GP-EXTRA: A geoscience pathway field experience in near-surface geophysics to promote recruitment and retention of transitional students in quantitative geosciences

就多样性和在代表不足的少数族裔(URM)学生中引起兴趣而言，地球科学领域的记录是STEM领域中最差的。据统计，地球科学领域是所有学科中种族多样性最小的，只有9%的学士/学士学位和2%的博士S进入了全国范围内的URM考生。获得地球科学学位的学生数量将无法满足未来的劳动力需求，而URM学生代表着一种尚未开发的资源来满足这一需求。增加留学生和增加注册地球科学的URM学生的数量可以解决这些问题。该GP-Extra项目的目标是通过多机构近地表(NS)地球物理应用实地经验，招募和留住地球科学方面的学生。实地经验将侧重于解决关键地带科学中正在进行的科学问题。它将使学生接触到最先进的地球物理设备、活跃的野外研究实验室、近地表地球物理和临界区科学方面的专家，以及潜在的地球科学职业道路。这种积极的实地体验和活动后指导将为GEOPATH学生提供地球科学领域的社区感，并增加他们继续从事地球科学职业的可能性。正如GP-Extra项目征集中概述的那样，获得地球科学学位的学生数量将无法满足未来的劳动力需求。这一问题可以通过增加留学生人数和增加地球科学专业的学生人数来解决。特别是，少数族裔学生在地球科学领域的代表性严重不足，是满足这一需求的尚未开发的资源。为了解决这一问题，我们建议实施多机构近地表(NS)地球物理应用实地经验，重点解决关键地带科学中正在进行的科学问题。这一经历将使学生接触到最先进的地球物理设备、活跃的野外研究实验室、近地表地球物理和临界区科学方面的专家，以及潜在的地球科学职业道路。NS地球物理领域经验的地球物理(GP)学生将来自参与该项目的两个主要机构：罗格斯大学、纽瓦克(RN)、为拉美裔服务的机构(RN)和坦普尔大学(TU)。这些机构通过花园州立大学-路易斯·斯托克斯少数族裔参与联盟(GS-LSAMP；Pi Gates)、新泽西北部通向文凭毕业生的桥梁(NNJB2B)计划和坦普尔少数族裔参与联盟(AMP)与两年制和四年制大学建立联系。普通科学生也将从东北部的四年制中学院校(宾夕法尼亚州立大学、狄金森学院、库茨敦大学、印第安纳大学、宾夕法尼亚大学和巴克内尔大学)招收。这些院校招收的普通科学生将集中在代表性不足的少数族裔(URM)和两年制院校的学生。参与者将是低年级的本科生(大一/大二)，他们将有一个独特的机会参与NS地球物理实地体验，通常只教授高年级的本科生。这些学生正处于学业生涯的关键时刻，接触到的机会和职业选择可能会对选择哪个专业的决定产生影响。我们的招聘重点是一年级和二年级的学生，这也将确保学生在进入现场体验时，无论学术背景如何，都能接触到相关主题。实地体验将在页岩山临界区天文台(SH-CZO)举行。这个实地考察站点是理想的，因为它将使学生接触到正在进行的临界区科学研究。将制定实地经验的教学大纲和NS地球物理问题集，以解决SH-CZO迫切的研究问题。在外勤站，全科医生的学生将与研究生导师一起在较小的群体(6名学生)中工作；时间表中整合了更大的小组研讨会和演讲，为学生提供在小组中有效工作的资源，学习如何设计研究实验，并分析数据集。为期两周的实地体验将以较小的队列介绍和关于地球科学领域现有职业的讲习班结束。学生将以个别学生的身份进入实地体验，然后以具有技能、知识和信心的地学学生团队的形式离开，以便对他们未来的目标和兴趣做出更明智的决定。该项目旨在通过积极的实地体验和活动后的指导，将这些学生中的大多数留在地球科学领域。GEOPATH(GP)学生将与RN和TU勘探地球物理学家协会(SEG)学生分会内的志愿者联系在一起，为GP学生提供地球科学社区的感觉，并增加这一群体继续从事地球科学职业的可能性。

Part IGeoscience fields have the worst record of any STEM field in terms of diversity and generating interest among under-represented minority (URM) students. Statistically, geoscience fields are the least ethnically diverse of all the sciences with only about 9% of BS/BA and 2% of PhD?s going to URM candidates nationally. The number of students receiving geoscience degrees will not meet future workforce demands and URM students represent an untapped resource to fill this demand. Increasing the retention of students and increasing the number of URM students enrolling in the geosciences can address these problems. The goal of this GP-EXTRA project is to recruit and retain students in the geosciences through a multi-institutional near-surface (NS) geophysics applied field experience. The field experience will focus on addressing ongoing scientific questions in critical zone science. It will expose students to state-of-the-art geophysical equipment, an active field research laboratory, and experts in near-surface geophysics and critical zone science, and potential geoscience career paths. This positive field experience and post-activity mentoring will provide GEOPATH students with a sense of community within the geosciences and increase the likelihood that they will continue to pursue careers in the geosciences. Part IIAs outlined in the GP-EXTRA program solicitation, the number of students receiving geoscience degrees will not meet the future workforce demand. This problem can be addressed by both increasing the retention of students and increasing the number of students enrolling in the geosciences. In particular, minority students are severely underrepresented in the geoscience fields and represent an untapped resource to fill this demand. To address this problem, we propose to implement a multi-institutional near-surface (NS) geophysics applied field experience, focused on addressing ongoing scientific questions in critical zone science. The experience will expose students to state-of-the-art geophysical equipment, an active field research laboratory, experts in near-surface geophysics and critical zone science, and potential geoscience career paths.The GEOPATH (GP) students in the NS geophysics field experience will be drawn from the two primary institutions involved in this project: Rutgers University, Newark (RN), a Hispanic- Serving Institution, and Temple University (TU). These institutions are connected to 2- and 4-year colleges via the Garden State-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (GS-LSAMP; PI Gates), the Northern New Jersey Bridge to the Baccalaureate (NNJB2B) program, and Temple Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP). GP students will also be drawn from secondary participating 4-year institutions in the northeast (Penn State University, Dickinson College, Kutztown University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Bucknell University).Recruitment of GP students from these institutions will focus on underrepresented minorities (URMs) and students from 2-year institutions. The participants will be lower-level undergraduate students (freshman/sophomores) who will have a unique opportunity to participate in a NS geophysics field experience, usually only taught to upper-level undergraduate students. These students are at a critical juncture in their academic career when exposure to opportunities and career options can have an impact on decisions about which major to choose. Focusing our recruitment on first and second year students will also ensure students enter the field experience with an equivalent exposure to the subject matter regardless of academic background.The field experience will be held at the Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SH-CZO). This field site is ideal as it will expose students to ongoing research in critical zone science. The syllabus and NS geophysics problem sets for the field experience will be developed to address pressing research questions at the SH-CZO. At field stations, GP students will work alongside a graduate student mentor in smaller cohorts (6 students); larger group workshops and presentations are integrated in the schedule to give students the resources to work effectively within a group, learn how to design a research experiment, and analyze datasets. The 2-week field experience will conclude with smaller cohort presentations and a workshop on careers available within the geosciences. Students will enter the field experience as individual students and leave as a team of geoscience students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make a more informed decision about their future goals and interests. The project aims to retain most of these students in the geosciences through a positive field experience and post-activity mentoring. GEOPATH (GP) students will be linked with volunteers from within the RN and TU Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) student chapters, providing the GP students with a sense of community within the geosciences and increase the likelihood that this cohort will continue to pursue careers in the geosciences.