Paleoclimate and Flooding History in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, CA
The proposing institution, California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB), is the only four-year university within a one-hundred-mile radius in the Southern San Joaquin Valley. It is located in a rapidly growing area with a large and fast-growing minority population and one of the lowest college attendance rates in the state. Enrollment of minority college students in geology remains disproportionately low. Further exacerbating the situation is the lack of K-12 teachers with a geoscience background. This project was developed in collaboration with the Bakersfield City School District and the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. The overall goal of "Paleoclimate and Flooding History in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, CA" is to strengthen the understanding of the geosciences in teaching and learning and to improve access and retention of students in underrepresented groups. To achieve this goal, the program provides high-quality scientific research on important issues relevant to the local community and society at large, increases professional development for Kern County middle and high school teachers, improves geoscience teaching at Kern County middle and high schools, recruits students from underrepresented groups into CSUB.s geology program, increases achievement and retention of CSUB.s minority geology students, and raises geoscience awareness in the broader community. This project centers around a summer research program and offers numerous opportunities for student involvement and training at multiple levels, while addressing important scientific questions.
