Article
from Foster's Daily Democrat
www.fosters.com
==========================
Article
published Dec 1, 2005
New
grants strengthen UNH-Elizabeth
City State University partnership
DURHAM — Two new federal grants to
help recruit students into earth, natural
and environmental sciences are strengthening
the partnership between the University of
New Hampshire and Elizabeth City State University.
According to one study, earth science is
the least popular scientific field pursued
by African Americans and Hispanics. But with
shared grants totaling nearly $1.6 million
over five years, the UNH and ECSU aim to
change that. The two universities are using
the money to develop inquiry-based programs
that can be modeled nationally. UNH is the
lead institution for a $1-million National
Science Foundation grant to establish Watershed
Watch. ECSU of Elizabeth City, N.C.—a
historically black university—is the
lead on a $580,000 NASA grant to establish
Remote Sensing Explorers.
Watershed Watch will be a project of UNH's
Joan and James Leitzel Center for Mathematics,
Science and Engineering Education, building
on the success of similar programs at UNH
called Forest Watch and Lake Watch.
Watershed Watch aims to increase recruitment
in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
at UNH and ECSU, particularly among under-represented
groups.
"The underlying premise is that much of the
best learning is derived from doing" said
Leitzel Center Director Karen Graham. "Science,
like art, is most inspiring when experienced."
Students at both schools will receive instruction
in hands-on use of geospatial technologies
to study two very different watersheds: the
Merrimack in New Hampshire and the Pasquotank
in North Carolina. Each school brings complementary
strengths to the project. ECSU's Center of
Excellence in Remote Sensing Research has
expertise in working with entry-level undergraduates,
while the Leitzel Center has expertise in
curriculum development and assessment.
"Beyond expanding scientific knowledge about
these two watersheds, the grants will provide
enhanced educational opportunities for undergraduates
at both schools," said Graham, "and down
the road, that will lead to a more diverse
workforce."
Remote Sensing Explorers will target minority
students and faculty at ECSU and the 52 other
members of Goddard's Minority University
Space Interdisciplinary Network. Working
with UNH and Goddard, ECSU will organize
summer workshops to train faculty to implement
advanced, research-based earth system science
courses.
The workshops will be facilitated by three
professors from UNH's Institute for the Study
of Earth Oceans and Space, George Hurtt,
Barry Rock, and Cameron Wake. "This award
will enable us build on a previous grant
funded initiative to design and deliver a
state-of-the art course in Earth System Science
at UNH, and to distribute the educational
materials and teaching approaches used here
to literally dozens of institutions and hundreds
of students," said Hurtt. "The goal of this
award is to help train the next generation
of scientists."
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