James Johnson

Starting in the summer of 2024, I have been mentoring undergraduate students through the Carnegie Astrophysics Summer Student Internship (CASSI). This program provides undergraduate students from institutions in Southern California with research experience prior to applying for graduate school. Due to the demographics of the region, many of the interns are hispanic, first-generation students, come from low-income backgrounds, or some combination thereof. At the end of each summer, CASSI students overwhelmingly report that they feel more prepared for a future career in astronomy than when they first started their research projects. Some interns, including a mentee of my own, join CASSI through the Cal-Bridge Summer Program.

Polaris's first and foremost initiative is its mentorship course offered to students in their first two years of Ohio State math, physics, and astronomy bachelors programs. While initiating discussion about the status of diversity in STEM, this course also pairs students with graduate and upper-level undergraduate mentors who will help them learn to maintain a mentor-mentee relationship, develop goals, communicate effectively, and harness mentorship as a pathway to academic excellence.

The Undergraduate Residential Summer Access (URSA) early arrival program takes place every summer in the two weeks leading up to the start of fall semester classes. Offered to incoming first-year and transfer students, URSA aims to build a cohort among the incoming students and familiarize them with Ohio State's campus to ease their transition to university-level academics. URSA also introduces the students to various research programs in Ohio State physics and astronomy and discusses how diversity and equity might impact their experience as rising STEM students.