Improving minority advancement for geoscience equity nationally (IMAGEN)

在越来越多地参与或留住结构上被排除在外的群体的学生进入地球科学领域方面，进展甚微或毫无进展。这项研究强调了解决这一问题的迫切需要，即积极招聘、留住和提高那些从结构上被排除在外的人口中进入地球科学职业生涯的学生在教育和职业上的成功。该项目将为得克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校(UTEP)地球科学专业的大量拉美裔学生提供专业发展支持，从而为国家培养STEM劳动力作出积极贡献，并有助于缩小代表性不足的差距。更重要的是，基于地点、文化和社区的有意义的实践经验和密切的指导将使学生参与进来，并导致更好的留存、学业成就和职业成功。此外，该计划将为学生提供有效学习、解释和交流科学知识的专业培训，最尖锐的是自然和人为变化对地球系统的影响，并确保国家在能源和关键资源方面的独立。该项目的主要目标是在UTEP使用分层指导、社区服务和体验式学习方法来招募、留住拉美裔学生，并为地球科学职业生涯做好准备。这一目标将通过课程改革来实现，在两年的时间里，学生将接受“专业发展”和“社区参与”培训。在这两门课程中，学生将得到不同团队的密切指导，其中包括UTEP地球科学教师、在不同职位工作的专业人员以及当地社区合作伙伴。该项目将允许地球科学专业的学生之间以及学生、教师和他们未来的雇主之间进行密切的互动。拟议的活动将为学生提供实时的职业发展机会，让他们成为多学科团队的一部分，并与社区合作伙伴一起解决在当地和地区具有重要意义的复杂地球科学问题，并为他们未来的STEM职业生涯做好更好的准备。这将建立专业的STEM劳动力队伍，通过确保学生获得教师和研究导师的机会，提高教育体验的质量，并加强UTEP和埃尔帕索社区的伙伴关系。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。

There has been little to no progress in growing participation or retention of students from structurally excluded groups in the Geosciences. This study highlights the urgent need to address this issue by actively recruiting, retaining, and improving the educational and professional success of students from structurally excluded populations who are entering geoscience careers. This project will offer professional development support to a significant number of Hispanic students in the geosciences at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), thus positively contributing to the national pipeline of the STEM workforce and helping to narrow the underrepresentation gap. More importantly, the meaningful hands-on place-, culturally- and community-based experiences and close mentoring will engage students and lead to better retention, academic achievement, and career success. Moreover, the program will offer professional training for students in the effective study, interpretation, and communication of scientific knowledge, most acutely the impacts of natural and anthropogenic change on Earth’s systems and ensuring national independence in energy and critical resources.The primary goal of the project is to use stratified mentoring, community service and experiential learning approaches at UTEP to recruit, retain and prepare Hispanic students for Geoscience careers. This goal will be achieved by curriculum reform, where students will take “professional development” and “community engagement” trainings over a two-year period. In both courses, students will be closely mentored by a diverse team including UTEP Geoscience faculty, professionals working across a spectrum of positions, and local community partners. The project will allow for close interactions among Geoscience majors, and between students, faculty, and their future employers. The proposed activities will provide real-time professional development opportunities for students to work as part of multidisciplinary teams and with community partners solving complex earth science problems that are locally and regionally important and prepare them better for future STEM careers. This will build the professional STEM workforce and enhance the quality of the educational experience by assuring access of students to faculty as teachers and research mentors and strengthen the partnership of UTEP and El Paso community.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.