A GEOSCIENCE COLLABORATION AMONG MINORITY INSTITUTIONS

We discuss the success of a collaboration we have formed among our four institutions known as the Minority University Consortium for Earth and Space Sciences (MUCESS). The institutions that comprise MUCESS include the University of Houston–Downtown (Hispanic Serving Institution), Medgar Evers College (Other Minority University), Norfolk State University (Historically Black College/University) and South Carolina State University (Historically Black College/University). MUCESS schools have collaborated on a variety of projects in research, education and outreach in Earth and space science. This includes faculty research, undergraduate internships and student exchanges among our institutions as well as outreach to K-12 schools and the general public.

MUCESS has recently received an award from the National Science Foundation under Solicitation NSF 04-590 “Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG)” . Under this award we will engage in faculty and student research (both undergraduate and graduate) in atmospheric science through ozonesonde launches to better understand the distribution and transport of ozone in the lower troposphere. Additional balloon payloads will include instruments such as temperature and data logger sensors, carbon dioxide detectors, Geiger counters and digital and analog cameras. Launches will originate from Texas, New York, Vermont, South Carolina and elsewhere.

Funding for the work described herein has been provided by NSF and NASA under a variety of programs and awards to all four institutions individually as well as the recent NSF OEDG award to MUCESS through the University of Houston–Downtown