GP-GO: Fostering a learning ecosystem for interdisciplinary Earth scientists through service learning and conservation in Jamaica

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

Most undergraduate students are not introduced to the diverse scientific fields rooted in Earth science and thus rarely choose the geosciences as a field of study or career goal. This GEOPaths:GO project aims to recruit and retain new students with diverse backgrounds to the Earth sciences and prepare them to work in a global context. The research goal is to establish a community-focused multi-year conservation network in Jamaica. The research team lead ongoing studies of different aspects of Earth science (e.g., ecology, hydrology, biogeochemistry, paleontology, and geoscience education) and have established multiple, connected conservation research projects in Jamaica, in collaboration with local experts at the University of the West Indies and Jamaican non-governmental organizations. Jamaica is an ideal location for this collaboration between US and Caribbean scientists and students as it is home to many vital and complex ecosystems such as rainforests, mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass beds. Historically, the stability and dynamics of these ecosystems have not been actively monitored, or scientists conducted their research without involving local communities or experts. In this project, undergraduate and graduate students will select and lead research projects that are meaningful to them, as well as the local communities in Jamaica (i.e., culturally relevant, service-learning experiences). This foundational research will support conservation of island landscapes, biodiversity, and culture through collaborations amongst multiple Earth science disciplines. This project will foster the establishment of promising practices for effective, equitable international collaborations. There is a profound need to recruit and retain students in the Earth sciences. This project will create a conservation-based program focused on Earth science discovery that fosters a broad community of learners. The project aims to recruit students to the geosciences through engagement in service learning that touches on aspects of paleontology, ecology, chemistry, hydrology, cultural history, and community engagement across the land, coastline, and ocean. University of Texas at Austin is a research intensive public, Hispanic-serving university and will partner with other minority-serving institutions to recruit non-geoscience students. Over the summer, the project team will showcase researchers and their projects to introduce students to (a) the different, connected elements of Earth sciences; (b) the communities and people that collaborate to promote conservation; and (c) the diverse community of scholars uniting to preserve the natural world and at-risk communities. Students will build a story map or virtual field trip to share their experiences and research in Jamaica. The projects will be the foundation of a conservation network that integrates different Earth science disciplines to understand long-term and short-term changes to the land and ocean. The focus on service-learning will help students engage with the material and improve their motivation to become (geo)scientists. To evaluate whether the project has met the recruitment and retention goals, the assessment will take a holistic, case study approach to understand participants’ experiences throughout the project (e.g., assessing personal achievements, perception of the geosciences, interest in pursuing the geosciences). 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.