Making a difference in the community: Stakeholder-based research experience in an undergraduate hydrology course

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are beneficial in removing barriers for undergraduate participation in research, which is necessary to enhance the diversity of students entering STEM fields. Here, we build on this through a stakeholder-based CURE where earth and environmental science undergraduate students at the University of California, Santa Cruz engaged in course-length research projects aimed at addressing the scientific needs of research staff at the Elkhorn Slough National Research Reserve in central coastal California. The course exposed undergraduate students to real-world applications of fundamental concepts in the geosciences, which has previously been shown to enhance student diversity in STEM fields. This 10-week course was offered for the first time in Spring 2021 and stakeholders met with enrolled students over the first week to teach the students about the study site, Elkhorn Slough, and the current hydrology knowledge gaps. The students then developed independent research projects that covered the entirety of the scientific method from hypothesis generation to oral presentations of their study results and interpretation. Comparison of an anonymous pre- and post-course survey showed students sense of belonging in the academic community and their understanding of scientific careers both increased over the course of the quarter. This suggests engagement with stakeholders can help students envision how their actions can directly address environmental concerns in the 21st century.