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Elizabeth L. Ambos, Richard Behl, David Whitney, Christine M. Rodrigue,

Geosciences Student Recruitment Strategies at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB): Earth System Science/Community-Research Based Education Partnerships. Elizabeth L. Ambos, Richard Behl, David Whitney, Christine M. Rodrigue,

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Elizabeth L. Ambos, Richard Behl, David Whitney, Christine M. Rodrigue,

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  1. Geosciences Student Recruitment Strategies at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB): Earth System Science/Community-Research Based Education Partnerships Elizabeth L. Ambos, Richard Behl, David Whitney, Christine M. Rodrigue, Suzanne P. Wechsler, Gregory Holk, Christopher T. Lee, R. Daniel Francis, and Daniel Larson All at: California State University, Long Beach rodrigue@csulb.edu, bambos@csulb.edu GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

  2. Three Geoscience Departments:Three Interdisciplinary Collaborations • Geoscience departments at CSULB: • Geological Sciences (geology, geophysics, geochemistry, oceanography, meteorology) • Geography (biogeography, palaeo/climatology, geospatial technology) • Anthropology (archaeology, geoarchaeology) • Interdisciplinary collaborations: • Institute for Interdisciplinary Research in Materials, Environments, and Societies (IIRMES) • Environmental Science and Policy Major (ES&P) • Geoscience Diversity Enhancement Project (GDEP) GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

  3. IIRMES • Institute for Interdisciplinary Research in Materials, Environments, and Societies • Originally grew from collaborations among Anthropology, Geological Sciences, Biological Sciences, Physics and Astronomy • Equipped with NSF funds • 5 labs: wet lab, ICP-MS, organic lab, SEM & TLC lab, stable isotope lab, and thermoluminescence lab • Provides contract access to facilities and analyses GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

  4. ES&P • Environmental Science and Policy Major • Curriculum comprised of math, biology, physics, chemistry, geology, geography, economics, and anthropology, designed to expose students systematically to both natural and social sciences • B.S. program emphasizes natural sciences, including geology, physical geography, biology, chemistry • B.A. program emphasizes policy and social sciences, including economics, anthropology, and human geography GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

  5. GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

  6. GDEP: Interdisciplinary Partnerships To Improve Opportunities for Students • A 3 year teaming among CSULB faculty in Geological Sciences, Geography, and Anthropology • Committed to working across departments and colleges and with 5 community colleges (CC) and 5 LBUSD high schools -- to provide interdisciplinary earth system science research opportunities • Dedicated to closing the GAP between community demographics and 4-year college geoscience student demographics (i.e., fewer underrepresented students in geosciences compared to their community populations) • Activities include • assessment of attitudes toward geosciences among CSULB, community college, and LBUSD students • intensive eight-week summer research institute involving 25-40 CSULB, LBUSD, CC students, and faculty) GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

  7. GDEP Partners & Field Sites Red= Low Income Areas 0 4 miles CSULB LBUSD HS CC GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

  8. GDEP Outcomes • Extensive Summer Research Program: • Student involvement: 29 students involved over 3 years (27 from underrepresented groups) • Faculty involvement: >30 CSULB, community college, and high school faculty • Observable Changes in Participant Attitudes: • Students: greater self-confidence, higher educational aspirations • Community college and high school faculty: more hands-on class activities, more knowledge of geoscience career possibilities • CSULB faculty : better understanding of challenges students face – particularly students from urban, lower income areas; more interest in community-based, interdisciplinary, earth systems science research projects • Dissemination: • Publications: 5 papers published or in press in geoscience and/or education oriented journals, 1 with student co-authors • Abstracts of presentations: >30, about half with student co-authors • Website: http://www.csulb.edu/geography/gdep/ GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

  9. GDEP Outcomes: Diversification GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

  10. GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

  11. Conclusions • Enrollments in geosciences CAN grow • IF departments reach out to others with common interests in the earth and environment, both on the same campus and at other institutions nearby • IF departments implement structures and programs that reward working together (e.g., IIRMES research facility, GDEP research experience for undergraduates, coördinating curriculum as in ES&P) • Our appeal cannot be confined to a declining demographic • Success in recruiting increasingly demands catching the attention of underrepresented minority students, especially in California and other border states • It also requires appealing to the job-centric working class and poor student, particularly in comprehensive urban universities and universities with rural service areas • Gender balance has improved but there are still expansion possibilities in recruiting women and girls GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

  12. GDEP is funded by NSF GEO 01-19891

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