Award Abstract #0503540
Oceans of Opportunity: Enhancing African-American Participation in the Marine Geosciences (Track 1)

NSF Org:	GEO Directorate for Geosciences
Initial Amendment Date:	July 14, 2005
Latest Amendment Date:	July 14, 2008
Award Number:	0503540
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Jill L. Karsten GEO Directorate for Geosciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date:	July 1, 2005
Expires:	December 31, 2008 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$99583
Investigator(s):	Carol Pride pridec@savstate.edu (Principal Investigator) Steven Bohlen (Co-Principal Investigator) Beth Christensen (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	Savannah State University State College Branch Savannah, GA 31404 912/356-2186
NSF Program(s):	OPPORT FOR ENHANCING DIVERSITY
Field Application(s):	0000099 Other Applications NEC
Program Reference Code(s):	OTHR,0000
Program Element Code(s):	1697

ABSTRACT

Track 1: Oceans of Opportunity: Enhancing African-American Participation

in the Marine Geosciences

The supply of African American and other minority students to research laboratories and to graduate and undergraduate programs in the geosciences is far less than the demand currently set by diversity initiatives in the sciences. Potential causes include lack of exposure to the geosciences at a young age, lack of continuous reinforcement in the geosciences, lack of participation in meaningful research, and lack of mentorship. The Oceans of Opportunity program will address all four of these potential causal factors in two focus cities (Savannah and Atlanta, GA) with high densities of African Americans in the public school systems and in the universities represented by the PIs (Savannah State University [SSU] and Georgia State University [GSU]). This collaboration between a primarily undergraduate HBCU (SSU) and a research university with significant minority enrollment (GSU) with outreach branches to the school systems is anchored by support from the Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI). Oceans of Opportunity focuses on sustained involvement of students in the marine geosciences from kindergarten through high school. Anticipated results are that these students will later appear in university geoscience courses and research laboratories.

The Oceans of Opportunity program consists of two pipelines extending geoscience research and academic endeavors from the universities and JOI to the public school systems. In the Track 1 research pipeline, research training groups (RTG) have been established at SSU to carry out research on the record of carbon storage and availability of natural resources in the nearby South Atlantic Bight (SAB), and on the history of Gulf Stream flow through study of sediment cores from the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 164 and 171 (Blake Ridge and Blake Nose). In support of RTG development and focused SAB/Gulf Stream research, funding for one graduate student and one undergraduate per year is provided. High school students in a pilot marine science course hosted by the Savannah-Chatham School District's Oatland Island Education Center round out the RTG.

In the Track 2 academic pipeline, Oceans of Opportunity is developing and implementing three of six planned interactive geoscience modules based on actual sediment samples from deep ocean drilling, replicas of ODP cores, and innovative lesson plans that expand use of these materials for students of all academic levels.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Abdul N; Pride C.  "Glacial-interglacial variabilityof the Benguela Current System, SW Africa (ODP Leg 175, Site 1084) using multiple paleoceanographic proxies,"  Ocean Sciences Meeting Suppl.,  2008, 

Bain, S. and C. Pride.  "Benthic foraminifera densities and size frequency distributions on the Georgia shelf,"  Southeast Estuarine Research Society Meeting,  2006, 

Bain, S. and C. Pride.  "An analysis of benthic foraminifera across the Georgia continental shelf.,"  GSA Abstracts with Programs,  v.39,  2007, 

Christensen B; Wiltsey C; Pride C; Castner A; Bohlen S; Cooper S; Peart L.  "Oceans of Opportunity: Using Ocean Drilling Sediment Cores to Improve Ocean Literacy,"  Ocean Sciences Meeting Suppl.,  2008, 

Christensen, B. and C. Pride.  "Oceans of opportunity: A model of effective outreach and research activities to advance more African-American students into the marine geosciences,"  Geological Society of America Meeting,  2006, 

Compton S; Pride C.  "Density and distribution of benthic foraminifera at four stations along the Georgia continental shelf.,"  Ocean Sciences Meeting Suppl,  2008, 

Compton, S., E. Henderson, and C. Pride.  "Sediment properties and water column profiles of the Wilmington River Estuary (Savannah, GA),"  GSA Abstracts with Programs,  v.39,  2007, 

Marshall, J. and C. Pride.  "The effects of a migrating shell ridge on the salt marsh at Fort Pulaski (Savannah, GA),"  GSA Abstracts with Programs,  v.39,  2007, 

Pride C; Christensen B.  "Oceans of Opportunity: partnerships to increase minority student involvement in the marine geosciences.,"  Eos Trans. AGU, Fall Meeting Suppl.,  v.88,  2007, 

Pride C; Olsen M.  "Enhancing diversity in the geosciences through providing HBCU science majors training in natural history interpretation and teaching experiences in predominantly African-American communities.,"  Journal of Geoscience Education,  v.55,  2007,  p. 550.


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