Project Summary

The Arecibo Geoscience Diversity Project (AGEOP) is a collaboration between the National Astronomy & Ionosphere Center (NAIC) and the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo (UPRA) that addresses the national need to increase the number of underrepresented in the geosciences. The program provides a research experience in the geosciences to group of Hispanics in the north-western region of Puerto Rico. Participants gain first-hand experience in conducting scientific research by using the Arecibo radio telescope and laboratory facilities at UPRA. This initiative will enhance the understanding of geoscience content by the participants.

The AGEOP targets 15 high schools in the Arecibo School District and undergraduate science majors at UPRA. Five different schools participate every year in this three-year effort. Each school will provide a team of 4 students and a teacher, while UPRA will contribute with 8 undergraduates every year. Through the interaction of high school students, teachers, and UPRA undergraduates, a bridging path is established that will help increase to numbers of students that reaches the college level, and that eventually graduate.

The AGEOP partnership provides up to 200 hours of geoscience training to each participant (students, teachers, undergraduates) through the following activities:

• a 10-day S ummer Institute at the Arecibo Observatory to introduce the content matter and develop the research skills,
• 16 days of a G eoscience Academy during the school year for field measurements and data analysis,
• a Geoscience Congress in which participants present their research projects., and interect with a cadre of goescience professionals.

AGEOP exploits the natural setting of the Arecibo Observatory and the UPRA campus by providing participants with research opportunities to study the atmosphere, and the karst topography in the region. Participants are divided in these two research areas. The atmospheric research focuses on studies of the upper atmosphere and is conducted at the Arecibo Observatory. Altitude and temperature variations in the ionosphere are collected using the 305 m radio telescope. The study of the karst region focuses on the Caño Tiburones tropical wetland, and is conducted at UPRA. Participants are engaged in the design and the execution of an environmental monitoring program that will assess the physical and biological profile of the wetland.

At the end of the three-year program, AGEOP will have provided a direct hands-on research experience in the geosciences to 60 high school students, 15 teachers, and 24 undergraduate students. The participation of teachers will broaden the impact beyond the group trained under AGOEP, by incorporating the geoscience field experience in their curriculum. All participants will undergo pre- and post-test summative evaluation, and will be surveyed in order to measure the impact of the program along their academic or professional careers.