UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AS A WAY OF RECRUITING AND RETAINING UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY STUDENTS IN THE GEOSCIENCES

Studies have shown that underrepresented minority students aspiring to major in a STEM discipline face several barriers to college success, including lack of information about potential careers opportunities after graduation, misperceptions of their abilities to succeed in STEM fields, and difficulty establishing relationships with peers, faculty, and support staff. They value hands-on experiences and personal interactions with faculty and staff. Research and mentorship opportunities have been shown to help students from populations traditionally under-served in higher education to overcome some of these barriers to college success.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has a vibrant culture of undergraduate research, and student-faculty collaborative research is strongly encouraged in the Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science Department. We take advantage of the Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) on campus for engaging students in undergraduate research early in their college careers. RAP matches student applicants with faculty/staff mentors according to their mutual disciplinary interests and expertise for conducting collaborative research for one academic year. No prior coursework or minimum GPA is necessary for participating in RAP. In order to remove any financial barrier against participation, RAP students are paid for their work. Students from previous RAP cohorts act as peer-mentors for incoming RAP students. Students are encouraged to present their work both on- and off- campus. Students are also encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities, interact with guest speakers, and explore future career paths in the geosciences and related disciplines.

Through this program, we have been successful in recruiting and retaining students from underrepresented and underserved groups, low-income households, and first-generation backgrounds to our department. This presentation outlines recruiting strategies, success stories, and lessons learned.