REU Site: Research Experience for Community College Students (RECCS) in the Geosciences

社区大学生地球科学研究体验(RECC)每年将吸引10名科罗拉多州社区大学学生参与地学领域的真实研究，重点是与当地相关的主题。社区学院的学生在种族、民族和收入水平方面往往是多样化的，通常包括农村学生、第一代大学学生或退伍军人身份的学生。研究表明，研究经验有助于提高学生对科学过程的理解、批判性阅读科学文献的能力和理论与实践相结合的能力。这些学生比其他人更有可能追求未来的研究经验或进入研究生院学习。RECC的招生将侧重于吸引和支持不同的学生群体，包括来自科罗拉多州农村的学生。RECCS参与者将通过一个由杰出科学家监督的为期九周的研究项目进行指导，并将在整个夏季期间接受专业发展培训和科学交流培训。预计研究经验将引导学生在四年制院校攻读理科学位。严格的项目评估将提供数据，以衡量让这些学生参与研究经验的效果，以及随后学生对攻读以STEM为重点的四年制大学或研究生院学位和科学职业的兴趣。这个暑期研究项目将吸引不同的社区大学生干部，特别是来自科罗拉多州农村的学生，从事科学。学生可以在广泛的研究主题中进行独立的研究项目，包括：野火对水文和水质的影响、土壤微生物、科罗拉多前沿山脉的氮沉积、景观演变、渔业数据建模、空气污染的卫星监测、城市磁异常和地热场动态。RECCS的研究环境旨在提供由科学家、RECCS校友作为近同行导师、专业发展培训师和RECCS工作人员以及同行小组互动的几个层面的指导，以在学生群体中灌输一种归属感。这一结构将确保参与者获得他们在其项目中取得成功所需的支持，并获得对其科学能力的信心。来自科罗拉多大学博尔德分校和当地联邦实验室(包括NOAA和USGS实验室)的科学家的参与将为学生提供获得跨学科和跨机构专业知识的机会，并促进这些研究小组之间的联系和合作。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Research Experience for Community College Students (RECCS) in the Geosciences will engage ten Colorado community college students per year through participation in authentic research in the geosciences with emphasis on locally relevant topics. Community college students tend to be diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, and income level, and often include rural, first-generation college or veteran-status students. Studies show that research experiences help students improve their understanding of the scientific process, their ability to read scientific literature critically and their ability to integrate theory and practice. These students are more likely than others to pursue future research experiences or enroll in graduate school programs. Student recruitment for RECC will focus on engaging and supporting diverse cohorts of students, including students from rural Colorado. RECCS participants will be mentored through a nine-week research project overseen by preeminent scientists and will receive professional development training and scientific communication training over the course of the summer. It is expected that the research experience will guide students toward science degrees at four-year institutions. Rigorous program evaluation will provide data to measure the effects of engaging these students in research experiences and subsequent student interest in pursuing STEM-focused four-year college or graduate school degrees and scientific careers.This summer research program will engage a diverse cadre of community college students, especially those from rural Colorado, in the sciences. Students can conduct independent research projects in a wide variety of research topics, including topics such as: wildfire impacts on hydrology and water quality, soil microbes, nitrogen deposition in the Colorado front range, landscape evolution, modeling of fisheries data, satellite monitoring of air pollution, urban magnetic anomalies and geothermal field dynamics. The RECCS research environment is designed to provide several layers of mentoring by scientists, RECCS alums as near-peer mentors, professional development trainers and RECCS staff, as well as peer-group interaction, to instill a sense of belonging within the student cohorts. This structure will ensure that participants receive the support they need to succeed in their projects and to gain confidence in their scientific ability. The involvement of scientists from Colorado University Boulder and local Federal Laboratories, including NOAA and USGS laboratories, will provide students with access to cross-disciplinary and cross-agency expertise and foster connections and collaborations between those research groups.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.