The National Astronomy Consortium Summer Student Research Program at NRAO-Socorro: Year 2 structure
Abstract
I will present a summary of the program structure used for the second year of hosting a summer student research cohort of the National Astronomy Consortium (NAC) at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, NM. The NAC is a program partnering physics and astronomy departments in majority and minority-serving institutions across the country. The primary aim of this program is to support traditionally underrepresented students interested in pursuing a career in STEM through a 9-10 week summer astronomy research project and a year of additional mentoring after they return to their home institution. I will describe the research, professional development, and inclusivity goals of the program, and show how these were used to create a weekly syllabus for the summer. I will also highlight several unique aspects of this program, including the recruitment of remote mentors for students to better balance the gender and racial diversity of available role models for the students, as well as the hosting of a contemporaneous series of visiting diversity speakers. Finally, I will discuss structures for continuing to engage, interact with, and mentor students in the academic year following the summer program. A goal of this work going forward is to be able to make instructional and organizational materials from this program available to other sites interested in joining the NAC or hosting similar programs at their own institution.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #227
- Pub Date:
- January 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AAS...22724703M