The initiative is a collaborative, multi-school project that addresses two issues in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education (STEM): under-representation of women in the earth sciences and shortcomings of existing studies addressing effective strategies for mentoring. In the United States, men outnumber women in many science
and engineering fields by nearly three to one; in fields such as physics or the geosciences, the gender gap can be even wider.The grant seeks to close the gap in the geosciences, which encompass mining and geology, atmospheric and environmental sciences, issues related to natural resource management, natural disaster forecasting, and oceanography. The goal is to increase the pipeline of female students entering the geosciences.

“Many of us had few female professors or even fellow female classmates as we went through school. We are hoping that this program creates a mentoring network that helps to offset some of these feelings of isolation,” said Barnes, who will help develop a pilot program on Colorado’s Front Range and in the Carolinas. “Our hope is that the network will increase the students’ success and advancement in their chosen field.”