Increasing Geoscience Student Participation and Careers at Minority Institutions (IGSP): A Collaboration Among Minority Institutions --Track 2

University Of Houston - Downtown, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

This collaboration between the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), Medgar Evers College-CUNY (MEC), Hamilton-Sunstrand/NASA (HS), and South Carolina State University (SCSU) is focused on introducing environmental atmospheric remote sensing to students underrepresented in STEM disciplines through the use of balloon science instrumentation and research. Research related activities will be integrated into existing or specially developed courses at MEC and UHD and regional investigations of tropospheric ozone will be conducted at UHD, SCSU, and MEC. A minimum of 6 students will be involved at each institution per year. This project builds on expertise developed at MEC with NASA support. Students participating in the BalloonSat program learn about all aspects of developing and deploying remote sensing instrumentation and its application to atmospheric research. Ozone profiles help provide validation data for NASA's Aura mission to monitor the distribution and transport of ozone in the lower troposphere. With OEDG Track 2 funding, the PIs will disseminate the BalloonSat program's effective strategies to other minority-serving institution partners. MEC faculty will help the partner institutions to establish these programs by providing training during a 1-week summer workshop each year. All participating students will be required to participate in an outreach program to K-12 schools and at community events. Some ozonesonde flights will be launched from K-12 schools as part of the outreach. Students supported through campus LSAMP programs will be recruited to participate in the BalloonSat project.