MENTORING HISPANIC STUDENTS: STUDENT SUCCESS AND RESEARCH MENTORING IN GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, BAKERSFIELD

Employing a mixed-methods exploratory sequential design, we investigated geoscience student experiences with research in terms of its affect on their academic success. The respondents were a representative sample of a minority-serving, MS-granting department awarded a research grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) program for Centers for Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST). Findings were collected from: AGI exit survey, social media interactions, and 34 interviews with geoscience students and faculty. The data upon which the results are based are: descriptive statistics, regression analysis, analysis of variance, and appreciative inquiry.

The main conclusions drawn are that the program is progressing well towards its outlined objectives: improved diversity, doctoral placement, and an enhanced level of both faculty and student production of scholarship. The proposed approach of increased financial support for students, released time for faculty, strong mentorship and place-based research in the San Joaquin valley is working and requires little if any modification. Interviews with students from underrepresented groups discussed tension between familial obligations and their academic pursuits. However, students of color attributed their academic persistence to strong mentorship through the CREST program. The program should continue its use of social media, emails and bi-weekly meetings to successfully interact with CREST participants. More than half of interview respondents (n= 16) discussed the potential for the program to grow, in both size and scope.