Undergraduate Mentoring at SFS and SWS: Increasing Diversity in the Next Generation of Aquatic Scientists

Both “Instars”, at SFS, and the SWS Undergraduate Mentoring Program encourage undergraduates from under-represented groups to pursue graduate school and careers in freshwater and wetland science. These programs aim to provide a professional network among participants, mentorship by established professionals and graduate students, exposure to disciplinary approaches in our science, and guidance in pursuing graduate education and careers in aquatic science. Coordinating committees achieve these goals by organizing workshops and special sessions during annual meetings, encouraging presentations made by participants in regular sessions at the meetings, and making available social media following the meetings. The NSF-sponsored SWS program began in 2004, has 8-11 undergraduates per year; similarly, the SFS Instars program, that was initiated in 2011, has approximately 10-12 undergraduate students and ~8 graduate mentors each year. Both programs are proud to have returning alumni serving as mentors. This poster will describe the increasing number of institutions with participants and faculty involvement, and will follow-up on the growing number of alumni who have graduated into freshwater-related graduate programs.