GEOSCIENCE OUTREACH CONTINUES TO PIQUE INTEREST AND BUILD COHORT: REVELATIONS FROM LONGITUDINAL TRACKING 2004-2023

Since 2004, we have been successfully allowing undergraduate and high school students to present their research outcomes on a plethora of interdisciplinary geoscience topics including field, laboratory, GIS, Remote Sensing, and other technology-based concepts. Presented topics varied over the years while staying remarkably aligned with rapidly changing and evolving topics of interest in geosciences: geologic processes, tectonics and sedimentation, urban geology and infrastructure developments, soils and geologic controls on soil formation, global sea-level changes, natural calamities, potential impacts due to anthropogenic practices, environmental pollutions, alternate energy, innovative pedagogies using both in-person and virtual settings, machine language and artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and cybersecurity. According to a recent posting via 2023 GSA Connects, the numbers of sessions related to Geoscience Education, Paleontology, Planetary Geology, Paleoclimatology, Resource Geology, and Tectonics have reached double digits, though several academic geology disciplines fell short in terms of total number of sessions offered or conducted. Our 20-year statistics found 1020 male and 646 female undergraduate and high school students authoring 405 abstracts and aiding our two decade-long endeavor to sustain growth, recruit, and ensure a future pipeline. Of the 1666 total number of authors, 61% were male and 39% were female, 72% represented college/university, and 28% represented high school. We believe that strictly disciplined- based geology sessions may benefit by allowing more flexibility in terms of incorporating interdisciplinary ideas, documenting societal impacts, and validating the relevance of the topic to a diverse group. There are many overlapping geological concepts that link with our surroundings, and we certainly need to leverage big ideas and communicate in plain language. Aside from presenting at GSA Connect, students were able to network, receive constructive feedback, and develop communication skills. Thus, the significant role GSA Connect plays in exposing students to an international platform also brings an added advantage in diversifying geoscience knowledge and continuing to validate the applied aspects of various disciplines.