GEOPATHS: IMPACT Geoscience Student Research and Ambassador Program

在接下来的十年里，地球科学的职业生涯预计将在全国和犹他州显著增长。为了增加地球科学专业人员的数量和多样性，盐湖社区学院（SLCC）正在与犹他州大学合作进行课程改革，以增加SLCC地质专业人员的多样性和成功转移到大学。该项目将实施早期本科生研究，大学推广和转移支持与创新的近同行指导战略的实践证明。在SLCC选择地质专业将由津贴进行本科生研究和访问两个合作大学的推广和研究项目的反馈支持。此外，SLCC的参与者将作为近同行导师，以一些非专业的通识教育地质类通过争取他们的帮助研究项目。近同行指导组件有可能提高我们对如何扩大社区大学本科生研究的理解。对于大学外展部分，SLCC学生将访问两所大学的外展活动，并会见教师咨询委员会指导他们的研究。此外，该项目还将在两所大学的地质系制定一项转学支助方案。转学支持计划将把新转学的SLCC地质专业学生与一位近同行的导师（一位高年级本科地质专业学生）联系起来，以帮助他们融入大学地质专业课程。这个项目是原创的，具有潜在的变革性，因为它将本科生的研究经验扩展到了表现最好的学生之外，扩大了受众范围，从而有可能产生更大的影响。如果成功的话，这种策略可以在大学的低年级和SLCC的其他STEM学科中使用。在接下来的十年里，地球科学的职业生涯预计将显着增长，但高等教育中的STEM管道正在泄漏专业。这个吗？管道泄漏？可以通过在学生早期实施经过验证的方法来修补吗？例如在社区大学一级的大学生涯。为了实现这一目标，盐湖社区学院（SLCC）已与犹他州大学合作，实施本科研究，近同行指导，大学推广和转移支持的行之有效的做法。我们的目标是提高SLCC地质专业的学位完成率，保留率，多样性和转移率。该项目将支持积极和多样化的SLCC地质专业担任？研究大使？他将在大学教师和高年级本科生同行的指导下进行本科生研究项目。将特别招募代表性不足的少数群体作为与会者。大使们将发展职业相关技能，重点是使用当前的技术，如手持X射线荧光分析仪，水质仪和GPS，使现场坚固的平板电脑与ArcGIS制图软件进行土壤和水的采样和制图。参与者被称为？大使？因为他们会从地质通识班招收一些学生来协助他们的研究。因此，这种方法将本科生研究的好处带给了普通教育人群，这可能会扩大该项目在整个机构的影响。除了研究，SLCC学生将访问两所合作大学？犹他州大学和韦伯州立大学进行外展活动，并与学院顾问委员会会面，就研究项目提供友好的指导。此外，两所大学将建立转学支持计划，以支持他们转学后的大使。转学支持计划将为大使们指派一名近同行导师（一名高年级本科地质学专业的学生），帮助他们融入大学地质系和学生组织。近同行指导组件有潜力，以提高我们的知识在社区大学的本科研究水平。许多研究表明，本科研究有明显的好处，但少数表现最好的学生通常会获得这种奖励。这个项目是原创的，具有潜在的变革性，因为它将这种研究经验扩展到表现最好的学生之外，扩大到更大的受众，从而有可能产生更大的影响。如果成功的话，这种策略可以在大学的低年级和SLCC的其他STEM学科中使用。

Part 1Over the next decade, careers in geoscience are projected to grow significantly nationally and in the state of Utah. To increase the number and diversity of geoscience professionals, Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) is collaborating with the University of Utah on curriculum-reforms to increase the diversity and successful transfer of geology majors from SLCC to university. The project will implement the proven practices of early undergraduate research, university outreach, and transfer support with an innovative near-peer mentoring strategy.Select geology majors at SLCC will be supported by a stipend to conduct undergraduate research and visit two partnering universities for outreach and feedback on research projects. In addition, SLCC participants will serve as near-peer mentors to a few non-majors from the general education geology classes by enlisting their help on research projects. The near-peer mentoring component has the potential to advance our understanding of how to expand undergraduate research at the community college level. For the university outreach component, SLCC students will visit the two universities for outreach activities and meet with the faculty advisory board for guidance their research. In addition, this project will develop a Transfer Support Program in the geology departments at both universities. The Transfer Support Program will connect newly transferred SLCC geology majors to a near-peer mentor (an upper division undergraduate geology major) to help integrate them into the university geology majors program. This project is original and potentially transformative because it extends the undergraduate research experience beyond top-performing students to a larger audience and thus has potential for a larger impact. If successful, this strategy could be employed in lower division classes at universities and other STEM disciplines at SLCC. Part 2Over the next decade, careers in geoscience are projected to grow significantly but the STEM pipeline in higher education is leaking majors. This ?leaky pipeline? can be patched by implementing proven pedagogies early in a student?s college career such as at the community college level. To achieve this, Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) has collaborated with the University of Utah to implement the proven practices of undergraduate research, near-peer mentoring, university outreach, and transfer support. The goal is to increase degree completions, retention, diversity, and transfer rates of geology majors at SLCC. The project will support motivated and diverse SLCC geology majors to serve as ?research ambassadors? who will conduct undergraduate research projects with mentoring from university faculty and an upper-division undergraduate peer. Underrepresented minority (URM) groups will be particularly recruited as participants. Ambassadors will develop career-relevant skills focused on soil and water sampling and mapping using current technologies such as the hand-held x-ray fluorescence analyzer, water quality meters, and GPS enable field-rugged tablets with ArcGIS mapping software. The participants are called ?ambassadors? because they will recruit a few students from the general education geology classes to assist with their research. Thus, this approach brings the benefits of undergraduate research to the general education population which could potentially amplify the effect of the project across the institution.In addition to research, SLCC students will visit the two partnering universities?the University of Utah and Weber State University?for outreach activities and to meet with the faculty advisory board for friendly guidance on research projects. Further, both universities will establish a Transfer Support Program to support ambassadors after they transfer. The Transfer Support Program will assign ambassadors a near-peer mentor (an upper division undergraduate geology major) to help integrate them into the university geology department and student organizations. The near-peer mentoring component has to the potential to advance our knowledge on undergraduate research at the community college level. Many studies demonstrate clear benefits of undergraduate research, but the few top-performing students usually reap this reward. This project is original and potentially transformative because it extends this research experience beyond top-performing students to a much larger audience and thus has potential for a larger impact. If successful, this strategy could be employed in lower division classes at universities and other STEM disciplines at SLCC.