Earth Horizons: Addressing the Lack of Diversity in the Geosciences through a TSU-Vanderbilt Partnership

Abstract:

Many bright and talented students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) do not have access to the full-suite of earth sciences curriculum required to pursue employment or advanced degrees in geoscience fields. To address this persistent problem, we have built a partnership between Tennessee State University (TSU), Vanderbilt University (VU), federal, state and municipal government agencies, and local nonprofits to strengthen pathways for minority students entering geoscience careers and graduate programs. Earth Horizons leverages TSU’s strong record of preparing minority students for STEM careers and the vibrant geoscience research environment of VU to introduce students from underrepresented groups to geosciences and prepare them for jobs. Our 2-year program targets TSU Environmental Science students in their junior and senior years. Key program components include an introductory geology course taught by VU faculty at TSU, a 3-week summer field course in TN State Parks, and an 8-week paid research internship in year 1. Year 2 includes upper-level coursework at VU and a Career Seminar to introduce students to geoscience career pathways. Upon completion of the program, students will be eligible and competitive for internships with program partners, including USGS, the National Park Service, state and local government agencies, and local nonprofits. Many of these internships involve direct interaction with the public, allowing the students to serve as role models of minority geoscientists. We report results and critical lessons learned, including institutional barriers that slowed full program implementation, variable student participation in pieces of the program, and necessary revisions to the summer research program and classroom teaching methods to improve participant outcomes. The main product of this effort will be the construction and dissemination of a translatable model, or toolkit, designed to help institutions create and sustain partnerships at the undergraduate level. This partnership seeks to be the start of a more significant movement that promotes cross-institutional and agency collaboration to provide crucial support for students at key transitional moments in their careers and, therefore, to enhance diversity in the geoscience pipeline.