We will develop and offer a remote sensing certificate curriculum for earth system studies that complement the existing JSU's Environmental Science/Marine Science Curricula to teach global climate change and its impact on the earth systems using NASA satellite data and models. The primary targets for the proposed courses are undergraduate students of environmental/marine science programs at JSU, a Historically Black University located in Jackson, Mississippi. In addition to the undergraduate courses, we also propose to develop an on-line "Basics of Earth System Science" course. The targets for the on-line summer courses are high school seniors/graduates, high school teachers as well as the undergraduate students.

Objectives: The project goal is to increase the number of Jackson State University (JSU)'s undergraduate students who are prepared to pursue higher academic degrees and careers in the fields relevant to earth system science and global climate change. The focus will be particularly on increasing human resources specialized in application of remote sensing (RS) for global climate impact assessments. The specific objectives include: 1) Designing efficient and intensive in-class/on-line RS certificate curriculum that complement the existing the environmental/marine science curricula and providing the courses to the JSU undergraduate students as well as a broader group of interested community; 2) Increasing students' awareness and engagements in global climate change research using RS; 3) Increasing the number of scientists, particularly from under-represented minority groups, by training students and engaging them to participate in NASA-related research; and 4) Strengthening students' capability in research of the globally changing environment.

Method of Approach: (1) Development and collaborated course teaching at JSU (2 courses of Earth system science and Remote Sensing) and Mississippi State University (MSU) (summer intensive course); (2) The focus will be on increasing human resources specialized in application of remote sensing for global climate impact assessments using NASA's satellite data and models; (3) The RS curriculum is designed to include underwater mapping and impacts of global climate change on coastal/aquatic resources; and (4) The certificate curriculum complements the existing JSU's Environmental Science/Marine Science Curricula.

The project team consists of one JSU faculty (PI), one MSU faculty (Co-I), a JSU laboratory coordinator, and one graduate assistant of MSU. The Co-I will teach the third course, the intensive three-week "Application of remote sensing technologies in monitoring global climate change" at Geosystems Research Institute (GRI) at MSU during summer semesters. This course is designed specifically to introduce the use of remote sensing technologies in monitoring global climate change research to JSU students. MSU's Geosystems Research Institute will provide teaching facilities for the summer course. Additionally, we will offer an on-line Basics of Earth System Science course for high school seniors/graduates, high school teachers as well as the undergraduate students. Outcomes: The anticipated outcomes include increased number of the U.S. based undergraduate students & African-American college graduates/graduate students who pursue careers and higher academic degrees in the fields of global climate change and NASA-related earth system sciences, particularly in the technical areas of interactive mapping and analysis of coastal/aquatic resources using tools such as remote sensing data and models.