This award provides additional resources for the American Geological Institute's Minority Participation Program. This program, begun in 1971, has an established history of success in aiding underrepresented minority students in the geosciences. Traditionally, funding for the program has come primarily from industry, with additional support from geoscience associations and individuals. The downturn in the petroleum and mineral extraction industries in recent years has seriously impacted the program, yet the need for human resources in the sciences remains high. The broad goal for this project is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students entering the geoscience pipeline and being retained through college graduation. This additional funding for the program is specifically targetted for undergraduate geoscience majors, and is intended to provide sustained support for the selected individuals through completion of their baccalaureate degrees.
