21st Century Environmental Health Scholars: Increasing Diversity in Environmental Health Sciences Through Mentored Research Experiences (21EH Scholars)

项目摘要/摘要 随着中国人口的增加，对多元化环境卫生工作人员的需求日益迫切 地球上有近80亿人口和自然灾害对环境健康的影响 干旱在每个大洲都很明显。除了了解环境如何 应激源影响人类健康，下一代科学家将需要跨越 制定可行的环境和社会挑战解决方案的学科。然而，这些纪律 环境健康科学--生物医学、临床和行为科学--缺乏 支持有效解决问题的多样性(Ferrini-Mundy，2013)。更广泛地说，女性， 残疾人和三个种族和民族群体--非裔美国人， 西班牙裔和/或美国印第安人和阿拉斯加原住民后裔在 科学和工程教育方案和就业(NAS，2011；NSF，2019年)。追逐 STEM职业需要为所有学生，特别是代表不足的少数族裔提供额外的支持 以及与系统性种族和性别偏见作斗争的女学生。对于这些学生来说， 坚持STEM专业的可能性受到有意义地参与的机会的影响 并与教职员工和同行建立支持关系(Figueroa 等人，2015年；PCAST，2012；徐，2007)。 在此背景下，北卡罗来纳州大学的毒理学和环境医学课程- 教堂山医学院与北卡罗来纳大学环境研究所(UNC-IE)和 北卡罗来纳中央大学(NCCU)生物和生物医学科学系，建议 以环境健康为重点的本科生研究计划，旨在扩大和多样化 进入环境卫生工作队伍的学生人数。21世纪的环境 健康学者计划将提供指导研究经验和专业知识 为来自不同背景的学生发展，目标是为这些学生做好准备 在环境健康科学领域深造或从事研究工作。我们将实现这一目标 通过以下目标。 目标1.促进夏季本科生在环境健康方面的研究机会 科学。 目标2.促进学年本科生的研究经验并拓宽 专业发展包括环境健康科学职业、科学 沟通和社区参与。 目标3.实施强有力的导师培训，将循证实践纳入 指导不同的学生，并培养机会。 在五年的时间里，该计划将为25名不同的本科生在环境领域的职业生涯做好准备 健康科学，向他们介绍尖端研究课题并促进基本技能 发展。同时，参与的导师将增强他们创造和 维持包容性学习环境。总之，这些活动将鼓励人们参与 来自不同背景的个人从事环境健康科学研究和 事业。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The need for a diverse environmental health workforce has growing urgency as the population of the planet nears eight billion people and the environmental health impacts of natural disasters and drought become evident on every continent. In addition to understanding how environmental stressors impact human health, scientists of the next generation will need to work across disciplines to develop viable solutions to environmental and social challenges. Yet the disciplines that underpin environmental health sciences—biomedical, clinical and behavioral sciences—lack the diversity that bolsters effective problem solving (Ferrini-Mundy, 2013). More broadly, women, persons with disabilities, and three racial and ethnic groups—people of African American, Hispanic, and/or American Indian and Alaska Native descent—remain underrepresented in science and engineering education programs and employment (NAS, 2011; NSF, 2019). Pursuit of STEM careers requires additional support for all students, especially underrepresented minority and women students who contend with systemic racial and gender bias. For these students, the likelihood of persisting in STEM majors is influenced by opportunities to meaningfully participate in the academic community and develop supportive relationships with faculty and peers (Figueroa et al., 2015; PCAST, 2012; Tsui, 2007). Within this context, the Curriculum in Toxicology & Environmental Medicine (CiTEM) in the UNC- Chapel Hill School of Medicine, together with the UNC Institute for the Environment (UNC-IE) and the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences at NC Central University (NCCU), propose an environmental health-focused undergraduate research program to expand and diversify the pool of students entering the environmental health workforce. The 21st Century Environmental Health Scholars program will provide mentored research experiences and professional development for students from diverse backgrounds, with a goal of preparing these students for further studies or research careers in environmental health sciences. We will accomplish this goal through the following aims. Aim 1. Facilitate summer undergraduate research opportunities in environmental health sciences. Aim 2. Facilitate academic-year undergraduate research experiences and broaden professional development to include environmental health sciences careers, science communication, and community engagement. Aim 3. Implement robust mentorship training that incorporates evidence-based practices in mentoring diverse students and cohort building opportunities. Over five years, this program will prepare 25 diverse undergraduates for careers in environmental health sciences, introducing them to cutting-edge research topics and facilitating essential skills development. At the same time, participating mentors will enhance their ability to create and sustain inclusive learning environments. Together, these activities will encourage the participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue environmental health sciences research and careers.