START Training, A Success

Through NSF DCL NSF 21-076 START supplemental support, the NSF Spatiotemporal I/UCRC engaged a cohort of 10 associate degree students from Valdosta State University (VSU) in southern Georgia. The advanced training broadened career pathways for the students with four of them receiving university or state awards and four graduates transferring to four-year college studies in STEM degrees. Six of the ten were with underrepresented backgrounds of women, Hispanic, and African American. These ten students were engaged by a total of 7 mentors engaged with daily project meetings and weekly reports. A pre- and post- internship survey suggested their spatiotemporal computing skills advanced significantly throughout the program. Three of these students continue to be engaged in center research and a 2022 proposal was submitted to continue the success and broaden the program to include students from Northern Virginia Community College.