Build and Broaden: Positioning Geography at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions

Texas State University - San Marcos, San Marcos TX

Investigators

Abstract

This grant supports the 2020 Race, Ethnicity, and Place Conference (REP) and its pre-conference workshop. REP’s biennial meetings explicitly bring together diverse groups of scholars to facilitate research in geography and related STEM disciplines that involve underrepresented communities. The 2020 REP Conference is unique because it links geographical, racial, and ethnic dimensions of social science research to the mentoring, networking, and program development that advance geography instruction at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). REP 2020 advances geography learning in these institutions through the recruitment of new scholars comprised of graduate students and young faculty members who are current or prospective instructors at HBCUs and MSIs. These young scholars participate in a broad range of activities in geospatial science research that promotes strategic research networks enhancing future research endeavors. REP promotes more effective research on racial and ethnic dimensions of social science research in geography and related fields, and encourages program development in geography at HBCUs and MSIs increasing geography education that responds to increasing national needs for well trained geographers. Increasing involvement of diverse and underrepresented groups of individuals able to engage in all types of work and activity remains a major challenge in higher education. To directly address this challenge in geography, the 2020 REP Conference integrates new participants through active recruitment and engagement by designing strategic panels and keynotes to attract a broader audience. Special emphasis will be given to examining complex issues of race and ethnicity through cross-disciplinary collaborations to complement the scholarly interests of REP attendees. The REP conference and pre-conference workshop will specifically develop new collaborative relationships and sustainable networks among participants across HBCUs and MSIs, with graduate programs in non-HBCUs and non-MSIs, and with professional organizations that include prospective employers and government users. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.