INVENTING AUGR: REFLECTIONS ON DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING AN AUTHENTIC UNDERGRADUATE GEOSCIENCE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Diverse perspectives improve scientific outcomes and boost innovation; yet the demographics of environmental scientists and geoscientists do not reflect those of the United States. This disconnect highlights a need for intentional channels of access, support, and mentorship to engage and equip scientists from minoritized communities. To address this disparity, we created an undergraduate research program to elevate student outcomes by preparing and empowering members of the next generation of scientists to engage in multi-faceted environmental geoscience research.

We developed a one-month intensive program to train undergraduate students from two minority-serving institutions. The program was hands-on in every stage: from field sampling in southeastern Puerto Rico through laboratory analysis, data reduction, and presentations at GSA. In the field, students learned to collect water and sediment samples, conduct E. coli tests, and measure dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity. In the laboratory, we trained students to quantify landscape change using cosmogenic ¹⁰Be extraction from quartz to monitor erosion and stream water geochemistry to quantify dissolved load. Students also analyzed their samples using XRF, XRD, ICP, a Technicon Autoanalyzer (Si), and a Shimadzu carbon/nitrogen analyzer.

Throughout the program, we provided training in scientific methods, writing, and public communication. Primary mentorship came from program co-leaders (doctoral students) and the program faculty advisor. We also introduced participants to graduate students, field technicians, post-docs, professors, legislators, and scientists across a wide range of disciplines related to the project through a series of trips, presentations, and informal meetings to build their networks.

Our inaugural cohort of 5 students is pursuing a broad spectrum of majors: astrophysics, industrial engineering, chemistry and forensics, biology and environmental science, and meteorology. Through this program, these students obtained new perspectives, experience, skills within and beyond their disciplines, and confidence in themselves as scientists. We share our program design, successes, and challenges with the goal that our reflections on this program will serve as a blueprint for the development of similar programs.