，真正的研究经验最终将在常规科学课程中提供，有助于提高学生对科学的参与、学习和记忆。本科生的研究活动将导致学生成为报告和同行评审文章的共同作者。评估活动记录了FRI项目对考虑从事地球科学职业的本科生的阶梯式、多指导研究经验的影响。

Recruiting, engaging, and retaining undergraduate students in STEM disciplines, including geoscience and affiliated fields, is a major educational challenge in the nation's colleges and universities. As part of Binghamton University's Freshman Research Immersion (FRI) program, a team of five science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) faculty across the geology, biology and environmental studies disciplines are using the multi- disciplinary field of biogeochemistry to engage students early in their college years in research applicable to geoscience careers. Biogeochemistry investigates the interconnection of biological, geological, and chemical processes. Modern and ancient lake and ocean sediments, the atmosphere, watersheds and wetlands provide field sites and samples for the biogeochemistry research. The biogeochemistry research stream consists of a three course sequence: 1) a research methods course during the fall semester, 2) followed by training in analytical techniques during the spring semester that 3) culminates in completion of a research project the following fall. Funding is being provided for some of the FRI students to engage in hands-on, outdoor, field based components of their research projects during the summer between the spring and fall. This approach allows students to develop projects that incorporate and evaluate seasonality components critical to the understanding of many biogeochemical processes. As a part of the outreach program, high school educators and several of their students participate in a summer workshop where they learn about FRI opportunities through direct interaction with the FRI students, faculty and staff. In turn, the FRI students and their achievements are being used to develop an outreach program that includes visits to high schools and community colleges. Consequently, this program is working to increase the numbers and diversity of students trained in Geosciences, thus meeting a crucial national need within a STEM discipline.The Freshman Research Immersion (FRI) program is supporting a cohort of 25-30 Biogeochemistry students each year. The biogeochemistry experience begins with a research methods course that emphasizes quantitative reasoning, scientific communication and a semester-long literature review to identify research topics in biogeochemistry. The first half of the spring semester, students learn analytical techniques applicable to biogeochemistry research; by the second half of the spring, they begin their research project. In the fall of sophomore year, students have an entire second semester to continue working on their research project. The biogeochemistry stream has a dedicated laboratory equipped for research, and a PhD-trained research educator who oversees the students, graduate teaching assistant and undergraduate peer mentors. The FRI program features a combination of the multiple components. A team of faculty members with well-established research programs designs and oversees the freshman research themes. The research themes explicitly address core concepts and core skills of the geosciences. The participating freshmen develop electronic-portfolios documenting their research experiences and understanding of the process of science, which they build upon throughout their college years. Students take a sequence of courses that emphasize teamwork, thus provides explicit training to undergraduates on how to work in research teams. The students are exposed to interdisciplinary research (IDR) and engage in multiple opportunities to develop IDR skills. The biogeochemistry research projects generate spin-off research modules that are being infused into other courses; as a result, authentic research experiences eventually will be provided in regular science courses, contributing to improved engagement, learning and retention in the sciences. The undergraduates' research activities are expected to result in students being co-authors of presentations and peer-reviewed articles. Assessment activities are documenting the impacts of the stepped, multi-mentored research experience of the FRI program for undergraduates considering a career in geosciences.