| NSF Org: |
RISE Integrative and Collaborative Education and Research (ICER) |
| Recipient: |
|
| Initial Amendment Date: | August 9, 2016 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 12, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1600517 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Brandon Jones
RISE Integrative and Collaborative Education and Research (ICER) GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2016 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2021 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $424,347.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $481,509.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2017 = $9,512.00 FY 2018 = $19,967.00 FY 2019 = $27,683.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
|
| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2020 HORNS POINT RD CAMBRIDGE MD US 21613-3368 (410)221-2014 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
| Primary Place of Performance: |
PO Box 3030 Gurabo PR US 00778-3030 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
| Parent UEI: |
|
| NSF Program(s): |
IUSE, Integrat & Collab Ed & Rsearch |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001718DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01001819DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01001920DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
|
| Program Element Code(s): |
|
| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
I Non-Technical
Research opportunities and professional development are effective ways to engage undergraduate students in science and increase the likelihood that they will stay in college and graduate in four years. While research universities are likely to offer such opportunities to undergraduate students, non-research colleges and universities usually have limited ability to provide science projects for their students. To address this need, we propose to develop an educational center that will serve students at two non-research institutions in Puerto Rico. Through the center we will link students with researchers who will guide them in conducting research in Puerto Rico?s coastal lagoons. Hispanic students will be involved in a variety of activities during the summer and academic year focusing on experiential learning in the geosciences. Students will gain research experience and exposure to marine science professionals through networking, internships, and travel to national meetings. The students will also participate in geosciences professional development activities (e.g. personal statement writing, science communication, oral presentations, etc.). The center will foster partnerships among research and non-research institutions and government and non-profit institutions interested in building a sustainable and effective education center focused on Puerto Rico?s coastal lagoons. The project includes a diverse interdisciplinary team of scientists and educators from both the mainland United States and Puerto Rico. The team and center are committed to increasing marine science learning opportunities for underrepresented and underserved students.
II Technical
In an effort to close the opportunity gap and enhance STEM retention for underrepresented groups at primarily non-research colleges and universities, we will establish the Tropical Oceanography Research Training for Undergraduate Academics (TORTUGA) Center to introduce early- through advanced-stage undergraduate students from Puerto Rico to geoscience education and research. This center will link research and non-research institutions to strengthen research capacity and establish educational programs to teach research skills to undergraduates in STEM fields. Specific goals of the TORTUGA Center are to: 1) build sustainable multidisciplinary education and experiential learning programs focused on coastal science problems and solutions; 2) increase access for underrepresented students to watershed, coastal, and marine science education; 3) develop institutional structures to assist students at critical educational junctures, increase student retention in STEM fields, and encourage pursuit of geoscience careers; and 4) adapt this model and strengthen its long-term sustainability. To do this we will: 1) strengthen and expand existing cross-institutional partnerships and team science research programs we have developed over the past five years through a series of pilot projects; 2) provide research opportunities at minority-serving institutions in Puerto Rico for coastal and watershed geoscience research; and 3) evaluate and assess our educational practice model in light of our program goals and current educational pedagogy research. An anticipated outcome of this project is a set of best practices for increasing STEM retention in primarily non-research institutions serving underrepresented groups, focused largely on Puerto Rican and Hispanic populations but applicable to a broad spectrum of undergraduate experiences.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
From 2016 to 2021, Maryland Sea Grant and colleagues also with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science collaborated on an undergraduate education project with the Universidad Ana G. Mendez (UAGM) in Puerto Rico to advance student participation in marine science. The Centro TORTUGA (Tropical Oceanography Research Training for Undergraduate Academics) project helped young college students at this institution create a sense of place and identity within the world of science.
Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island and a commonwealth of the United States. It is home to over 3 million people and has a variety of ecosystems including tropical rainforests, dry forests, sandy beaches, and coastal lagoons. Several of the latter are noteworthy for their bioluminescence due to large populations of Pyrodinium bahamense, a bioluminescent dinoflagellate.
The program's overarching goal was to involve Hispanic undergraduate students, often first generation, in marine science and scientific inquiry while encouraging graduate education and careers in the geosciences. Newly enrolled UAGM students were recruited and introduced to marine science through hands-on field and laboratory research activities. Students went on field trips to coastal lagoons, beaches, mangroves and coral reefs, met local marine science professionals, and participated in numerous activities inside and outside the classroom. The program sought to build students' confidence as young scientists and provide a network of peers and mentors to support them during their undergraduate experience. It also created a logo and a website to establish the Centro TORTUGA brand.
Key program components included marine science course work during the school year and summer activities. The first year's summer program was a week-long workshop with several intensive days of field and lab work at Laguna Grande, a bioluminescent lagoon in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Students conducted research, analyzed data, and presented their findings at a mini-symposium to faculty, friends, and family. The second year students participated in a summer 4-week intensive marine science course that included lectures, writing a research proposal, and conducting lab and field work. The third year students participated in internships either in Puerto Rico or in the continental United States. In addition to academic and summer activities, the program introduced students to professional development (e.g. applying to graduate school, writing an essay, presenting data) and networking opportunities. They attended national science conferences and, as their training advanced, some gave oral and poster presentations at these meetings. For most of the students it was their first experience attending a professional society meeting and for some their first time leaving Puerto Rico.
Despite severe external challenges that occurred during the project, including two category five hurricanes in 2017, earthquakes, a global pandemic, and Puerto Rico's ongoing financial crisis, the students' resilience and successes were outstanding. Over 60 Hispanic students participated in the program. 18 students participated in research projects. Over 40 students attended in-person and/or virtual professional meetings. More than 10 students completed internships on and off the island and nearly 20 students graduated with science degrees by the program's conclusion. Three alums of the Centro TORTUGA program have either completed, enrolled in, or been accepted in STEM graduate programs. Overall retention in the program averaged 55% across all years.
The program's success is best conveyed by the students. One student noted the strength of the program in building confidence: "If it wasn't for TORTUGA, I would have been friendless through my entire college years. The program helped me to get socially bonded. The group of my peers acted as a family to relate, to feel you belong somewhere... This has always existed in TORTUGA. We were here for one another." Others noted its importance in their career paths: "This unique experience has helped me change my goals, try new things, have confidence to move forward my new career goal...TORTUGA has changed my perspective about marine sciences and understanding of their island setting. Because hurricanes are natural phenomena, this event made me realize the value of studying biology and climate change."
Centro TORTUGA provided an opportunity for Puerto Rican Hispanic students to learn about marine science, especially as it pertains to their home island, gain confidence as early career scientists, and develop the tools and knowledge for successful careers.
Centro TORTUGA built capacity and a programmatic framework for new and expanded efforts. Notably through the NSF INCLUDES supported SEAS Islands Alliance, which has led to expansion to high school, graduate student, and workforce placement opportunities, and to Co-PIs Barberena-Arias and Maldonado Rivera, leading a new NASA grant to introduce undergraduate students to skills related to NASA's Earth Science needs. The strong field components of TORTUGA has fostered strong relationships with several conservation and marine science leading NGOs and governmental agencies in Puerto Rico. These partners continue to participate in our SEAS Islands Alliance and contribute to new approaches to expanding and building the marine science workforce.
Last Modified: 12/27/2021
Modified by: Fredrika C Moser
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
