IESA hosts research mentoring program

The University of North Georgia's (UNG) Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis (IESA) hosted its Shadowing and Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) from June 20-30, providing nine high school students who have an interest in learning about innovative research in geosciences insight into their future careers.

The program was designed for high school students interested in STEM research. Participation preference was given to first-generation college-bound students, students with English as a second language, and students with disabilities. This year, ninth-grade through 12th-grade students from the Gainesville City, Gwinnett, Gilmer, Forsyth, DeKalb, and Hall County school districts participated.

"Students participating in the research groups engaged in activities that fostered their understandings of specific geoscience research," Dr. Katayoun Mobasher, UNG professor of geology, said. "This is done under the guidance of experts in their specific fields in the geosciences and engineering."

SRMP, first held in 2022, is funded by a three-year grant of $375,000 from the National Science Foundation.

Students were placed in three research groups based on their interests and backgrounds each led by two faculty mentors.

• Team 1, mentored by Jacob Bateman McDonald and Steven Hooks, used Unmanned Aerial System (UAS or drone)-mounted LiDAR (light detection and ranging) to monitor hillslope erosion related to a gully system on UNG's Gainesville Campus.
• Team 2, mentored by Christopher Seminack and Dr. Sharon Hoffmann, analyzed coastal and marine change through time using historical mapping, micropaleontology and sedimentology.
• Team 3, mentored by Dr. Steve Fleming and Jeff Turk, researched the dynamic mapping of coastal landscapes for engineering design applications.

"It’s been really interesting, because it's not just geology. The material is connected with other careers," Arellano said.

Fifteen-year-old Dunwoody High School sophomore Mariana Cardenas Suarez also expressed how this experience on Team 2 helped her consider her long-term plans.

"It's been a good experience to see what I want to do in the future," Cardenas Suarez said. "I've been able to learn things that before would just pass my mind."

Brecklen Pavlich, who is currently dual-enrolled at UNG, is making plans to attend UNG full time in the fall.

"I was nervous at first, because I didn't know what to expect. However, as soon as I started participating with the team and getting to know my mentors, I realized how fun it was to connect with people over something I'm passionate about," the 17-year-old said. "I absolutely love learning, and this was an amazing opportunity to continue doing so."

Like many other UNG pre-college programs, SRMP was supported by UNG students who were offered research assistantships. A total of two current UNG students were able to participate this summer.

Another opportunity funded by the NSF grant, the 2023 GeoEd Workshop was designed to give high school STEM and special education teachers a better understanding of careers in geosciences and integrate tools like GIS and surveys into classroom activities. 

"I gained a better understanding of Universal Design for Learning and how to meet the needs of all learners." Adrienne Cloud, CEO of SMARTech and an engineering and technology instructor at the Gainesville High School Advanced Studies Center, said. "The fellowship we had with fellow teachers and the guidance we received from the UNG facilitators will continue to help us inspire the next generation year after year."