Geo-Engineering Innovations through Undergraduate Scholarship

Triton College

Investigators

Abstract

With funding from the National Science Foundation's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program, the Geo-Engineering Innovations through Undergraduate Scholarship (GENIUS) project at Triton College is designed to address the regional need for more and better prepared geoscience and engineering technology graduates. The 10-year projected growth rate in Illinois for geo-engineering occupations is between 15% and 20%, two to three times the national average for all occupations. To serve the needs of local employers, the project will collaborate with local high schools, four-year institutions, and environmental and industry groups to involve students in authentic research projects to (a) demonstrate the relevance of geo-engineering careers, (b) engage them in interdisciplinary projects, and (c) impact the local area through a partnership with the Cook County Forest Preserve District. The geo-engineering solutions developed and designed by the scholars have the potential to impact the environment for over one million people living in the Des Plaines River Watershed. Key cohort activities include: (1) a Summer Enrichment program that introduces students to the campus support network, provides hands-on authentic research in the community, and peer mentoring; (2) a Seminar Course designed to build networks between students and support services, continue student-led research, and provide academic and career guidance specific to geoscience and engineering; and (3) small group mentoring each month with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty trained to recognize and share their social capital. The project will test several theoretical ideas for ways to improve retention for all scholarship recipients. It will add to the social capital literature by assessing not only traditional success rates, but evaluating the student perceptions of loneliness and belonging each semester as they move through the program activities, specifically targeting those barriers to success. The project will evaluate the success of STEM faculty training and mentoring, providing insights to the benefits this has on faculty, and the challenges they face in working with students, including underrepresented minorities scholars. This project will also contribute to the research on institutional change by evaluating the efficacy of the campus support network in providing role models and building trust at each level of the institutional hierarchy. Using innovative recruiting strategies, the project will increase opportunities in STEM for a wide diversity of scholars including women and racial minorities, low income, and first-generation college students enrolled in an engineering or geoscience programs at the college. As a community college that is both a Hispanic Serving Institution and a Minority Serving Institution, the training model, institutional practices, methods for assessing diverse and student populations and the efficacy of a framework designed to build capital social in students at Triton College has the potential to impact similar institutions across the nation. The GENIUS project will provide 40 scholarships to low-income and academically talented students. Recruitment will be targeted toward in-district high school seniors and first year college students who demonstrate high academic potential and an interest in pursuing geo-engineering careers. Potential will be assessed and participants selected through a combination of multiple measures including ACT/SAT score and GPA, essay, recommendations, and Success Navigator score. Through an intensive collaborative model that includes cohort building between scholars, building close ties with STEM faculty, and building networks between the multitudes of support resources on campus, scholars will demonstrate improvements in their perceived sense of loneliness, their ability to identify appropriate role models, and their trust in the institution. To ensure the successful retention and graduation of students, the program will develop targeted activities based on a social capital framework as well as utilize a network of existing programs that will dedicate efforts specifically to the participants including Counseling, Financial Aid, the Academic Success Center, Student Life, and Career Services. The project anticipates retaining a minimum of 85% of participants with at least 65% of scholars completing their degree and transferring to a baccalaureate programs at a partnering university and/or direct placement into the workforce within three years. In addition to the students directly impacted through scholarships, the program will include the explicit training of 8 STEM faculty mentors in becoming role models for students. The success of this training will be shared and replicated with all STEM faculty on campus. The number of services involved in this project will include nearly every office on campus working toward a singular goal, creating a more effective communication and student support network throughout the institution.