Department-Level Transformation and Authentic Research Experiences to Strengthen the Environmental Workforce

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program, this Departmental/Division Transformation Track project at the University of California Merced aims to: 1) understand how challenges to engaging in field research may harm the success of undergraduates in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (LES) and 2) devise sustainable solutions to remove barriers and promote success for all students in the department. Many scientific disciplines rely heavily on field work, including ecology, biology, and the earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences, yet broadly engaging students in field-based STEM fields remains a challenge. This project will develop high-impact research experiences for students that capture the breadth of LES disciplines, as part of a sustainable, student-centered plan to develop workforce skills and growth. These activities will improve student experiences and training and accelerate their trajectory towards environmental careers. This project aims to attract and retain more students in LES majors; complete a departmental self-assessment to strengthen curricula; highlight the impact of LES careers throughout the curriculum; and support high-impact research experiences for students. These aims will ensure that department practices designed to benefit all students will remain sustainable as LES continues to grow and transform. The project will use qualitative and quantitative data to assess the outcomes of different interventions to ensure success. Two key aspects of the department transformation efforts will be examined: 1) how the department transformation plan serves and engages students and are sustainable as the department grows and 2) the impact of the project activities on student persistence and scientific identity, particularly in the field sciences. This project will lead to higher student participation in research, so that students are better prepared for and more likely to seek out life and environmental science careers. This project is funded by the HSI Program, which aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and increase capacity to implement innovations that improve STEM teaching and learning at HSIs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.