THE TIERRA (TARGETED INVESTIGATIONS OF EARTH RESOURCES RELATED TO AGRICULTURE) PROJECT: A SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS AT A HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION

Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a federally-designated Hispanic-serving 4-year public commuter university located in Chicago. The Earth Science Department at NEIU focuses on environmental geology in the urban environment, through both curricular and undergraduate research opportunities. Elements related to recruitment of new geoscientists at NEIU include introducing students to the types of activities performed by geoscientists and revealing the wide array of potential careers in the field of agriculture that are related to geoscience. The TIERRA (Targeted Investigation of Earth Resources Related to Agriculture) project, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, recruits students from the Earth Science Department’s First-Year Experience (FYE) Courses. These include the National Science Foundation-funded Muddy Waters: Chicago’s Environmental Geology, and Chicago Rocks! Geology in the City. TIERRA provides students with a 10-week summer research experience focused on soil science and introduces them to career opportunities in agriculture-related fields, through visits to regional governmental field offices and meetings with scientists applying geoscience concepts to agricultural issues. At NEIU, approximately 50% of first-year students are Hispanic, compared to 28% of all undergraduates. Targeting first-year students for the TIERRA project provides a larger pool of underrepresented groups for this exposure to geosciences and careers related to agriculture. The TIERRA project was first implemented during the summer of 2011, and involved 13 students. In the summer of 2012, 16 students participated. Project assessment includes pre- and post- surveys to evaluate increases in content knowledge, acquisition of skills related to the development of a scientific research project, increased awareness of careers related to geosciences, increased interest in majoring in a STEM-related field, and changes in attitudes and perceptions of geoscience-related careers. Data also are being collected on enrollments in the Muddy Waters course and TIERRA, student demographics, the number of students who declared Earth Science or STEM majors, retention rates of participating students, and TIERRA alumni who participated in a second internship or research experience.