Equipping undergraduate STEM majors with Geoscience and remote sensing tools: A pathway to replenishing the Geoscience workforce

Abstract

Reversing the dramatic decrease in geoscience interest, awareness, participation, and preparation among students at all levels in the United States has become a paramount priority, particularly since recent studies ([1], [2], and [3]) project that this critical regression is expected to continue well into this young century. Investments by the U.S. National Science Foundation's Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences program ([4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]) have yielded innovative insights, practical strategies, and replicable models that are designed to broaden student access, participation, and success at various stages of the geoscience pipeline. However, despite these transformative initiatives, more needs to be done to ensure that evidence-based practices are utilized to attract students and to increase their persistence and achievement in the geosciences. At the New York City College of Technology (City Tech) of the City University of New York, a new, pioneering, piloted pathway model in which undergraduates majoring in STEM disciplines are being equipped with vital geoscience and remote sensing skills for the geoscience workforce is successfully on-going. Components of this work are presented in this manuscript.