Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/14
Outputs
Target Audience:The Watershed Management Internship provided 50 stipend-paid internships for students atCSU San Bernardino and two of its feeder community colleges. Each intern completed an 18-week internship supervised by faculty members, community based partners and potential employers on research questions within the Santa Ana and Mojave watersheds. The interns werealso trained in how to use (GIS) to present their data in a format used by public agencies. This project was introduced to community college faculty and counselors as an opportunity for outstanding and underrepresented students to conduct research at the university level, with the ultimate goal of attracting these students to a four-year institution and motivating them to complete a degree. Project effectiveness was constantly evaluated through interviews with science faculty at CSUSB, its feeder colleges. The admissions staff at CSUSB determined if greater numbers of underrepresented students applied for majors within the natural science arena during the time of the project. The goal was 2 percent increase in applications. Interns were interviewed at the beginning of their internships about expectations, again after they have received their GIS training, and upon completion of their project. The Project Manager and collaborating agencies evaluated the effectiveness of the interns in the program and identified additional strategies with the goal of maximizing job prospects. Fifty students gained knowledge via this program and the overall result was quantifiable data about the success of the program. The project offered several benefits. It encouraged underrepresented students to pursue study in the natural science and related fields by offering stipend-paid internships for research. It encouraged students who were currently in two-year institutions to transfer to a 4-year institution and motivated them to complete their undergraduate work by introducing them to scientific inquiry, faculty and potential employers. It trained students in areas of interest to federal state and local public agencies and non-profit watershed groups. It mentored these students who were often the first in their family to pursue a college degree. It also encouraged students to continue their studies by offering the possibility of a large scholarship. Products of this effort were new skills, attraction to academic study in science fields, technical knowledge of GIS software and its capabilities; increased collaboration among educational institutions and collaboration with potential employers. Changes/Problems:On July 25, 2011, a No Cost Extension was requested to complete the project and spend down the remaining funds. Scholarship applications during the time of the NCE request remained to be evaluated and scholarship awardees had not been selected therefore the funds had yet to be disbursed. Students had yet to complete experiential learning activities. On September 09, 2011 notification had been received granting the NCE extending the award expiration date to August 31, 2012. Final Report past due notificationcame to our attention2/2/2015. Report was unable to be located and additonal time was given to compose a new report. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The primary goal of this project was to engage underrepresented students in experiential learning relevant to USDA careers, with a specific emphasis on water-related disciplines, in an effort to encourage student retention and graduation. The secondary goal was to recruit and award a total of 6 scholarships to underrepresented students capable of enhancing the agricultural and natural resource professional work force. The primary objective was met and reported on during the first three years of the Project, in which community college students intending to transfer to a four year college for the completion of an undergraduate degree in natural, social and behavioral sciences were recruited for paid internships to work with mentors on research projects. During the previous reporting periods, the CSUSB Water Resources Institute collaborated with three local community colleges (San Bernardino Valley College, Victor Valley College, and Riverside Community College) to recruit and provide 10 community college students with paid internships to work with mentors on research projects. One intern was placed with the San Bernardino National Forest Association, in conjunction with the Forest Service. Interns were trained in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as needed and most incorporated GIS into their project. Of the abovementioned 10 student interns, nine of them completed their projects and turned in final reports. One intern began the internship, but quit the program prior to completion due to family reasons. Two students obtained a job after community college, one as a USDA forest service intern (while attending college) and one in a different field from their chosen college major. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The final reports have been posted on the WRPI USDA website available to the public. Updates, opportunites and results have been disseminated through poster sessions, sonference presentations, social media, and press releases. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The project objective for the final year of award number 2009-38422-19782 was to allow for students to complete their experiential learning project and to evaluate scholarship applications and administer the awards. External evaluators, Allison Brown MA, Stasie Dear MA, Tarek Azzam, Ph.D., were utilized to collect the data. In thefinal year, the Preparing Underrepresented Students for USDA Natural Resources Careers with Multi-Disciplinary Internships Project awarded scholarship funds to outstanding students capable of enhancing the agricultural and natural resource professional work force. Six scholarships were awarded to students from a variety of underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. During the reporting period, the Project has continued to monitor, track, advise and report on the scholarship recipients from this grant as well as complete the administrative aspect of moving the funds to the appropriate campus entity. The secondary goal of recruiting and awarding a total of 6 scholarships to underrepresented students was started during the previous reporting period, but continued during this period. Last reporting period, one $50,000 scholarship was awarded to a Native American student pursuing a PhD degree at UC Riverside. Additionally, five $15,000 scholarships were awarded to underrepresented community college transfer students for the completion of their undergraduate degrees at CSUSB. UNDERGRADUATES "The community college program was aimed at community college students intending to transfer to a four- year college for the completion of a bachelor's degree. During the 2011-2012 academic year, the CSU San Bernardino (CSUSB) Water Resources Institute collaborated with three local community colleges" - San Bernardino Valley College, Victor Valley College and Riverside Community College - to provide five community college students with scholarships to attend CSUSB and complete a bachelor's degree within three years of award date. Five $15,000 awards were given to five students from a Hispanic Serving Institution (San Bernardino Valley College and Riverside Community College). A total of two students attended San Bernardino Valley College, three attended Riverside Community College. Four students were of Hispanic descent and one student was Pacific Islander. A total of five females and one male received the award. Of the five awardees, three identified as first-generation in their families as college students. The awardees identified a range of intended degrees: Geography, Mathematics, Biochemistry, Environmental Studies, and Chemistry. The graduate school scholarship was awarded to a currently enrolled CSUSB student who participating in the Watershed Internship Project. The scholarship was given to a student in the first twelve months of the project and then it was applied toward the completion of a master's degree and start of terminal degree within 4.5 years of award date. One $50,000 award was given to a student currently participating in the USDA Watershed Internship Project at California State University, San Bernardino. This student identified as Native American, female, and first-generation college student. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Chemistry from CSUSB. She is currently attending University of California, Riverside, pursuing a doctorate in Environmental Engineering and intends to graduate in Spring 2015. Five $15,000 awards were given to five students from a Hispanic Serving Institution (San Bernardino Valley College and Riverside Community College). A total of two students attended San Bernardino Valley College, three attended Riverside Community College. Four students were of Hispanic descent and one student was Pacific Islander. A total of five females and one male received the award. Of the five awardees, three identified as first-generation in their families as college students. The awardees identified a range of intended degrees: Geography, Mathematics, Biochemistry, Environmental Studies, and Chemistry. Three of the five undergraduate awardees indicated that they have graduated from college and received their degree. The other two undergraduates are expecting to graduate June of 2015 and Fall of 2016. Of the five undergraduate scholarship recipients, two are pursing graduate level degrees. One indicated attending UC Riverside beginning Fall of 2014 to gain a doctorate in Math, while the other indicated attending Keck Graduate Institute's School of Pharmacy in Fall 2014. Of the two, the recipient who indicated attending Keck Graduate Institute's School of Pharmacy returned a follow up questionnaire. The recipient indicated that they are currently still attending school and will be pursuing a career in the realm of pharmacy medicine. This recipient also indicated that if anything changed from their current plans, they would gladly pursue a job in a USDA related field. The other undergraduates indicate an interest in attending graduate school in the future. One undergraduate scholarship recipient indicated that they had currently moved to a new location and was looking at finding a job. This individual also indicated that she would like to eventually attend graduate school, but after a few years of working and reevaluating her career goals. One of the students has indicated that once he has graduated, he would like to work in the Geography department at CSUSB, and once stable he would like to attend graduate school. The other individual who still needs to graduate indicated that after graduating he would like to attend graduate school and work on a Masters in water resources. In the follow-up questionnaire, two of the four respondents indicated that they wished to pursue a job in a USDA related career field. These individuals expressed that the USDA had careers in or related to their area of focus. One recipient also indicated that the USDA has many resources (such as GIS and Remote Sensing), which has influence on his career choices. GRADUATE RECRUITMENT The graduate school scholarship was awarded to a currently enrolled CSUSB student who participating in the Watershed Internship Project. The scholarship was given to a student in the first twelve months of the project and then it was applied toward the completion of a master's degree and start of terminal degree within 4.5 years of award date. One $50,000 award was given to a student currently participating in the USDA Watershed Internship Project at California State University, San Bernardino. This student identified as Native American, female, and first-generation college student. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Chemistry from CSUSB. She is currently attending University of California, Riverside, pursuing a doctorate in Environmental Engineering and intends to graduate in Spring 2015.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: During the 2012-2013 year, the CSUSB Water Resources Institute assisted in the encouragement and retention of the recipients. The Scholarships were awarded to outstanding students capable of enhancing the agricultural and natural resource professional work force. Six scholarships were awarded to students from a variety of ethnic backgrounds: Hispanic n=4; Pacific Islander n=1; Native American n=1. Females made up the largest group of scholarship recipients (5) compared to males (1). Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project encouraged the Scholarship recipients to attend conferences related to their academic studies. All 6 of the recipients attended conferences, including the Annual Women's Leadership Conference, the American Water Works Association Sustainable Water Management Conference, the San Bernardino Valley Water Conference, HACU, and the American Association for Aerosol Research. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The project continues to utilize the project website and social media (Facebook and Twitter) to disseminate the project information and results. Students' projects are presented at various professional meetings and conferences and project results are discussed at outreach events and meetings. Additionally, the Project participated or exhibited at the following events: September 2012: STEMapalooza, San Bernardino (over 750 middle school students in attendance) November 2012: GIS training, CSUSB's Palm Desert campus (18 underrepresented high school students in attendance) 16 students attended the Informational Sessions on USDA Careers Webinar in early 2013 May 10, 2013: Keynote speaker at Fourth Annual Environmental and Sustainability Expo, CSUSB's Palm Desert Campus (140 6th grade students in attendance) May 10, 2013: Presentation on Internships and Water Careers (35 community college students from San Bernardino Valley College in attendance) April 23, 2013: Agriculture Day, Sacramento July 2013: Water Resources Institute's water conservation garden tour was given to local elementary school children, addressing the importance of water and its conservation. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The Project will continue to track grades, graduation rates, and job placements of the scholarship recipients.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. Major Activities Completed Since the majority of this Program was completed in previous years, the activity for this reporting period, 2012 - 2013, focused on the tracking of the scholarship recipients. The scholarship component to this grant funded outstanding students capable of enhancing the agricultural and natural resource professional work force. One $50,000 scholarship was awarded to a student towards the completion of a PhD degree. This Graduate Scholarship recipient was a Native American female pursuing her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering at UC Riverside. Additionally, five $15,000 scholarships were awarded to community college transfer students for the completion of their undergraduate degrees at CSUSB. These Undergraduate Scholarships recipients were pursuing their degrees in the following disciplines: Biochemistry, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Geography, and Mathematics. Ethnically, the Undergraduate Scholarship recipients had the following backgrounds: Hispanic n=4 and Pacific Islander n=1. Of the 5 recipients, most were female (n=4) compared to males (n=1). 2. Specific Objectives Met This project is intended to address a critical shortage of financially supported experiential learning programs that can potentially increase the retention and graduation of underrepresented students enrolled in natural, social and behavioral sciences. Additionally, the project encourages underrepresented students to continue their education in disciplines related to natural resource protection. To help further this pipeline into higher education, five scholarships were awarded to underrepresented students that transferred from community colleges into CSUSB, while one scholarship was awarded to a student starting her PhD degree at UC Riverside. During this reporting period, the scholarship recipients' progress was tracked. 3. Significant Results Achieved, Including Major Findings, Developments, or Conclusions The overarching goal or intention of this project was to engage underrepresented students in experiential learning relevant to USDA careers, with a specific emphasis on water-related disciplines, in an effort to encourage student retention and graduation. To conduct the outcome/impact analysis, we have examined the self-reported enrollment and GPA data for the Scholarship recipients during 2012-2013. 100 percent were retained during the academic year. The average GPA for the recipients pre-scholarship was 3.594 and the average GPA after their first year of the scholarship was 3.5635. Two of the six recipients' GPAs remained the same during this reporting period, one student's GPA increased during this reporting period, and three students' GPA decreased during this reporting period. These latter results could have occurred due to the higher demands placed on students from a community college to a four-year institution and from a four-year institution to a graduate school career. This also could be due to the rigorous and challenging courses that students began to take which are geared specifically toward their intended major and intended career path. 4. Key Outcomes or Other Accomplishments Realized See above
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Vizenor, A., Evaluation of Selective Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry for Controlled Laboratory Studies, American Association for Aerosol Research. 2013. (poster).
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Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12
Outputs
Target Audience: During the 2011-2012 Year of the project, the CSUSB Water Resources Institute, in collaboration with 3 local community colleges, assisted in the encouragement and development of internship opportunities, with a focus upon water resources and GIS technology skill development. Ten paid internship opportunities were awarded to community college students. The gender of the interns were equally split. Ethnically, the interns were comprised of 40 percent Hispanic; 40 percent White; 10 percent Pacific Islander; and 10 percent Indian. Additionally, the CSUSB Water Resources Institute awarded scholarship funds to outstanding students capable of enhancing the agricultural and natural resource professional work force. Six scholarships were awarded to students from a variety of ethnic backgrounds: Hispanic n=4; Pacific Islander n=1; Native American n=1. Females made up the largest group of scholarship recipients (5) compared to males (1). Changes/Problems: During this reporting year, CSUSB requested and was granted a two year no-cost extension for the monitoring, tracking, advising and reporting on the scholarship component to the grant. Additionally during this year, the Program Director was changed from Susan Longville to Julie Lappin due to Ms. Longville's leave of absence. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project has provided Geographical Information Systems (GIS) training to the students from the Community Colleges. Additionally, by having the students incorporate GIS into their projects, they are able to apply their GIS knowledge in real-world applications. The students are also encouraged to present their projects and publish their work, in addition to expanding their GIS education. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The project continues to utilize the project website and social media (Facebook and Twitter) to disseminate the project information and results. Students' projects are presented at various professional meetings and conferences and project results are discussed at outreach events and meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The project will continue to monitor, track, and report on the scholarship recipients, including their progress in school, their GPA's, graduation rates, and job placements.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Major Activities Completed Student Recruitment: The community college program is aimed at community college (CC) students intending to transfer to a four year college for the completion of an undergraduate degree in natural, social and behavioral sciences. During 2011-2012 the CSUSB Water Resources Institute collaborated with three local CC's (San Bernardino Valley College, Victor Valley College, and Riverside Community College) to recruit and provide 10 CC students with paid internships to work with mentors on research projects. One intern was placed with the San Bernardino National Forest Association, in conjunction with the Forest Service. Interns were trained in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as needed and most incorporated GIS into their project. The students selected for internships came from a variety of racial backgrounds: Hispanic n=4; Pacific Islander n=1, Indian n=1; and White n=4. The gender of the students was equally split with 5 females and 5 males. The selected students are pursuing their degrees in the following disciplines at their CC's: Agriculture and Natural Resources (n=2), Biology, Environmental Biochemistry, Environmental Horticulture, Geography (n=2), GIS and Water Technology, Horticulture, and Undeclared. Completed Internships Of the abovementioned student interns, nine of them completed their projects and turned in final reports. One intern began the internship, but quit the program prior to completion due to family reasons. The titles of the completed projects included: Urbanization of the Santa Ana River and Opportunities for Restoration of the Ecosystem Function in the Upper Reaches; Total Coliform and E. coli Detection in Select Locations of the Santa Ana Watershed; Conservation Field Trial Studies; Mojave River Nitrates - Possible Sources of Pollution; Cash for Grass Program; Sustainability of Hydroponic Forage for the Urban Farm (To Fodder or Not to Fodder); Measurement and Analysis Methods for Soil Erosion in the Desert Knolls Wash; and Ecological Restoration Monitoring and Mapping. As part of the grant objective focused on the development of advanced IT skills, specifically GIS skills, WRI personnel taught the fundamentals of GIS to community college students at San Bernardino Valley College and Victor Valley College on four occasions. The majority of the interns went through the workshops, but they were open to other students as well. Scholarships The scholarship component to this grant funds outstanding students capable of enhancing the agricultural and natural resource professional work force. One $50,000 scholarship was awarded to a student towards the completion of a masters and start of a terminal degree. Additionally, five $15,000 scholarships were awarded to community college transfer students for the completion of their undergraduate degrees at CSUSB. The scholarships were advertised, and a scholarship committee was formed. Five applications were received for the Graduate Scholarship, with the recipient being a Native American female pursuing her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from UC Riverside. Eleven completed applications were received for the Undergraduate Scholarships, with the five recipients being transfer students pursuing their degrees in the following disciplines at CSUSB: Biochemistry, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Geography, and Mathematics. Ethnically, the recipients had the following backgrounds: Hispanic n=4; Pacific Islander n=1. Of the 5 recipients, most were female (n=4) compared to males (n=1). Specific Objectives Met This project is intended to address a critical shortage of financially supported experiential learning programs that can potentially increase the retention and graduation of underrepresented students enrolled in natural, social and behavioral sciences. Ten community college students were hired and worked on GIS-related natural resources projects. Additionally, the project encourages underrepresented students to continue their education in disciplines related to natural resource protection. To help further this pipeline into higher education, five scholarships were awarded to underrepresented students that transferred from community colleges into CSUSB, while one scholarship was awarded to a student starting her PhD degree at UC Riverside. Significant Results Achieved, Including Major Findings, Developments, or Conclusions The overarching goal or intention of this project was to engage underrepresented students in experiential learning relevant to USDA careers, with a specific emphasis on water-related disciplines, in an effort to encourage student retention and graduation. Some examples of the experiential learning project from diverse disciplines completed are described above. To conduct the outcome/impact analysis, we have examined the self-reported enrollment data for the students who completed their internships during 2011-2012. Of the CC students actively engaged in their internship experience during 2011-2012, 100 percent were retained during the academic year. Of those, four students graduated with their AA/AS degree from their CC and/or began their program of study at a four year college. The data below indicate the gender, ethnicity, and discipline of these four student interns: Gender: 2 female; 2 male Ethnicity: 1 Hispanic; 1 Indian; 1 Pacific Islander; 1 White Disciplines Pursued at Community College: 1 Biology; 1 Environmental Biochemistry; 1 Environmental Horticulture; 1 GIS and Water Technology Disciplines Pursued at 4-year college: 1 Chemistry (Bachelors); 1 Earth and Environmental Sciences (Masters); 1 Environmental Engineering (Masters); 1 Nursing (Bachelors) Of the remaining six students who had not yet earned their degrees or started a program of study at a 4-year college, 100 percent were retained in Fall of the 2012-2013 academic year. Key Outcomes or Other Accomplishments Realized See above
Publications
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Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project is intended address a critical shortage of financially supported experiential learning programs that can potentially increase the retention and graduation of underrepresented students enrolled in natural, social and behavioral sciences. Student Recruitment: During 2011, the CSUSB Water Resource Institute, in partnership with many academic departments, successfully recruited 20 new student interns. (There were an additional 9 students working on projects who were recruited during 2010.) Of the new students recruited in 2011, 15 were undergraduate students and 4 were graduate students (n=1 missing data). The students selected for internships during 2011 came from a variety of racial backgrounds: 10 students were from underrepresented groups (Hispanic, n=8; African American, n=1; Mixed racial background, n=1), and 8 were White (n=2 missing). Females made up the largest group of interns (12) compared to males (6) (n=2 missing). Completed Internships: Of the 20 new interns, 15 students completed their internship projects during 2011. Additionally, there were 9 students recruited in 2010 that completed their projects during 2011. The student interns were required to complete a water-related research project to earn the internship stipend. Additionally, objective 2 focused on the development of advanced IT skills (specifically GIS skills). The WRI offered training in GIS under two different personnel on different occasions. Without the input of the original project manager, we are at present unable to report accurately on the number of students who attended. In addition, there was a period of time in which no GIS training was available for interns. As a result, not every student for whom we have data included GIS technology in their project (n=7). Many students have, however, increased their competency in one or more other forms of IT skills, including database development and data transfer, high resolution image creation, document and image scanning, conversion of data from analog to digital form, and website maintenance (n=7). All of these projects had a relationship to the local watershed and to the work of the WRI and its partners. Examples of the titles of the 2011 experiential research projects from diverse disciplines include: Coachella Valley Water District History and Public Art Exhibit, Historical Photo Essay of Imported Water: Sediment Transport and Floral Transformation, The Traditional and Historical Waterways of the Luiseno Indian in the Santa Ana Watershed, Literature Review of Maintenance of Septic Systems in Disadvantaged Communities, Population Structure of Santa Ana Speckled Dace Using Micro-satellite DNA Diversity, Signage for San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation Garden, Survey of Submitting 2005 Urban Water Management Plans in Southern California, United States Forest Service Watershed Condition Classification, Water-related Materials Connected to the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, Analysis of Nitrate Concentrations in Lake Gregory California, River KATS: Kids Activism Together With Science, Santa Ana Watershed Photography Captioning & Santa Ana Watershed Interview Transcriptions. PARTICIPANTS: Key Personnel: (1). Dr. James Noblet, the PI, is an Associate Professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Cal State San Bernardino. As PI he reviews and approves all applications for internships, ensuring that the scope of work meets the requirements of the USDA guidelines and is consistent with university-level research. He provides guidance to interns as needed. Dr. Noblet served in the same capacity for the 2007 USDA-funded Watershed Management Internship program. (2). Susan Longville, the Project Manager for the program, has been Director of the Water Resources Institute for 5 years, making her keenly aware of the research needs among faculty and community partners who may request Watershed Management interns. Longville provides management and administration for the program providing oversight on all aspects of the program and reporting requirements. She also coordinates collaboration efforts with community colleges, community partners, water agencies and the faculty research team. She tracks interns' efforts in the field and is responsible for reporting to the PI about project results. (3). Lisa Pierce is the WRI Research Associate and GIS specialist. She is uniquely qualified to train the interns in the program to use GIS technology in their research and reporting, having been a trainer for ESRI, the maker of the GIS software used for this program and consults internationally on GIS issues and teaches GIS technology at the University of California Riverside Extension program. Her duties include supervision of interns' GIS component of their final project and electronic publication of final projects. (4). Georgeann Hanna is the Associate Director of the WRI and brings nearly 20 years of Public Relations and Communications experience to the project team. She coordinates communications functions among the interns, project advisors and community partners. She also supervises and advises those students whose projects are communications-based, such as those with a public relations aspect. (5). Suzie Earp is the WRI Historian and has unparalleled knowledge of the historic water-related documents at the institute. Her duties include training students on the use of these documents for research, and providing access to historical documents that may be useful in their final project. She supervises those students whose projects are related to History or Library Science. Consultant: Lisa McElvaney, Ph.D. Dr. McElvaney was hired during 2011 to provide technical assistance to the Water Resource Institute. TARGET AUDIENCES: During 2011, the CSUSB Water Resource Institute, in partnership with many academic departments, successfully recruited 20 new student interns. (There were an additional 9 students working on projects who were recruited during 2010.) Of the new students recruited in 2011, 15 were undergraduate students and 4 were graduate students (n=1 missing data). The students selected for internships during 2011 came from a variety of racial backgrounds: 10 students were from underrepresented groups (Hispanic, n=8; African American, n=1; Mixed racial background, n=1), and 8 were White (n=2 missing). Females made up the largest group of interns (12) compared to males (6) (n=2 missing). PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The overarching goal or intention of this project was to engage underrepresented students in experiential learning relevant to USDA careers, with a specific emphasis on water-related disciplines, in an effort to encourage student retention and graduation. Some examples of the experiential learning project from diverse disciplines completed are described above in "outputs". To conduct the outcome/impact analysis, we have examined the enrollment data for the students who completed their internships during 2011 (one student completed two during that time period). Of the students actively engaged in their internship experience during 2011 100% were retained during the academic year. Of those, seven students graduated following the 2011 Spring quarter with Bachelor degrees. Of the remaining 15 students who had not yet earned their degrees, 100% were retained from Spring 2011 to Fall 2011 of the 2011-2012 academic year. By comparison, examination of historical trends for CSUSB indicates that the average first year retention of full-time degree seeking freshman is approximately 81%; however, average two year retention drops to about 67%. The WRI interns were more likely to be retained than the average CSUSB student. The data below indicate the gender, ethnicity, and discipline in which the graduating student interns earned their bachelor's degrees at the end of 2011. Gender: 5 female; 2 male Ethnicity: 3 Asian; 2 White; 1 Hispanic; 1 African American Disciplines: 2 Nursing; 1 Art; 1 Kinesiology; 1 History; 1 Communications; 1 Geography
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project is intended address a critical shortage of financially supported experiential learning programs that can potentially increase the retention and graduation of underrepresented students enrolled in natural, social and behavioral sciences. Student Recruitment: During 2009-2010, the CSUSB Water Resource Institute, in partnership with many academic departments, assisted in the encouragement and development of internship opportunities, with a focus upon water resources and GIS technology skill-development. There were 13 students recruited into internships. Of the new students recruited in 2009-2010, 7 were undergraduate students and 6 were graduate students. The students selected for internships during 2011 came from a variety of racial backgrounds: 5 students were from underrepresented groups (Hispanic, n=4; African American, n=1), 4 were Asian and 4 were White. Females made up the largest group of interns (7) compared to males (6). Completed Internships: Of the 13 students recruited in 2010, four completed their projects during 2010. Unfortunately, there was some attrition among the 2009-2010 interns, with three students quitting the project prior to completion. Reasons included such things as poor performance, and loss of contact with the project. The student interns were required to complete a water-related research project to earn the internship stipend. Additionally, objective 2 focused on the development of advanced IT skills (specifically GIS skills). The WRI offered training in GIS under two different personnel on different occasions. Without the input of the original project manager, we are at present unable to report accurately on the number of students who attended. In addition, there was a period of time in which no GIS training was available for interns. As a result, not every student for whom we have data included GIS technology in their project. Many students have, however, increased their competency in one or more other forms of IT skills, including database development and data transfer, high resolution image creation, document and image scanning, conversion of data from analog to digital form, and website maintenance. Examples of the titles of the four completed project are: Review of the Effectiveness of Santa Ana Watershed Planning, and Summary of Santa Ana Watershed Interview Transcriptions. PARTICIPANTS: Key Personnel: (1). Dr. James Noblet, the PI, is an Associate Professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Cal State San Bernardino. As PI he reviews and approves all applications for internships, ensuring that the scope of work meets the requirements of the USDA guidelines and is consistent with university-level research. He provides guidance to interns as needed. Dr. Noblet served in the same capacity for the 2007 USDA-funded Watershed Management Internship program. (2). Susan Longville, the Project Manager for the program, has been Director of the Water Resources Institute for 5 years, making her keenly aware of the research needs among faculty and community partners who may request Watershed Management interns. Longville provides management and administration for the program providing oversight on all aspects of the program and reporting requirements. She also coordinates collaboration efforts with community colleges, community partners, water agencies and the faculty research team. She tracks interns' efforts in the field and is responsible for reporting to the PI about project results. (3). Lisa Pierce is the WRI Research Associate and GIS specialist. She is uniquely qualified to train the interns in the program to use GIS technology in their research and reporting, having been a trainer for ESRI, the maker of the GIS software used for this program and consults internationally on GIS issues and teaches GIS technology at the University of California Riverside Extension program. Her duties include supervision of interns' GIS component of their final project and electronic publication of final projects. (4). Georgeann Hanna is the Associate Director of the WRI and brings nearly 20 years of Public Relations and Communications experience to the project team. She coordinates communications functions among the interns, project advisors and community partners. She also supervises and advises those students whose projects are communications-based, such as those with a public relations aspect. (5). Suzie Earp is the WRI Historian and has unparalleled knowledge of the historic water-related documents at the institute. Her duties include training students on the use of these documents for research, and providing access to historical documents that may be useful in their final project. She supervises those students whose projects are related to History or Library Science. TARGET AUDIENCES: During 2010, the CSUSB Water Resource Institute, in partnership with many academic departments, assisted in the encouragement and development of internship opportunities, with a focus upon water resources and GIS technology skill-development. There were 13 students recruited into internships during 2010. Of the new students recruited in 2010, 7 were undergraduate students and 6 were graduate students. The students selected for internships during 2011 came from a variety of racial backgrounds: 5 students were from underrepresented groups (Hispanic, n=4; African American, n=1), 4 were Asian and 4 were White. Females made up the largest group of interns (7) compared to males (6). PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The overarching goal or intention of this project was to engage underrepresented students in experiential learning relevant to USDA careers, with a specific emphasis on water-related disciplines, in an effort to encourage student retention and graduation. Some examples of the experiential learning project from diverse disciplines completed are described above in outputs. To conduct the outcome/impact analysis, we have examined the enrollment data for the students who completed their internships during 2010. Of the students recruited into an internship during 2009-2010 100% were retained during the academic year. Of those, 6 students graduated during or following the 2010 academic year with Bachelor degrees (2 of those were students who did not complete their internship) and 2 students earned Masters degrees. The students graduated with the following majors: Nursing (n=2), Biology (n=2), History (n=2), Chemistry (n=1), and Kinesiology (n=1).
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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