KECK GEOLOGY CONSORTIUM RESEARCH EXPERIENCES: A MODEL FOR MENTORING STUDENT RESEARCHERS AND EARLY CAREER FACULTY

The Keck Geology Consortium is a collaborative effort by eighteen undergraduate colleges to improve geoscience education through high-quality research experiences. Initially supported by the W.M. Keck Foundation, the program currently receives support from the Consortium Member schools, the National Science Foundation (REU Program) and ExxonMobil. Since its inception in 1987, more than 1350 students and 145 faculty have been involved in 189 research projects. Unlike traditional REU’s, the Keck model involves a year-long experience that consists of a four-week field study focused on initial data and sample collection followed by laboratory analysis and further research during the academic year. Projects culminate at the Annual Spring symposium where participants present their research findings. This model offers students opportunities to address research questions at a deeper level, to utilize more sophisticated analytical methods, and to collaborate with mentors and advisors from within and outside their institution. The Keck program design also provides opportunities for mentoring early career faculty who work with more experienced faculty before assuming greater leadership roles in projects, and through collaborative advising of students. The large numbers of student and faculty participants in Keck projects offer a unique opportunity to assess the impacts of program design on undergraduate research experiences in the geosciences.

Our assessment data show that students who participate in Keck projects generally report greater gains in personal and professional dimensions relative to their peers at the Keck member institutions. Compared with students who experienced other types of research (course-based, traditional NSF-REU, and other yearlong projects), Keck participants also report that their experience clarified their field of study and increased their likelihood of enrolling in a post-graduate STEM program. Surveys of student participants, project directors, and campus advisors have identified mentoring as one of the most critical and challenging elements of successful research experiences. In an effort to make mentoring practices more intentional, the Consortium has developed activities and materials to support both project directors and campus research advisors.