Program Description:

The intent of the program is to increase the number of students prepared to seek academic positions in contaminant hydrogeology and to train a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists and engineers who can grapple with the vexing environmental problems that beset our Nation’s water resources. We will accomplish our objectives by 1) attracting a diverse, highly qualified student body with interests in pursuing academic careers 2) producing a diverse group of well-trained interdisciplinary scientists and engineers 3) fostering the academic success of the students by including them in an active and collegial group of faculty and students already focused on research and teaching in contaminant hydrogeology; 4) developing students’ potentials to excel in academic careers, through a two-year teaching training program, including classroom experience and evaluation and improvement strategies and through providing professional development opportunities to the students via seminars and workshops.

Eight faculty members from the Departments of Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Environmental Science, work in collaboration with experts from the University’s Teaching Resource Center and the Office of Minority Programs to support our doctoral training program. Doctoral fellows will receive preparation for the diverse challenges of an academic career, including research, teaching, and professional development. Research development includes interdisciplinary coursework, research seminars, and research conferences, in addition to the typical requisite research experience. All fellows complete a 1-credit hour course on pedagogy, serve as teaching assistants for at least two semesters, participate in teaching workshops, and facilitate course development. In addition, workshops and seminars on a variety of professional issues, such as obtaining funding, balancing career and family, and academic interviewing, are offered. A unique feature is that doctoral fellow-faculty mentor pairs are established. The faculty mentor, who is not the student’s research advisor, participates in the training program with the student and provides individualized guidance, especially in the teaching and professional components of the program.

Through funding through the Department of Education and the University of Virginia, GAANN doctoral fellows receive full stipends, of up to $21,500 per year, plus tuition, fees, and supplemental educational funds for research and travel. Most fellows are supported for three years. The overall time commitment for our GAANN program is similar to that of other fully-funded doctoral students. Students will teach one year of three. Overall, a GAANN fellow may participate in one more seminar/workshop a month than the average doctoral student, but fellows should be more than rewarded by the experience and the increased stipend levels.

Our current GAANN doctoral training program began in May 2003. However, our GAANN program is a direct extension of the doctoral training program that has been supported by the University of Virginia’s Program in Interdisciplinary Research and Contaminant Hydrogeology (PIRCH) since 1993. Participating faculty and students all represent science and engineering departments. Since the time PIRCH began, participating faculty have graduated 30 doctoral students, 14 of whom accepted academic positions after graduation. A strong doctoral training program that can attract top graduate students certainly acts as a stimulus for additional research opportunities. For projects of the program faculty, total sponsored research funding was over 12 million dollars over the last six years.

Implementation of the Program:

1) For a successful doctoral training program in the sciences and engineering, one must first begin with excellent students. To attract such students requires a source of funding to be able to compete nationally and internationally for the strongest candidates.
2) If a program includes pedagogy and mentoring, the participating faculty must be truly committed to both. We began with faculty members that have been widely honored, as individuals, for their excellence in teaching and mentoring. Thus, as a team, we have been able to enthusiastically share our commitment to the academic enterprise.
3) For the opportunity to work with talented students, the additional faculty time commitments are justified. The program director should expect to spend 5-10% of time on the program, which if in support of a funded program is warranted. We also have 3 assistant directors for teaching program, recruitment, and student tracking. These assistant directors spend 5% or less of their time on the program. In addition, our faculty participants have volunteered to serve as mentors for students who are not their own research advisees. Total mentoring time is a few hours a month.