This award provides funding for Dr. Ben Cuker at Hampton University and Dr. Roger Levine of American Institutes for Research (AIR) to evaluate results of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanograhy Minority Program (ASLOMP), a program designed to increase the numbers of under-represented minorities electing careers in aquatic sciences. The program targets minority students, faculty and professionals interested in aquatic sciences, as well as faculty working at Historically Minority Colleges and Universities (HMCU). Participants received a free membership in ASLO and support to attend the annual meetings and special pre-meeting workshops.
Although results of the ASLOMP program are reported annually, this evaluation will focus on outcomes of the program over a 20 year period. Data collected by Dr. Cuker in 2010 indicates that between 1990 and 2009 there have been 1,109 student participations, comprised of 704 different students (the difference being made up by students who participated in more than one meeting). Typically 65 students participated each year. Some 80% of the students first entered the program as undergraduates, with many returning as graduate students. Overall, 232 students participated at the graduate level and 546 as undergraduates. Over the course of the program females comprised 65% of the participants but in recent years over 80%. While informal and antidotal data suggest that the program produced many excellent participants that have gone on for advanced studies and careers in the aquatic or related sciences, it is important to determine its overall effectiveness. The longevity of the ASLOMP presents a unique opportunity to gauge its impact on the diversity of the aquatic science community. Such a study will also point to those aspects of the program that appear most important in retaining and advancing the participants in the field. Its findings will also inform others interested in advancing diversity in the sciences in general.
The National Science Foundation has supported the ASLO Multicultural Program since 1990. ASLO is the key scientific society that deals with the sciences of limnology (freshwater) and oceanography (saltwater). It used to stand for the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, but in 2012 changed its name to the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. The ASLO multicultural program was started in partnership with Hampton University with goal of improving the diversity of aquatic (water) scientists i the US. Over 800 students haver particpated since 1990. This report describes the findings of a specail study supported by NSF to examine the effectiveness of ASLOMP. The funds were used to pay for a study of participants in the program from 1990 - 2008. The study was conducted by the American Institutes for Research. Evaluation Findings What are the short-term outcomes for ASLOMP participants? Participants felt that ASLOMP was important for increasing their self-efficacy, sense of community, professional skills, interest in aquatic sciences, knowledge about aquatic sciences, and knowledge about education and careers. Participants reported that ASLOMP was less important for increasing their knowledge about education and careers than for other short-term outcomes. What are the education (intermediate) and employment (long-term) outcomes of ASLOMP participants? Almost all participants (94 percent) had earned at least a bachelor’s degree and more than half had earned a graduate degree. The majority of students had earned their highest degree in aquatic sciences or STEM fields. In addition, 26 percent of participants were in school at the time of the survey, primarily pursuing graduate degrees.Excluding current students, 92 percent of ASLOMP participants were employed and almost three quarters (73 percent) of employed participants were working in aquatic sciences or STEM fields. These findings demonstrate that ASLOMP participants were successful in meeting the intermediate and long-term goals of the program. What factors predict aquatic sciences and STEM degrees and careers among ASLOMP participants? When examining whether student background characteristics, experiences prior to ASLOMP, and ASLOMP participation predicted education and career outcomes, pre-ASLOMP experiences were related to career outcomes. Being a graduate student when first participating in ASLOMP was a significant predictor of having an aquatic sciences or STEM career. Participating in ASLOMP multiple times was also a significant predictor of career outcomes. None of the variables in our regression model predicted aquatic sciences or STEM graduate degree attainment. The study affirmed the effectiveness of ASLOMP in promoting the diversity of students entering the aquatic sciences.
