RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASIAN AMERICAN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES OF THE AGILE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

In demographic surveys, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are often included in the same category, although AAPI communities represent people from a diverse breadth of ethnicities, nationalities, and cultural backgrounds such that their experiences in higher education or exposure to the earth sciences cannot be simply summarized. Although Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are not considered to be underrepresented in higher education, participation in the geosciences remains low and much lower than other STEM fields. Part of this discrepancy may be attributed to (1) the absence of geoscience research opportunities targeted to this affinity group and/or (2) the absence of visible Asian American or Pacific Islander geoscientists that can serve as mentors or role models in many academic institutions. We addressed these potential issues by offering a research internship program, within the NSF-funded AGILE program (AAPI in Geosciences: Inclusivity, Leadership, and Experience), targeted to undergraduate students who identify or have strong ties with the AAPI community. To maximize flexibility for students, we offered a breadth of opportunities, including virtual or in-person experiences, self-proposed or matched research projects, and summer or academic-year timeframes. Asian American and Asian graduate students served as additional mentors and designed a professional development curriculum. Three rounds of internships were offered (summer 2022 and 2023, academic year 2022–2023). Here, we present a summary of student experiences from the AGILE internship program, including their interest in future geoscience research, confidence as geoscientists, knowledge of careers in geoscience and related fields, and sense of belonging in the geoscience community.