Applying Terrestrial Remote-Sensing Practices and Planetary Analogs for Application Toward Geoscience Problem Based Learning and Teaching Opportunities in the Classroom and Public Outreach Education

The Educational Internship in the Physical Sciences (EIPS), an undergraduate research internship program in collaboration with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Geological Science Department and the El Paso Community College (EPCC), continues to provide underrepresented students opportunities in pursuing STEM related careers; mentoring them in the geosciences and encouraging them to interact with their peers in geoscience research. Building on previous foundational achievements, this 2019-2020 academic year will establish a remote sensing platform/approach to studying geoscience: developing basic proficiency in geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze satellite data to identify possible kaolinite sources along the Rio Grande Rift. Interns will conduct this research, along with a geologist from UTEP's Geological Science department, and then proceed to construct and teach a laboratory for physics and geology students at EPCC based on their research. Work here will be used for future development of a science workshop for middle and high school students for the 2020 summer session, and provide additional curriculum for planetary and terrestrial topics. Results and future plans from this fall semester's internship will be presented here.