PS 10-81
Opportunities for undergraduate researchers at the American Geophysical Union’s Fall Meeting
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is the world’s largest organization of Earth and space scientists, with more than 62,000 members around the globe, including more than 7,000 biogeosciences section members and more than 9,000 global environmental change focus group members (areas of study which overlap with those of many ESA members). AGU is a diverse and inclusive organization that uses its position to build the global talent pool in Earth and space science. Among AGU’s goals in this area are enhancing engagement and involvement in AGU of students and early career scientists and increasing participation of underrepresented populations.
To work towards achieving these goals, AGU’s education department began by focusing on two-year colleges (2YC), where 50% of students (particularly those from traditionally underrepresented groups) start their postsecondary education. AGU convened an NSF-funded workshop in 2012 which provided an opportunity for 2YC faculty to increase their awareness of successful research programs in the Earth and space sciences, and helped to identify relevant challenges to participation for both students and faculty. Additionally, faculty from four-year Earth and space science programs who have successfully transitioned 2YC students into their programs sparked a discussion of the issues and barriers involved in that process.
Results/Conclusions
Workshop participants felt strongly that exposing students to research and ultimately a professional meeting, such as AGU’s annual Fall Meeting, would help sustain the students’ interest in continuing their studies in the Earth and space sciences. However, the inability to travel to a professional meeting (for financial, family, work, and other reasons) was identified as a barrier to sharing one’s research, particularly for students. Thus, in 2013 AGU piloted a virtual poster session for 2YC students, allowing them the experience of presenting their research without the need to travel to the meeting. A panel of judges reviewed the students’ abstracts, posters, and short informational videos and submitted questions to the students and as well as comments for improvement of their presentation and posters. One student was chosen as the poster competition winner, receiving a prize and free membership to AGU for one year.
The next virtual poster showcase, open to all Earth and space science undergraduates enrolled at two-year and four-year colleges, is being planned in conjunction with the 2014 AGU Fall Meeting. In addition, a spring virtual poster showcase is being planned for 2015. This will likely occur in conjunction with a pilot of a virtual student conference.