Project Fosters Native American Participation in Astrophysics and Data Science

Vuk Mandic, Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy and one of the CSE DSI’s associate directors, is leading a partnership of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMTC) and Morris (UMM) campuses seeking to build a robust pathway for Native American students to enter the field of astrophysics. This project, Minnesota’s Partnership to Foster Native American Participation in Astrophysics (Award Abstract #2318841), recently received $247,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation. 

Named after the Dakota word Kapemni, which means “to twist” or “to spin”, this partnership leverages the significant resources and opportunities available at the two University of Minnesota campuses. UMM is the only four-year college in the upper Midwest qualifying for federal designation as a Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution, with about 25% of the students identifying as Native American. At the same time, UMTC features the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics (MIfA), which offer bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in Physics and Astrophysics, including minor M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Data Science in Astrophysics. The MIfA faculty pursue a broad astrophysics research portfolio spanning early universe observations, structure formation, nuclear astrophysics, particle astrophysics, solar/space physics, gravitational wave and multimessenger astrophysics, and others. They also offer a broad range of astrophysics courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels.

Students participating in the Kapemni program have opportunities to take astrophysics courses offered through MIfA and pursue research projects under direct mentorship by both UMM and UMTC faculty. The research projects are data intensive and leverage the UMTC astrophysics faculty’s access to the most modern astrophysics datasets and computing resources as well as UMM faculty’s expertise in data science. Both students and faculty also have opportunities to participate in workshops and other activities designed to develop communication skills, leadership and teamwork skills, management skills, gender and racial awareness, and others.

During the first year of the grant, the first UMM student visited the UMTC campus to take astrophysics courses and pursue a research project with Prof. Claudia Scarlata. At the same time, Prof. Sylke Boyd and her students at UMM, with help from UMTC astrophysics faculty Prof. Pat Kelly, refurbished and upgraded the existing telescope on UMM campus, which is now offering open nights observations and other outreach activities. The Kapemni team also organized multiple workshops and astrophysics public lectures at Morris, as well as a visit for the UMM incoming freshman Native American students to the Science Museum of Minnesota. Kapemni activities have attracted much attention, including a visit by the U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar. 

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Native Americans are severely underrepresented in the field of astrophysics. Between 2012-2019 only thirteen undergraduate degrees, three M.S. degrees, and four Ph.D. degrees were conferred to Native American students in the entire United States. The Kapemni program aims to develop an approach to significantly increase participation of Native American students in astrophysics, providing an example that could be followed by other institutions and disciplines. 

If anyone is interested in pursuing a similar partnership with another discipline and data science, please contact us at [email protected].