Abstract

Chartered by Congress in 1867, Howard University is a comprehensive, research-oriented historically black private university in Washington, DC, which aims to provide an educational experience of exceptional quality to students of high academic potential and with particular emphasis on making available opportunities to traditionally underrepresented minorities.

Within this project we plan to design and develop a curriculum that will educate and prepare students for careers in Earth system and global change science, as well as space science.  The curriculum will focus on science themes that underlie NASA’s education and research programs.  The planned effort will be a joint collaboration between the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Chemistry, together with collaborative ties to the Space Science Division of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the Space Science Data Operations Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

The main objective of the project is to build on undergraduate Earth and space science courses currently being offered by the Department of Physics and Astronomy as part of the NASA Aerospace Workforce Development Program administered and funded by the District of Columbia (DC) Space Grant Consortium.  We plan to expand this initiative so that undergraduate students at Howard University can earn a Bachelor of Science degree with physics or chemistry as their major and Earth and space science as a minor.

The planned courses will include significant hands-on activities and provide ample observation and/or laboratory demonstration opportunities at the Howard University Observatory and the Naval Research Laboratory.  Earth and space science centered colloquia by invited guest lecturers will be part of the curriculum offering.  We plan to also offer a summer workshop for in-service teachers from the DC public schools as part of the planned outreach effort.

As part of a concerted effort to build the research infrastructure, the planned effort will expand upon existing Earth and space science research being pursued by Howard University investigators and aim to provide research opportunities for students and faculty at laboratories affiliated with NRL and GSFC.  We will also implement a comprehensive assessment plan to monitor the progress of our education and research development efforts.