Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Pathways into the Earth, Ocean, Polar and Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences (IUSE:GEOPAths) – A National Science Foundation Initiative

Abstract:

The geosciences are inherently strengthened by the multiple entry points into the field, either as an undergraduate major or as a graduate student from other STEM fields. The interdisciplinary nature of the geosciences offers the potential for undertaking more innovative approaches to recruitment and retention of students. Relatedly, increasing the recruitment and retention of undergraduate students in geoscience courses and programs might lead to more graduates in the discipline, however there are barriers that will need to be addressed. The geosciences differ from many other STEM disciplines in that 1) there often are not well-defined pathways between high school, college education, and graduate education or career options and 2) lack of exposure to existing, well-defined career pathways could be a barrier if students do not enter the path early enough.

To address these and related matters, The National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Geosciences has supported IUSE:GEOPAths Program since 2015, to create and support innovative and inclusive projects to build the future geoscience workforce. This program is one component in NSF’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) initiative, which is a comprehensive, Foundation-wide effort to accelerate the quality and effectiveness of the education of undergraduates in all of the STEM fields. IUSE:GEOPAths previously had two tracks (EXTRA and IMPACT), however, after the release of the White House STEM initiative report, “Charting a Course for Success: America’s Strategy for STEM Education”, three new tracks (GEOPAths:IN, GEOPAths: UP, and GEOPAths: GO) were created focusing on Geoscience Learning Ecosystems (GLEs). These projects are expected to utilize effective, evidence-based strategies for improving student engagement, support and retention, and to expose students to meaningful experiences through creation of GLEs that leverage STEM stakeholder networks, academic and/or non-academic research activities and instrumentation infrastructure. The goal of this program is to increase the number and diversity of students earning undergraduate degrees or enrolling in graduate programs in geoscience fields. This presentation will focus on a 5-year overview of the GEOPAths program.