NU-Geopaths continues

Evanston; August, 2023: Building upon a successful pilot program for NU-Geopaths, we are excited to continue the program for another three years and expand program access to students from additional Chicago high schools. The National Science Foundation will be financially supporting this effort and the program will be managed by our faculty colleague and Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences academic advisor Rosemary Bush. If you are a Chicago Public School high school counselor, teacher, or other professional who cares about the Earth and STEM opportunities for historically excluded students, including those unfamiliar with the Earth sciences, please contact us. The Earth sciences (there are many: geophysics, geochemistry, and geobiology for starters) are increasingly important, locally and globally, for understanding how to sustainably balance humanity's myriad of interactions with our planet.

NU graduate students hosted a summer 2023 mini-version of NU-Geopaths

Evanston; July, 2023: In a no-cost extension of the NU-Geopaths program, graduate students from Northwestern's Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) department organized and hosted a mini version of NU-Geopaths. The program ran for two weeks, included tailored mentoring training, a Python workshop, and a multifaceted field trip. The program was organized by former NU-Geopaths Teaching Assistants Ann Thomas and Mia Tuccillo, as well as Allegra Tashjian, Aidan Burdick, and Hannah Bausch. Five mentees, rising high school seniors, were recruited from the Chicago math and Science Academy (CMSA). Mentors included Ann and Mia, as well as Allegra, Albert Kabanda, and Luca Podrecca. Mentees presented their projects in a final showcase attended by family, friends, and EPS department members. Projects focused on dendrochronology, seismometers, tsunami wave heights, mass spectrometry on Oxygen isotopes, and diatoms in Lake Michigan. The mentees much appreciated the program and we look forward to seeing them succeed in college next year.

NU-Geopaths was Presented in Session ED35A at the 2022 Fall Meeting of the AGU

Chicago; December, 2022: NU-Geopaths Teaching Assistant, Ann Thomas, program directors, high-school liaisons, program evaluators, and mentors worked together on a presentation delivered during the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The presentation can be viewed here and was presented in person in session ED35A "NSF's Geoscience Education and Diversity Portfolio: Highlighting Successful Methods for Necessary Change" organized by Brandon Jones, Lina Patino, Dena Smith, Aisha Morris, and Elizabeth Lynch Rom, all from the National Science Foundation. The audience consisted of Earth scientists, educators, and professional partners, many of which organizez similar programs at their universities.

NU-Geopaths 2022 Concluded with in-person Project Showcase

Evanston; July, 2022: Northwestern University's second Geopaths program concluded with a project showcase on July 1, 2022. STEAM project presentations ranged from microbes and minerals to the Chicago river and the habitability of Earth. Several projects addressed environmental hazards like earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, and atmospheric pollution. We were excited to welcome family, friends, and colleagues to the showcase in person. Masks were worn to slow the spread of viruses, including the one responsible for COVID-19. The mentees showcased a range of talents and skills that included data analysis, numerical modeling, computer programming, laboratory analysis, sculpting, media art, story telling, and gathered new experiences and insights. We are proud of the mentees and mentors and encourage you to explore their projects.

NU-Geopaths was Presented in Session ED32A at the 2021 Fall Meeting of the AGU

New Orleans; December, 2021: NU-Geopaths program directors, high-school liaisons, program evaluators, and mentors worked together on a presentation delivered during the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The presentation can be viewed in full here and was summarized live in session ED32A "Barriers to Entry for Underrepresented Scholar in Gateway Internship, Scholarship, and Graduate programs: Opening Doors and Diversifying Programs" organized by Valerie Sloan and Catalina Martinez of UCAR and NOAA. The audience consisted of Earth scientists and educators, many of which organizez similar programs at their universities.

NU-Geopaths Alumna Attended the 2021 UN World Climate Summit, #COP26

Evanston; November, 2021: NU-Geopaths mentee Lily Aaron from ETHS accompanied Rachel Rosner from Citizens' Greener Evanston to attend the 26th UN climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, along with four other high-school students from Chicago and Oak Park and two Chicago high-school teachers. Read more about it here and here.

NU-Geopaths 2021 Completed with Hybrid Project Showcase

Evanston; August, 2021: Northwestern University's inaugural Geopaths program concluded with a project showcase on July 9, 2021. Project presentations ranged from STEAM projects related to environmental crises, via exploring minerals and methods for harvesting alternative energy, to assembling and deploying an environmental sensors and analyzing their data. We are grateful to all family, friends, and colleagues who joined the showcase's audience either in person or on Zoom. The pizza was scrumptious and well deserved while the Earth cupcakes baked by multitalented Teaching Assistant Mia Tuccillo were delicious. NU-Geopaths began on June 21, a week after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and students were allowed on campus without face masks if vaccinated, and so our program unintentionally became hybrid. We are proud of the mentees and mentors and encourage you to explore their projects.

Feel free to browse this web site to check out aspects of the 2021 and 2022 NU-Geopaths programs.