2004 Denver Annual Meeting (November 7–10, 2004)

Paper No. 6
Presentation Time: 3:00 PM

INGEOS – INDIANS INTO GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES: AN APPROACH TO MENTOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA


HARTMAN, Joseph H.1, MITCHELL III, Lloyd W.1, DAVIS, Mike A.1, GERLA, Phil J.1 and DAHLBERG, Steven2, (1)Geology and Geological Engineering, Univ of North Dakota, Box 8358, Grand Forks, ND 58202, (2)White Earth Tribal Community College, 202 South Main Street, PO Box 478, Mahnomen, MN 56557, joseph_hartman@und.nodak.edu

INGEOS began as a NSF-sponsored program in 2001 with three goals: 1) increase the number of American Indians earning baccalaureate and graduate degrees in geological sciences; 2) engage American Indians in challenging, technically based research; and 3) prepare American Indians competitively for careers in a variety of organizations and communities. Although the program focuses on American Indians attending the University of North Dakota, all students are welcome to participate. A complementary program also was begun at nearby White Earth Tribal Community College. Our mission seeks to provide students with a broad foundation in collegial life beyond mentored research opportunities, as exemplified by our eight goals of success: 1) Mental Health - activities that increase awareness, improvement, and maintenance of good mental health; 2) Physical Health - according to most U.S. Indian Health Service care providers, accidents, diabetes, and high blood pressure are the leading factors that adversely affect Indian students' abilities to excel academically, therefore, INGEOS actively promotes both physical exercise and accident prevention; 3) Social Health - activities that encouraged interaction between INGEOS participants and other groups, teams, and individuals from a variety of backgrounds are coordinated by INGEOS; 4) Spiritual Health - INGEOS places importance on individual reflection geared toward better understanding the human role on Earth; 5) Financial Management - INGEOS participants are expected to manage personal and professional finances through budgeting, proposal writing, and record keeping; 6) Research Involvement - scholarship participants are required to engage in scholarly based scientific research and present results at professional meetings; 7) Technical Exposure - geoscience technical knowledge was transferred through workshops and seminars; and 8) Community Education participants shared their knowledge and skills at INGEOS-coordinated events, such as conferences, powwows, and seminars. Results to date suggest increased success and self-esteem of students who strive to organize their time and commit to being involved. Personal and family commitments of students, especially at the community college, constrained organization activity and interaction between schools.