ANNUAL REPORT 2009 Students from the GeoFORCE Southwest 10th Grade Academy, On the cover: along with instructors Students from the Dr. Charles Woodruff and Dr. Jay Raney, GeoFORCE Southwest pose in front of 11th Grade Academy Balanced Rock, pause with Dr. Eleanour Snow Lees Ferry, Arizona. on top of Big Obsidian Flow in Oregon. Contact Information: GeoFORCE Texas Jackson School of Geosciences The University of Texas at Austin P.O. Box B, University Station Austin, TX 78713-8902 Phone: 512-471-6048 www.jsg.utexas.edu/geoforce Table of Contents Message from the Dean........................................................................................................... 1 GeoFORCE Overview.................................................................................................................. Goals.and.Objectives....................................................................................................................... Methods.and.Strategies................................................................................................................. 3 GeoFORCE Staff............................................................................................................................... 4 Partnerships........................................................................................................................................ 5 Southwest.Texas.Junior.College................................................................................................ 5 Houston.Independent.School.District.................................................................................... 5 Fort.Valley.State.University........................................................................................................... 6 Government.and.Industry............................................................................................................ 6 Financial Status..............................................................................................................................10 Sponsors ..............................................................................................................................................11 Maintaining the Numbers...................................................................................................1 Summary of 2009 Activities...............................................................................................13 GeoFORCE.Goes.to.College........................................................................................................14 Dual-Credit.Geology.Course......................................................................................................15 NeoGEO.Spring.Field.Trip............................................................................................................16 Academies...........................................................................................................................................17 .9th.Grade.Academy....................................................................................................................17 10th.Grade.Academy..................................................................................................................18 11th.Grade.Academy..................................................................................................................19 1th.Grade.Academy..................................................................................................................0 Young.Geoscientists.......................................................................................................................1 .9th.Grade.Young.Geoscientists..............................................................................................1 10th.Grade.Young.Geoscientists............................................................................................. 11th.Grade.Young.Geoscientists.............................................................................................3 1th.Grade.Young.Geoscientists.............................................................................................4 Fort.Valley.State.University.Events.........................................................................................5 Professional.Development.........................................................................................................6 GeoFORCE.in.the.News.................................................................................................................7 Laura Reich, Marathon, presents the geology of Salt Creek Falls, Oregon. Students take in the geology of the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. iv Message from the Dean In 2009,.we.learned.that.GeoFORCE.works—. and.buses.that.broke.down.in.the.middle. it really.works. of.nowhere..They.set.the.standard.for. “no.complaining,.no.matter.what”.as.they. When.the.program.started.in 2005,.it. tolerated.a.lot.of.lessons.learned.by.the. was.definitely.an.experiment..There.were. GeoFORCE.staff,.while.expressing.unbridled. many.unanswered.questions..Would.the. excitement.and.enthusiasm.for.the.adventures. students.stick.with.it.for.four.years?.Would. offered.to.them..Remarkably,.of.the.40.stu- they.get.excited.about.the.geosciences?. dents.who.started.the.Academy.in 2005,.all. Most.importantly,.would.a.large.number. but.one.completed.the.full.four-year.program. of.them.go.to.college?.Would.they. pursue.science.and.engineering.degrees?. As.GeoFORCE.continues.to.grow.and. Would.some.pursue.the.geosciences. have.broader.impact,.I.think.we.will. at.(better.yet).the.Jackson.School? always.remember.these.trailblazers.and. be.thankful.for.the.high.standard.they.set. We.now.know.the.answer.to.all.of. for.all.those.who.follow..Congratulations. these.questions.is.a.resounding.yes. to.the.GeoFORCE.class.of 2009. Of.the.original.80.kids.who.started.in.the. GeoFORCE.Academy.and.Young.Geoscientist. programs.in 2005,.76.have.been.admitted. to.colleges.and.universities..Not.only.are.95. percent.of.these.students.(61.percent.female. and.77.percent.Hispanic).going.to.college,. but.more.than.50.percent.have.chosen.to. pursue.degrees.in.science.and.engineering.. Eight.of.them.are.going.after.geoscience. degrees—five.at.the.Jackson.School. Inside.the.program,.this.first.cohort.of. students.became.known.as.the.“guinea. pigs,”.as.every.activity.in.every.year.of. their.four-year.ride.through.GeoFORCE. was.new,.untested,.and.full.of.surprises:. some.good,.some.not.so.good. They.endured.field.trips.that.lacked. Dr. Sharon Mosher, Dean guidebooks,.hotels.and.restaurants.that.did. Jackson School of Geosciences not.have.the.capacity.to.deal.with.40.kids,. It is incredible and awesome to watch and nurture 42 sixteen-year-olds spend 14 hours a day learning, studying, acting, and writing poetry about geology. My whole life I have felt connected to the Earth, and this experience intensified that connection. It is spectacular to observe youthful minds finding their own passions and love of geology similar to my own. Laura Reich, Subsurface Manager, Marathon Oil Company, reflecting on spending a week with the Southwest 11th Grade Academy 1 GeoFORCE Overview GeoFORCE.Texas.is.a.summer.outreach.program. and.from.18.independent.school.districts.in. targeting.predominantly.minority.and.female. southwest.Texas..Although.the.program.is. honor.students.from.the.Houston.Independent. open.to.all.outstanding.students,.regardless.of. School.District.and.school.districts.across. background,.the.recruiting.areas.exhibit.a.high. southwest.Texas..GeoFORCE.is.designed.to.address. percentage.of.minorities,.and.our.academies. two.pressing.needs.for.the.geosciences: and.field.courses.reflect.these.demographics.. u. Increase.the.number.of.students.. Since.the.late.1990s.the.number.of.students. pursuing.degrees.in.math.and.science. enrolled.in.the.geosciences.has.been.rapidly. decreasing..GeoFORCE.seeks.to.reverse.this. u. Increase.the.diversity.of.the.. trend.by.increasing.the.number.of.students.from. future.high-tech.workforce. diverse.backgrounds.who.complete.degrees.in. math.and.science.and.enter.the.workforce.. The.program.is.neither.a.subtle.nor.an.inexpensive. approach..It.is.designed.to.provide.lasting.experiences. for.middle.and.high.school.students.that.will.capture. Goals and Objectives their.interest,.motivate.them.to.excel.in.their.math. and.science.courses,.and.build.their.awareness.of. Minorities.represent.a.virtually.untapped.reservoir. opportunities.in.high-tech.careers,.especially.the. for.increasing.the.number.of.individuals.pursuing. geosciences..This.intense.program.is.accomplished. degrees.in.the.sciences..National.Science.Foundation. through.a.four-year.series.of.summer.academies.and. (NSF).statistics.show.participation.by.minorities.in. field.courses.that.include.learning.in.dynamic.field.and. science.and.engineering,.specifically.the.geosciences,. classroom.environments,.living.on.a.major.university. to.be.unacceptably.low..NSF.numbers.also.indicate. campus,.interacting.with.university.faculty.and.research. that.underrepresented.groups.earn.almost.15. scientists,.and.participating.in.field.trips.to.spectacular. percent.of.all.U.S..bachelor’s.degrees.in.science.and. geologic.settings.in.Texas.and.across.the.United.States. engineering.but.only.4.6.percent.of.the.bachelor’s. degrees.awarded.in.the.geosciences..The.projected. GeoFORCE.recruits.students.at.selected.schools. demographics.of.Texas.provide.a.clear.indication. within.the.Houston.Independent.School.District. of.the.need.to.engage.minorities.in.the.sciences.