Geology seeks to expand diversity with Mexico course

The University’s Geology Department has received a boost from the National Science Foundation in the form of a $100,000 grant to be used over the next two years to develop a program intended to promote a more diverse student body within the geosciences.

The funds will be used to create a pilot study that will determine the future success of the program. The department is creating a course curriculum designed to appeal to minority students, Hispanics in particular. Geology professor Lisa Hammersley, one of four professors in charge of developing the course, says that an introductory geology course that utilizes place-based learning will be the cornerstone of the program.

The course, The Geology of Mexico, will be offered in the fall of 2006 and will feature lectures and labs that use Mexican case studies to convey the important concepts of geology. The case studies will emphasize the link between geologic processes and human activities. Students will be encouraged to learn through independent inquiry and investigation rather than the traditional lecture format. To accompany the course, Professors Hammersley, Brian Hausback and Kevin Cornwell are developing a field trip to Mexico, in collaboration with faculty from the Universidad National Autonoma de Mexico at Queretaro.

“Ultimately we hope that the field course will be co-instructed by professors from Sacramento State and the Mexican university, and offered to students from both institutions,” Hammersley says.

The grant will help cover the cost of the trip for the students as well as lab supplies and reading material for the class. Based upon the success of the pilot course, the department could receive several million dollars to continue and expand the program to include other place-based courses. Hammersley is optimistic about its success and believes that it will be a step in the right direction.

“The goal of the program is to attract a diverse array of students to the major by offering interesting introductory geology courses and ultimately to involve them in ongoing research that is based in Mexico,” she says. “At Sacramento State, Hispanic students represent 14 percent of the total enrollment, yet the Geology department doesn’t really have a student population that represents that.”

“This isn’t just a problem at Sacramento State,” she continues. “A recent National Science Foundation study found only 4 percent of degrees in physical sciences went to Hispanic students and at the graduate level it’s only 3 percent. The only way to address an imbalance like this is to recruit more minority students at the introductory level and encourage them to pursue a career in the geosciences.”

The Geology department will coordinate its efforts with Sacramento State’s Mathematics and Science Education organization and the College Assistance Migrant Program, as well as the National Hispanic Environmental Council.