Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

PC03 Undergraduate Education

Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2001

Location: Southwest Hall

Ferrier, M, D, Dept. of Biology, Hood College, Frederick, MD, USA, dferrier@hood.edu

A TRAVEL-BASED COASTAL STUDIES SEMESTER: A NOVEL PROGRAM TO ATTRACT UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS TO THE AQUATIC SCIENCES

Currently, women and minority populations earn 50% or more of the degrees in the social, biological, and health sciences. However, these groups continue to be under-represented in earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences. As undergraduates these students rarely have access to enrichment programs that broaden their interests in science and allow them to view the workings of science in a societal context. They often fail to identify suitable role models in science nor do they form supportive, motivated peer groups while studying such disciplines. To address these shortcomings, we are creating an interdisciplinary travel semester in coastal studies which aims to attract and retain women and minority students in the sciences. Beginning in January 2002 students and faculty will travel from South Florida to the Chesapeake Bay as a close-knit, motivated learning community for common intellectual experiences. Interactions with scientists, authors, and other environmental professionals throughout the region will augment class discussions, lab investigations and fieldwork. An interdisciplinary research practicum will weave together scientific, historical, and cultural threads to act as a unifying element for the semester-long experience.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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