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To address the lack of ethnic diversity in the geosciences, the American Geological Institute (AGI) developed the Minority Participation Program (MPP) in 1971. The MPP is the longest-running diversity initiative in the geosciences, and has a goal of maintaining and increasing incrementally the number of students entering the geoscience pipeline and being retained through to graduation and careers. More than 1000 minority geosciences students have been awarded academic scholarships from the MPP and have been supported through mentoring programs.

In 2008-2009, the AGI MPP program offered 24 awards to top undergraduate and graduate students. The program increased the applicant pool by 23% over the previous year through outreach efforts and newly-designed marketing materials, and recruited two additional MPP Selection Committee members to serve in the 2009-2010 school year. AGI continued to increase mentoring and networking opportunities for MPP scholars, tapping into social networking sites and holding social events with scholars at scientific meetings.

Ethnic minority groups are significantly underrepresented in the geosciences, comprising only about 2.5% of all geoscience students at all levels. With minority populations in the United States increasing, the recruitment and retention of the best minority students in the geosciences is essential to the growth of the discipline and for effectively meeting society’s needs for future energy, water, minerals, and hazard mitigation. The failure of the geoscience community to attract increased percentages of the minority population unnecessarily restricts its access to the future pool of the highest potential scientists in our country.

2008-2009 Scholarship Awards

For the school year 2008-2009, AGI’s Minority Participation Program awarded 24 scholarships to students majoring in the geosciences at universities across the country. Awards ranged in size from $547 to $2237, for a total award amount awarded of $26,057. Each student received a merit scholarship, plus an additional sum of money to pay for professional development expenses, such as field camp, scientific meeting attendance, or professional society membership.

AGI MPP scholars also receive a mentor from the geosciences community. In 2008-2009, six mentors from the AGI MPP Advisory Committee, plus 24 mentors from the geoscience department at each student’s home university, provided mentoring contact and guidance to the MPP Scholars.

2008-2009 MPP Scholar Demographics

Fourteen of the 2008-2009 MPP scholars were undergraduates, and 11 were graduate students. 62 percent were Hispanic, 29 percent were African American, and 8 percent were Native American or Pacific Islander. Fifty-four percent of scholars were female. This is a demographic trend that has emerged in recent years. To compare the 2008-2009 students to all past AGI MPP scholars, forty-four percent of all past AGI MPP scholars were Hispanic, 39 percent were African American, 12 percent were Native American and five percent were multi-ethnic or not specified. Fifty-six percent of all MPP scholars were male.

Twenty universities from 17 states are represented by the 2008-2009 AGI MPP scholars. Fifty-four percent of the scholars are undergraduate students.

Program Outreach and Publicity

Increasing networking opportunities for MPP scholars was a program goal for 2008-2009. In December 2009, AGI held an informal meeting of former MPP Scholars at the American Geophysical Union, and reconnected with 12 former scholars who are working in geophysical fields. AGI recruited additional mentors for the MPP Selection Committee, including a former scholar who participated in the program in the 1980s. AGI also started a facebook group for former AGI MPP scholars, and connected it to the larger AGI social network, GeoConnection. AGI is continuing to explore ways to network with former scholars and expand the MPP program’s reach through building relationships among minority students and professionals.

AGI also reached out to HBCU and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, most of whom do not have traditional geoscience departments. As a result of these outreach efforts, AGI received 2 applications for the MPP Scholarships from students in physics programs at HBCU’s in March 2009.

AGI developed new marketing materials for the AGI MPP program in 2008, and distributed posters and information to all US Geoscience Departments in January 2009. The new materials helped to increase the number of valid applications received by 23% over the 2007-2008 school year.

MPP Operation and Funding

Cindy Martinez of AGI continued to manage the MPP program during the 2008-2009 school year, with volunteer support from an advisory committee. The MPP Advisory Committee assists the AGI staff in promoting the MPP program, recruiting students to apply, and reviewing scholarship applications. In addition, members of the committee serve as mentors for successful scholarship candidates throughout the school year. The Committee does not meet in person, but held an annual teleconference in August 2008 to make awards for 2008-2009, and corresponds by email and phone during the year.

This was a difficult year for fundraising for the AGI MPP program as a direct result of the economic downturn and uncertainty in the US financial markets. We sincerely appreciated ACS PRF’s support, which helped us to keep the program running smoothly. Additional financial support was provided by ExxonMobil Corporation, Chevron Corporation, Marathon Corporation, and the Seismological Society of America, however grant totals were reduced in 2008-2009.

2008-2009 AGI Minority Participation Program Scholars
Graduate Students:
Antony Berthelote, University of Montana-Missoula
Raul Brens, Jr., Boston University
Michael Martinez-Colon, University of South Florida-Tampa Campus
Marietta Mayo, University of South Florida
Dominike Merle, Northwestern University
Cheyenne Morgan, Northern Illinois University
Lucas Moxey, University of Hawaii - Manoa
Shandin Pete, University of Montana
Jolene Robin-McCaskill, Stanford University
Celina Suarez, University of Kansas
Marina Suarez, University of Kansas

Undergraduates:
Guleed Ali, University of Arizona
Emerlene Aragon, New Mexico State University
Claire Bailey, San Fransisco State University
Miriam Galenas, University Missouri Colombia
Chaquetta Greene, Clemson University
John-Luke Henriquez, SUNY Cortland
Anibal Herrera, Miami Dade College
Gabriela Keeton, Baylor University
Alonzo Poach, Cal State San Bernardino
Miguel Rodriguez, Colgate University
Joseph Salazar, Cal State San Bernardino
Christina Velasquez, Cal State San Bernardino
Carrington Wright, University of Tennessee at Martin

MPP Advisory Committee
Marsha Bourque, Chair
Kia Baptist, Parker Drilling Company
Philip Bart, Louisiana State University
Don Gonzalez, DDG and Associates, LLC
Jose Sequeira ExxonMobil
Elijah White, ExxonMobil