Research Opportunities for 2YC Geoscience Students Through a Partnership with a 4YC
Thursday
2:00pm
REC Center Medium Ice Overlook Room
Oral Presentation Part of
Teaching For Diversity
Authors
Adrianne Leinbach, Wake Technical Community College
Gretchen Miller, Wake Technical Community College
Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech) is the largest two-year college in North Carolina and has a highly diverse student body. Most of the ~700 students who take our geology courses each semester are completing a natural science credit for their Associate in Science (AS) or Associate in Arts (AA) degree. The state has a Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA), which governs the transfer of students between institutions in the North Carolina Community College and University of North Carolina Systems.
While our department has grown from one instructor to eleven over the past 15 years, the number of geoscience majors in our program was not increasing at the same rate. In order to create more interest in geoscience and form a transfer pathway for our diverse students, we began collaborating with the geology faculty at North Carolina State University (NC State) in 2012. Wake Tech instructors identify students who display an interest and aptitude in our introductory geology courses and provide them individual mentoring. Some of these students are provided with the opportunity to participate in paid summer research internships at NC State. The students present their research projects at a poster session at the end of the summer. If these students choose to continue their studies at NC State, they are given additional opportunities for research and mentoring. Interest in this program grows tremendously each year.
In addition, Wake Tech students receive opportunities to meet practicing geoscientists, attend local professional meetings, and participate in field activities.
While our department has grown from one instructor to eleven over the past 15 years, the number of geoscience majors in our program was not increasing at the same rate. In order to create more interest in geoscience and form a transfer pathway for our diverse students, we began collaborating with the geology faculty at North Carolina State University (NC State) in 2012. Wake Tech instructors identify students who display an interest and aptitude in our introductory geology courses and provide them individual mentoring. Some of these students are provided with the opportunity to participate in paid summer research internships at NC State. The students present their research projects at a poster session at the end of the summer. If these students choose to continue their studies at NC State, they are given additional opportunities for research and mentoring. Interest in this program grows tremendously each year.
In addition, Wake Tech students receive opportunities to meet practicing geoscientists, attend local professional meetings, and participate in field activities.