Planetary Seminars for Students

The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) has begun conducting a variety of virtual planetary seminars for students, ranging from high school to graduate students, to increase awareness of and interest in planetary science. This presentation will share the variety of topics planned and conducted, the goals, evaluation data thus far, and invite community input and participation.

Student seminars included The Road to Mission Science (sponsored by the ChemCam instrument), a series of three virtual programs in which a panel of planetary scientists with mission experience shared their backgrounds, experiences, and recommendations to an audience of undergraduates and graduate students interested in mission science careers. As part of this program, a resource document was developed and disseminated that provides information about more than 70 relevant internships, fellowships, scholarships, and other opportunities.

LPI also conducts LPI Intern Stories seminars, designed for high school and undergraduate students interested in learning learning about research internships. These seminars feature a panel of summer interns discussing how they prepared for the internship, their ongoing research experiences, and how the internship has helped them.

A new student seminar series is being produced for Spanish-speaking students. The program includes science presentations by Spanish-speaking planetary scientists coupled with a discussion of topics related to professional development and career experiences.

The evaluation data on these programs inform how they change over time. A large turnout in the number of attendees indicates that there is a tremendous interest and highlights the need for more of these types of programs.