GEOPATHS: IMPACT Geoscience Student Research and Ambassador Program

在接下来的十年里，地球科学领域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)正在与犹他大学合作进行课程改革，以增加SLCC地质学专业的多样性并成功地将其转移到大学。该项目将实施早期本科生研究、大学外展和转移支持的成熟做法，并采用创新的近同行指导策略。SLCC选定的地质学专业的学生将获得一笔津贴，进行本科生研究，并访问两所合作大学，以进行外展和对研究项目的反馈。此外，SLCC的参与者将通过寻求他们在研究项目上的帮助，为几个普通教育地质班的非主修学生提供近乎同行的指导。近同行辅导部分有可能促进我们对如何在社区学院层面扩大本科生研究的理解。在大学外展部分，SLCC的学生将访问两所大学进行外展活动，并与教职员工顾问委员会会面，指导他们的研究。此外，该项目将在两所大学的地质系开发一个转学支持计划。转学支持计划将把新转学的SLCC地质学专业的学生与接近同行的导师(地质学专业的高年级本科生)联系起来，帮助他们融入大学地质学专业的项目。这个项目具有原创性，具有潜在的变革性，因为它将本科生的研究经验从表现最好的学生扩展到更多的受众，因此有可能产生更大的影响。如果成功，这一策略可以应用于大学的低级班级和SLCC的其他STEM学科。在接下来的十年里，地球科学领域的职业生涯预计将显著增长，但高等教育中的STEM管道正在流失专业。这个？漏水的管道？可以通过在学生早期实施成熟的教学方法来修补吗？S的大学生涯，比如在社区学院的水平。为了实现这一目标，盐湖社区学院(SLCC)与犹他大学合作，实施了本科生研究、近距离同行指导、大学外展和转学支持等行之有效的做法。目标是提高SLCC地质学专业的学位完成率、保留率、多样性和转化率。该项目将支持积极进取和多样化的SLCC地质学专业的学生担任研究大使？世卫组织将在大学教职员工和一名高年级本科生同行的指导下开展本科生研究项目。将特别招募代表不足的少数群体作为参与者。大使将发展与职业相关的技能，重点是使用当前的技术进行土壤和水的采样和测绘，如手持x射线荧光分析仪、水质测量仪，以及配备ArcGIS测绘软件的GPS Enable野外坚固型平板电脑。参与者被称为？大使？因为他们会从普通教育地质班招收几个学生来协助他们的研究。因此，这种方法为普通教育群体带来了本科研究的好处，这可能会放大整个机构的项目效果。除了研究，SLCC的学生还将访问两所合作大学--犹他大学和韦伯州立大学--进行外联活动，并与教职员工顾问委员会会面，就研究项目进行友好指导。此外，两所大学将建立一个调任支持计划，以支持大使在调任后的工作。转学支持计划将为大使指派一名近乎同行的导师(高年级本科生地质学专业)，帮助他们融入大学地质系和学生组织。近同行辅导部分有可能促进我们在社区大学层面上对本科生研究的了解。许多研究表明，本科生的研究有明显的好处，但少数表现最好的学生通常会获得这一回报。这个项目是原创的，可能具有变革性，因为它将这种研究经验从表现最好的学生扩展到更多的受众，因此有可能产生更大的影响。如果成功，这一策略可以应用于大学的低级班级和SLCC的其他STEM学科。

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.