Diversifying the Geosciences: Travel awards for students to attend SACNAS and GSA 2015 Annual Meetings

The Geological Society Of America, Inc., Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

The Geological Society of America (GSA) in partnership with the American Geosciences Institute (AGI), Incorporated Research Institute for Seismology (IRIS), the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM), and the STEPPE Coordinating Office will support the travel of 25 undergraduate and/or graduate students to attend the SACNAS and GSA national conferences that are occurring consecutively in the Washington/Baltimore region, 29-31 October (SACNAS) and 1-4 November (GSA). These meetings will offer students exposure to new geoscience discoveries and encourage students to build personal networks within the scientific and professional community that may lead to internships, careers, postdoc, employment, or other educational/research opportunities. It is anticipated that through intensive participation in both meetings, students will be encouraged to consider the geosciences as a viable career option. At the conclusion of the project, students will be asked to collaborate together to compose an article that will highlight the value of attending the meetings. Project collaborators also will synthesize evaluative survey responses from this project and disseminate both these results and the student article via relevant publications. The SACNAS meeting is distinctive because it is the largest minority scientific meeting in the nation, welcoming over 3,800 attendees a year. Sessions include career focused roundtable discussions, keynote speakers, oral poster presentations, and a variety of professional development sessions targeted at a student's specific educational level. The GSA meeting is attended by over 6,000 professionals and consists of 4,000+ speakers and 200+ technical sessions, 20 short courses, and 30+ geoscientific field trips. As a result of attending both meetings, it is anticipated that students will better understand the diversity and complexity of the field of geoscience and its related career pathways.