Nationwide, the demographics of Earth Science fields are underrepresented with respect to African American, Latino and Native American populations. I grew up in a less affluent family and was a first generation college graduate. I know the challenges that Latino students can face heading off to school, short of funds and without advice from college graduates. As an undergrad, I was fortunate enough to be awarded a full scholarship. And so, throughout my career I have sought ways to give back by helping to raise scholarship and fellowship funds or through administrative service related to diversity and scholarship programs. In addition to undergraduate and graduate student funds raised along with my scientific research grants, I have participated as a co-PI or senior personnel on STEM education and trainee programs that have helped to raise millions of dollars in scholarship and fellowship funds. I’m glad that I’ve been able to help many students succeed in college or graduate school.

Some recent programs that I’ve been involved with include the following:

• The KSU S-STEM program has provided scholarship funds and mentoring that has supported ~22 undergraduates per year over the past seven years. This program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), has helped increase the recruitment and retention of undergraduate under-represented minority students at KSU STEM departments. Check out the video about this program here.
• The KSU Northeast Ohio Geoscience Education and Outreach program (NEOGEO) helped fund graduate students in the Geology and Geography Graduate programs at Kent State. This NSF-funded program improved the quality of Earth Science education for over 10,000 middle and high school students in Northeast Ohio by providing teaching training and science education resources.
• I’ve served as a member of the University Diversity Advisory Committee and have participated as one of KSU’s recruiting representatives at the Southern Regional Education Board annual conference.

From 2012-14, I worked part-time as the Provost’s Faculty Associate for the Student Multicultural Center (SMC). As part of that position, I studied demographic data from a six-year cohort of Kent State University undergraduates and applicants to evaluate the effectiveness of our existing retention programs. This study was instrumental in developing new strategies to increase under-represented minority student recruitment and retention at Kent State. The research also demonstrated that existing actions (orientation program, peer-mentoring, tutoring and scholarships, and undergraduate research) result in 14 to 25% increases in retention and persistence of under-represented minority student undergraduates.

While at the SMC, I helped to found an externally-funded faculty and undergraduate research program that matches early-career under-represented minority student faculty and students to conduct research related to the faculty member’s area of expertise. This program, which is still in operation, provides under-represented minority student students with faculty role models, and faculty with assistance in their scholarly endeavors. The program is funded by a grant from the Cy Pres Foundation in Cuyahoga County and helps to enhance the scholarly focus of the Student Multicultural Center. All of the five undergraduate students who entered the program in its first year continued on to graduate school or a professional degree program. The university plans to expand the program in coming years.

Scholarships and Fellowships administered while serving as the Ohio Space Grant Consortium Campus Representative

• Ohio Space Grant Consortium FY2014-2015 Junior/Senior Scholarships, $24,250, 2014-present
• Ohio Space Grant Consortium Fellowship, $60,000, 2014-present

Foundation Fellowship Support

• Kent State University Student Multicultural Center Scholars program, The Honor Project Trust, Cy Pres Initiative Tier II Grant, O. Ramos, J. Ortiz, and Y. Delgado, $45,000, 2014.

US State Department Fellowship Support

• US State Department, Institute of International Education (SIZ-100-11-GR070), Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program for Iraq at Kent State University, (Key personnel) $108,000, 2012.

National Science Foundation Scholarship and Fellowship Trainee Support

• Department of Undergraduate Education (DUE) S-STEM grant: Scholarships for Broadening Participation in the Sciences, PI: J. Maletic, J. Ortiz, R. Selinger, J. Portman, A. Case, $599,999; 2012-present
• DUE S-STEM Grant: Kent State University Scholarships for Broadening Participation in the Sciences, J. Maletic (KSU CS), J. Ortiz (KSU Geology), R. Selinger (KSU LCI), S. Lee (KSU Chemistry), John Portman (KSU Physics), $499,896; 2006-2012.
• Department of Graduate Education (DGE) IGERT Grant: “Environmental Aquatic Resources Sensing: Basin Science, Business Education and Outreach” (Senior Personnel- assisted in grant writing, participated in program and mentored a student on the award), $2,896,040; 2009
• DGE Grant: Track 1, GK-12 Inquiry-based Approaches to Earth System Science, M. Munro-Stasiuk (KSU), J. Ortiz (KSU), D. Witter (KSU), R. Dinko (Stark County Educational Services Center), S. Sheridan (KSU), and N. BakerCazan (SCECC), $1,244,131; 2004-2008.
• DUE Grant: Collaborative Research: The Cross-Rock Collaborative–Science Teachers for the New Millennium, Dr. K. Kastens, J. Ortiz (LDEO), and Dr. P. Solomon (STAC), $114,966; 2000-2001.