HR: 1340h
AN: ED13A-1135    [Abstracts]
TI: Partnership to Enhance Diversity in Marine Geosciences: Holocene Climate and Anthropogenic Changes from Long Island Sound, NY
AU: * MCHUGH, C M
EM: cmmqc@forbin.qc.edu
AF: Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367 United States
AU: * MCHUGH, C M
EM: cmmqc@forbin.qc.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, PO Box 1000, Palisades, NY 10964 United States
AU: Zheng, Y
EM: yzheng@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367 United States
AU: Zheng, Y
EM: yzheng@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, PO Box 1000, Palisades, NY 10964 United States
AU: Kohfeld, K E
EM: kek@qc.edu
AF: Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367 United States
AU: Marchese, P
EM: pmarchese@qcc.cuny.edu
AF: Queensborough Community College, City University of New York, 222-05 56th Ave, Bayside, NY 11364 United States
AU: Cormier, M
EM: cormier@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, PO Box 1000, Palisades, NY 10964 United States
AU: Warkentine, B
EM: bwarkentine@sunnymaritime.edu
AF: SUNY Maritime College, 6 Pennyfield Ave, Throgs Neck, NY 10465 United States
AB: This project, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Opportunities to Enhance Diversity in the Geosciences Division, will develop a program based on multidisciplinary investigations of Long Island Sound, as a vehicle to enhance diversity in geosciences. The program includes a curriculum centered on geosciences with a substantial field and laboratory component. Students will participate in a one-week oceanographic expedition to Long Island Sound aboard the R/V Cape Henlopen and in day trips using SUNY Maritime College's R/V Alexanderson. The goal is to illustrate the dominant physical processes in an urban coastal area by using a variety of oceanographic mapping techniques, such as multibeam bathymetric mapping, sediment and water sampling, and current profiling. The working hypothesis is that New York City students will be attracted to geosciences through an integrated field and research experience which familiarizes them with their own environment. Furthermore, they will be introduced to solving geoscience problems in a hands-on manner while receiving one-on-one mentoring in a supportive environment. Strong support exists from the City University of New York (CUNY) at the graduate level through MAGNET fellowships. At the undergraduate level, the geoscience curriculum fulfills a science requirement for completion of a BA in geosciences. Support also exists from the "Alliance for Minority Participation" (AMP), a program supported by the National Science Foundation and in which Queens College (QC) and CUNY participate, and the "Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge" (SEEK), a QC program designed to provide educational opportunities for academically motivated students who need substantial financial assistance to attend college. The main scientific objectives are 1) to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic activities through studies of the waters, plankton, and sediments and to propose measures for their remediation, and 2) to begin to assess long-term climatic variability (last 20,000 years) through studies of sediment samples and acoustic imagery of the seafloor. The field experience and curriculum in coastal marine sciences are expected to motivate and prepare students to pursue careers in the areas of geoscience, environmental science, and geoscience education. Students are trained in marine data acquisition and introduced to techniques commonly used by geoscientists and environmental scientists. The students are guided to participate in summer internships to strengthen their involvement in geosciences. A long-term goal in a future proposal is to use the strategy developed in this program and repeat the field program every two years to integrate the Long Island Sound research-education experience to the core geoscience curriculum at Queens College and other CUNY colleges. The data collected forms the basis of a unique time-series that builds over time and is used for educational purposes through CUNY colleges and NSF sponsored Digital Library for Earth System Education.
UR: http://explore-the-sound-org
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
DE: 0855 Diversity
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005