Abstracts Fall AGU 2004 (1 of 3)   HR: 17:15h AN: ED44A-06 TI: LSU Geoscience Alliance to Enhance Minority Participation: Building Partnerships with Minority-Serving Institutions AU: * Anderson, L C EM: laurie@geol.lsu.edu AF: Louisiana State University, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 United States AU: Ferrell, R E EM: rferrell@lsu.edu AF: Louisiana State University, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 United States AU: Lorenzo, J M EM: juan@geol.lsu.edu AF: Louisiana State University, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 United States AU: Tomkin, J H EM: tomkin@geol.lsu.edu AF: Louisiana State University, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 United States AU: Bart, P J EM: pbart@geol.lsu.edu AF: Louisiana State University, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 United States AB: The LSU GAEMP (Geoscience Alliance to Enhance Minority Participation) program seeks to increase the number of under-represented minorities in the geosciences by targeting students at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) who have an undergraduate STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) major that is not geology. The program, sponsored by a 5-year NSF award through the OEDG program, is administered by Geology and Geophysics faculty at LSU in collaboration with key science faculty at nine regional minority serving institutions (MSIs; seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and two Hispanic Serving Institutions). These MSIs, especially several physics programs, provide well-trained, highly motivated graduates who compile excellent records in highly ranked graduate programs. These students also have strong potential because they have knowledge and skills relevant to graduate work in interdisciplinary areas. Forging collaborations with MSIs is crucial to exposing these talented students to geoscience education and career opportunities because most of these institutions do not have geoscience degree programs. The point of entry into GAEMP is a summer course that focuses on research to introduce basic geoscience concepts. Targeted recruits into GAEMP are MSI juniors that show high academic achievement and have non-geoscience STEM majors. Summer course participants are encouraged to, and supported in, cooperative research projects that are completed during the following academic year at the home institution. On receiving their baccalaureate degree, GAEMP participants are encouraged to apply to graduate school, especially at LSU where GAEMP graduate fellowships are available at both the M.S. and Ph.D. level. We use a variety of recruiting efforts to attract students into GAEMP including print media, a webpage, visits by LSU faculty and students to MSIs, and workshops at LSU for MSI faculty and students. With all these efforts, the enthusiastic support of MSI faculty is critical in successful student recruiting and retention. The most proactive MSI faculty have (1) provided additional stipends for students participating in the summer program, (2) required a post-course research experience, and (3) taken an active research-mentoring role for returning GAEMP students. Important recruiting and retention roles for LSU faculty include (1) summer course participation that introduces students to current research questions, (2) research-mentoring of GAEMP students in their senior year, and (3) maintaining formal and informal contacts with MSI faculty and students. DE: 0810 Post-secondary education DE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED] MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting   Fall AGU 2004 (2of 3) 1340h AN: ED23A-0088 TI: A Three-Day Seismic Experiment in an Urban Setting: An Introduction to Seismology for Minority Students AU: * Lorenzo, J M EM: juan@geol.lsu.edu AF: Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4101 United States AU: Anderson, L C EM: laurie@geol.lsu.edu AF: Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4101 United States AU: Bart, P J EM: pbart@geol.lsu.edu AF: Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4101 United States AU: Ferrell, R E EM: rferrell@lsu.edu AF: Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4101 United States AU: Tomkin, J H EM: tomkin@geol.lsu.edu AF: Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4101 United States AB: Summer program participants of LSU GAEMP (Geoscience Alliance to Improve Minority Participation) are non-traditional, STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math), underrepresented minorities from 9 Minority-Serving Institutions in the states of Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. During this summer of 2004, twelve students completed a six-week field and lab program across the lower U.S.A. Because of the urban background of many of the participants one three-day module on earthquakes and earth deformation emphasized the design of a non-conventional seismic experiment, field acquisition and analysis of data in an urban setting. Day one introduced stress, major fault types and their plate tectonic setting based on a case study of active growth faulting, emphasizing its effects on urban planning. Students visited the field to verify the location of faults from prior interpretations using GPS and topographic maps, and to discuss observed faulted buildings, offices and roadways. Later, students were exposed to the principles of active seismology, divided into six working groups and required to design by the next morning a realistic experiment to verify faults in the shallow subsurface. Day two was dedicated to collecting shallow ($<$300m) shear-wave seismic refraction data from both sides of a suspected growth fault, with the student expectation that a thicker sediment sequence would be observed on the down-thrown block. Day three involved pencil-and-paper analyses of data for reflection and refraction-thickness and velocity estimation, capped with a discussion and formal oral presentations of group results. The student-led design, active field deployment of equipment and formal discussion groups provided the widest range of activities to promote awareness of the relevance of seismology in modern society. UR: http://www.geol.lsu.edu/gaemp/ DE: 8107 Continental neotectonics DE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design DE: 0900 EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS DE: 0905 Continental structures (8109, 8110) DE: 0935 Seismic methods (3025) SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED] MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting   Fall AGU 2004 (3of 3) ------------------------------ HR: 11:20h AN: ED22A-05 TI: The Non-traditional Student, a new Geoscience Resource AU: * Ferrell, R EM: rferrell@lsu.edu AF: Louisiana State University, Dept. of Geology & Geophysics, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 United States AU: Anderson, L EM: landerson@geol.lsu.edu AF: Louisiana State University, Dept. of Geology & Geophysics, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 United States AU: Bart, P EM: pbart@geol.lsu.edu AF: Louisiana State University, Dept. of Geology & Geophysics, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 United States AU: Lorenzo, J M EM: juan@geol.lsu.edu AF: Louisiana State University, Dept. of Geology & Geophysics, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 United States AU: Tomkin, J EM: tomkin@geol.lsu.edu AF: Louisiana State University, Dept. of Geology & Geophysics, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 United States AB: The LSU GAEMP (Geoscience Alliance to Enhance Minority Participation) program targets non-traditional students, those without an undergraduate degree in geoscience, in its efforts to attract African American and Hispanic students from minority serving institutions (MSIs) to pursue careers in geology and geophysics. Faculty collaborators at nine MSIs (seven HBCUs and two HSIs) work closely with LSU faculty to advertise the program and to select student participants. The enthusiastic cooperation of the MSI Professors is crucial to success. The ideal student is a junior-level, high academic achiever with a major in one of the basic sciences, mathematics, engineering or computer science. A special summer course uses a focus on research to introduce basic geoscience concepts. Students are encouraged to design a cooperative research project to complete during their last year at their home institution and to apply for GAEMP graduate fellowships leading directly to an M.S. or Ph.D. in Geoscience. There are several reasons for the emphasis on these students 1. They have special knowledge and skills to use in graduate programs in geophysics, geochemistry, geobiology, etc. 2. Third-year students have demonstrated their ability to succeed in the academic world and are ready to select a graduate program that will enhance their employment prospects. 3. The MSIs, especially some of the physics programs at the collaborating HBCUs, provide well-trained, highly motivated graduates who have compiled excellent records in highly ranked graduate programs. This pool of talent is not available in the geosciences because most MSIs do not have geoscience degree programs. 4. This group provides a unique niche for focus as there are many programs concentrating on K-12 students and the recruitment of traditional majors. In the first year of GAEMP, 12 students participated in the summer program, six elected to pursue research projects and expressed interest in applying for the fellowships, and one student entered the graduate program early. The paucity of information regarding career opportunities and rewards in geoscience is one of the major obstacles encountered. GAEMP is sponsored by a 5-year NSF award through the OEDG program UR: http://www.geol.lsu.edu/GAEMP DE: 6605 Education DE: 6630 Workforce DE: 0800 EDUCATION DE: 0810 Post-secondary education SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED] MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting   2004 Denver Annual Meeting (November 7–10, 2004) Paper No. 116-10 Presentation Time: 4:15 PM-4:30 PM THE “TOP-DOWN” APPROACH: A COURSE DESIGN TO STIMULATE MINORITY INTEREST IN GEOSCIENCE FERRELL, Ray E., ANDERSON, Laurie C., BAO, Huiming, BART, Philip, BLANFORD, William J., BYERLY, Gary R., ELLWOOD, Brooks B., LORENZO, Juan M., TOMKIN, Jonathan H, and WRENN, John H., Department of Geology & Geophysics, Louisiana State Univ, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, rferrell@lsu.edu A new approach to teaching introductory geoscience, the lecture and laboratory courses in physical and historical geology taught at many universities, is being developed for students from minority serving institutions as part of the Geoscience Alliance to Enhance Minority Participation (GAEMP) program in the LSU Department of Geology & Geophysics. The course goals are to provide science content and to stimulate student awareness of the myriad opportunities for graduate research and employment in Earth science. The students are non-traditional geoscience students. They have completed three years of university study and are majoring in another science or some aspect of technology. The 16 students have little or no classroom experience in basic geology. The six-week, eight-semester credit hour course incorporates presentations by 10 LSU faculty, Judith Schiebout of the LSU Museum of Natural History, and Lance Lambert, GAEMP coordinator from the UT at San Antonio. Each segment begins at the top with an introduction to the current research interests and accomplishments of the professor and then works down to the basic principles and concepts presented in the textbook. In a typical course module, Byerly’s research on extraterrestrial impacts during the Archean provided the entrée for a study of volcanism and the origin and properties of the core, mantle, and crust. The emphasis on problem solving through research provides a common thread that students can relate to their own areas of study and illustrates why a broad knowledge of fundamental relationships is important in all disciplines. The course material is presented to appeal to the visual, tactile and verbal learning styles of students. Illustrated slide shows tie field trips and hands-on activities to text material. Individual and group activities provide a means for students to demonstrate their communication skills. The response of the students suggests that they have inherited the professors’ enthusiasm for research and many have become involved in post-course collaborative research projects and have indicated an interest in pursuing graduate studies in geoscience. They are eager to explore how their skills and knowledge acquired in other disciplines can be applied to geology and geophysics. GAEMP is supported by NSF-OEDG award GEO-0303138.   2004 Denver Annual Meeting (November 7–10, 2004) General Information for this Meeting   Session No. 116 Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities in the Geosciences: Continuing Issues and Innovative Solutions Colorado Convention Center: 603 1:30 PM-5:30 PM, Monday, November 8, 2004 Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 36, No. 5, p. 279 © Copyright 2004 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions. GSA Seattle, 2003 Paper No. 233-7 Presentation Time: 3:00 PM-3:15 PM GEOSCIENCE ALLIANCE TO ENHANCE MINORITY PARTICIPATION (GAEMP): A UNIVERSITY COLLABORATIVE TO PREPARE AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HISPANICS FOR EARTH SCIENCE CAREERS FERRELL, Ray, ANDERSON, Laurie C., BART, Phillip J., LORENZO, Juan, and TOMKIN, Jonathan, Geology & Geophysics, Louisiana State Univ, E235 Howe/Russell, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, juan@geol.lsu.edu The Louisiana State University Department of Geology & Geophysics and nine minority serving institutions (MSIs) are linked in a 5-year research and education venture to increase under-represented minority participation in geoscience. Seven of the universities are Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and two are Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). The program, sponsored by NSF, targets junior-year degree candidates (16 students/year) in chemistry, physics, life science, or environmental sciences and provides an advanced, content-rich, field and research-oriented introduction to geoscience during a six-week summer course taught by 14 LSU faculty. After the summer course, the students may define an individual research project to conduct during their senior year in their home institution with support from LSU and their local mentor. Opportunities are provided for the students to present their research results at professional meetings. In workshops, or during recruiting fairs, the participants will learn about geoscience career opportunities in government, industry, and academia. The special mentoring approach incorporated in GAEMP closely follows that formulated by Professor D. Bagayoko and associates in the Timbuktu Academy at Southern University. It emphasizes individual and collaborative development of academic skills and guides the students through a structured, highly personal program. GAEMP will support 64 students in the summer program, four students in an M.S. program and two for a Ph.D. Other students will be encouraged to seek admission to graduate programs in geoscience at other universities. Based on our experience with non-geology degree students in the graduate program, these students with strong credentials in another science should be able to compete favorably in the discipline after they have been through the summer course and the other special mentoring activities provided by GAEMP. 2003 Seattle Annual Meeting (November 2–5, 2003)   Session No. 233 Geoscience Education III: Issues and Opportunities at the Programmatic Level Washington State Convention and Trade Center: 2B 1:30 PM-5:30 PM, Wednesday, November 5, 2003 Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 35, No. 6, September 2003, p. 568