Conference Presentation: van Dijk, Deanna (2013). “The First-Year Research in Earth
Sciences (FYRES): Dunes project.” Michigan Space Grant Consortium Conference
(Ann Arbor, MI), 2 November 2013.
Abstract: The First-Year Research in Earth Sciences (FYRES): Dunes project at Calvin
College (Grand Rapids, MI) promotes science literacy and engagement through student Earth
systems science research experiences focused on Michigan coastal dunes. This project
emphasizes public outreach through: 1) the engaging outreach content that is formed by
student research at west Michigan dune sites, 2) student presentations on their research to
dune managers and the local community, 3) student presentations and participation in a
regional conference, and 4) outreach materials including a dynamic website and print
materials. Audiences include upper-level high-school and beginning college students who
encounter the excitement of dune research at a pivotal stage of considering science as a
possible career, Michigan dune managers who benefit from research collaborations and
results they could not otherwise obtain, and members of the Michigan public who are
introduced to the applications of Earth systems science.
The FYRES project invites incoming college students to learn about science by participation
in research on Lake Michigan coastal dunes. The beginning researchers are mentored in their
activities by upper-level college students who are majoring in Earth science disciplines.
Through the experience, the first-year students explore questions of vocation (what do
scientists do? does this career fit my interests and strengths?) and the practice of science
(what is good research design? how does science inform decision-making and policy?). A
research focus on the nearby Lake Michigan coastal dunes provides the setting, purpose and
motivation for student learning. Students begin by learning skills in research, field methods,
and the practices of science through semi-guided, inquiry-based experiences at dune sites.
Students finish the semester with a substantive team research project focused on an original
research question of interest to local dune managers or the scientific community. Each
research team presents their research results in two formats: a conference-style research
poster presented at a campus/community poster session and a conference-style oral
presentation to an audience which includes classmates, local dune managers, and
campus/community members.
The FYRES project represents an atypical model for public outreach that targets a group of
students with a deep engagement in science (research on Lake Michigan dunes) and diffuses
information through participant activities (interactions with dune managers, poster
presentation, oral presentation, conference presentation, written report) and contacts
(conversations with the public during research activities, family, friends). The public
outreach is strengthened by elements that give everyone a heightened stake in learning: a
striking natural environment (the Michigan coastal dunes) and a set of experiences that
generate enthusiasm in participants and their audience.