(PDF) Workforce Development Through Research-Based, Plasma-Focused Activities

RESEARCH ARTICLE | JUNE 01 2023 Summary report from the mini-conference on workforce development through research-based, plasma-focused activities  Special Collection: Papers from the 64th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics Evdokiya G. Kostadinova; Shannon Greco; Maajida Murdock; ... et. al Physics of Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0144847 CrossMark   View Export Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf Online Citation Articles You May Be Interested In Workforce size problem in manufacturing with dynamic programming approach AIP Conference Proceedings (October 2020) An MIP model to schedule the call center workforce and organize the breaks AIP Conference Proceedings (June 2016) Identifying performance indicators and metrics for performance measurement of the workforce is the need of the hour: A case of a retail garment store in Coimbatore AIP Conference Proceedings (May 2022) Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop Summary report from the mini-conference on workforce development through research-based, plasma-focused activities Cite as: Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 Submitted: 1 February 2023 . Accepted: 4 May 2023 . Published Online: 1 June 2023 Evdokiya G. Kostadinova,1,a),b) Shannon Greco,2,b) Maajida Murdock,3 Ernesto Barraza-Valdez,4 5 Hannah R. Hasson, Imani Z. West-Abdallah, Cheryl A. Harper,6 5 Katrina Brown,7 Earl Scime,8 Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf Franklin Dollar,4 Carl Greninger,9 Bryan Stanley,10 Elizabeth Oxford,11 David Schaffner,12 Laura Provenzani,13 Chandra Breanne Curry,14 Claudia Fracchiolla,15 Shams El-Adawy,16 1 17 18 Saikat Chakraborty Thakur, Dmitri Orlov, and Caroline Anderson AFFILIATIONS 1 Physics Department, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA 2 Science Education, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA 3 Physics Department, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland 21251, USA 4 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA 5 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, USA 6 Greensburg Salem High School, Greensburg, Pennsylvania 15601, USA 7 Physics Department, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Greensburg, Pennsylvania 15601, USA 8 Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA 9 Northwest Nuclear Laboratories, Federal Way, Washington 98023, USA 10 Department of Physics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA 11 College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 USA 12 Physics Department, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010, USA 13 Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, USA 14 LaserNetUS, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA 15 Public Engagement, American Physical Society, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA 16 Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA 17 Center for Energy Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA 18 Fusion Industry Association, Washington, DC 20024, USA Note: This paper is part of the Special Collection: Papers from the 64th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics. Note: Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 67 (2022). a) Invited speaker. b) Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed:

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ABSTRACT This report is a summary of the mini-conference on Workforce Development Through Research-Based, Plasma-Focused Science Education and Public Engagement held during the 2022 American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics annual meeting. The motivation for organizing this mini-conference originates from recent studies and community-based reports highlighting important issues with the current state of the plasma workforce. Here, we summarize the main findings presented in the two speaker sessions of the mini-conference, the chal- lenges, and recommendations identified in the discussion sessions and the results from a post-conference survey. We further provide infor- mation on initiatives and studies presented at the mini-conference, along with references to further resources. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0144847 Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-1 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop I. PREFACE Section II provides a brief motivation for organizing this mini- Here, we present the summary of the mini-conference on conference along with some technical information. In Sec. III, we sum- Workforce Development Through Research-Based, Plasma-Focused marize the main findings presented in the two speaker sessions of the Science Education and Public Engagement held during the American mini-conference, the challenges, and recommendations identified in Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics (APS DPP) conference in the discussion sessions and the results from a post-conference survey. Spokane, WA, from October 17 to October 21, 2022. The main goal of Section IV discusses strategies and current activities in more detail, the mini-conference was to initiate communication among a diverse including examples and further resources. The Appendix includes the selection of colleagues interested in promoting knowledge about mini-conference program and information on data availability. plasma (the ionized state of matter), educating and training the The mini-conference was conducted in a hybrid format, includ- plasma workforce, and improving the health of the plasma commu- ing in-person and remote participation. All talks were broadcast live nity. Figure 1 shows the speakers of the mini-conference. The title of and recorded. The presentation slides are available in a shared Google this report was revised to Workforce Development Through Research- drive to all participants in our Slack channel. Please contact the corre- Based, Plasma-Focused Activities to recognize that the mini-conference sponding authors (Evdokiya Kostadinova and Shannon Greco) to get participants shared expertise beyond the original focus on Science access to the slack channel. This report is submitted for publication in Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf Education and Public Engagement. the special issue of Physics of Plasmas dedicated to the 2022 APS DPP Throughout this report, we use general words like “plasma conference. The document is also available on ArXiv. STEM” and “plasma professionals” instead of the more common II. INTRODUCTION “plasma science and fusion energy” and “plasma physicists” to empha- size the expanding role of plasma throughout all Science, Technology, In the past two decades, two assessments on the workforce needs Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and the increasing role of for plasma science and fusion energy have identified major issues with physics education researchers, science communicators, K–12 educators, the declining number of plasma faculty, the small number of depart- and other colleagues involved in broader impact activities within the ments and institutions teaching plasma, and the slow production rate plasma community. We further recognize that the word “outreach,” of qualified personnel.1,2 Both reports recognized the importance of commonly used as an umbrella term for the activities discussed here, outreach programs at all educational levels, starting with pre-college implies one-way communication. This document promotes two-way education and public engagement. The recent National Academies of interactive methods to bring science “alive,” spark interest, and stimu- Science decadal assessment of plasma science found that plasma- late curiosity, which can be better described by the word “engagement.” specific educational and research programs that also provide opportu- Finally, the authors recognize that this report reflects the opinions of nities to diverse and less advantaged populations are needed to ensure the mini-conference participants and colleagues who engaged in related a critically populated plasma science and engineering workforce.3 The discussions. Thus, the needs and recommendations outlined below are recent Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee report Powering not meant to be an exhaustive list but the basis for further discussions the Future: Fusion & Plasmas recommended that policy changes are and motivation for actions within the community. developed and implemented to allow for “discipline-specific workforce FIG. 1. Speakers at the mini-conference on Workforce Development Through Research-Based, Plasma-Focused Science Education and Public Engagement held at the 2022 APS DPP. Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-2 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop development.”4 In response to these findings, the nonprofit organiza- Studies of educators’ conceptualizations of STEM education have tion Coalition for Plasma Science (CPS) and the Princeton Plasma revealed commonalities along the need for: (i) interdisciplinary con- Physics Lab (PPPL) co-sponsored an APS DPP mini-conference nections, (ii) new, ambitious instructional practices, (iii) and engage- focused on addressing the workforce needs of the plasma community. ment of students in real-world problem solving.7,8 Some of the greatest strengths of plasma research—its highly interdisciplinary III. FINDINGS, CHALLENGES, RECOMMENDATIONS, nature, connection to industry, rapid growth, and significant impact AND RESPONSIBILITIES on some of the latest technologies—can directly address some of these This mini-conference aimed to establish best practices for science needs. However, due to the breadth of plasma topics (ranging from education and public engagement, which can be geared toward the space and astrophysics to fusion energy, to low-temperature plasma workforce needs of the plasma community. In other words, while vari- technology, and more), it is often challenging to communicate consis- ous successful STEM programs exist, there is a need to incorporate tent information to K–12 teachers/students and the public. This issue them into plasma-focused efforts that are well-coordinated and is not unique to plasma or STEM, but also a general question of strat- endorsed by the plasma community. The first half-day of the mini- egy research, where construct clarity has been identified as founda- conference talks discussed the crucial role of informal science educa- tional to knowledge accumulation.9 The NAS study titled Framework tion in K–12, engaging and retaining marginalized communities, for K–12 Science Education,6 which became the first step in establish- Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf providing professional training in high school, and building successful ing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS),10 emphasized that outreach programs in economically depressed areas. In the second science education in the US should be organized systematically across half-day of the mini-conference, talks were focused on adapting public multiple years of school, emphasize depth of concepts, and provide engagement strategies to the needs of various entities, including large students with engaging opportunities to experience how real-life sci- user facilities, a networks of user facilities, small colleges, and an ence is done. EPSCoR state-wide collaborations. This section summarizes findings, Based on these findings, we argue that to improve consistency in challenges, and recommendations related to these topics. In addition, building plasma-relevant knowledge in K–12 education, the plasma a suggested breakdown of responsibilities is included after each community should work toward establishing a minimal level of con- recommendation. sensus when introducing terminology in both formal and informal set- tings. Maintaining consistency enables the audience to connect and A. Informal plasma education, engagement, engage with ideas when the same topics are discussed on different and alternative education occasions. Consistent terminology should further be supported with The primary purpose of public engagement and training, encom- relatable examples and appropriate context to allow flexibility of com- passing informal learning experiences, outreach, internships, etc., is munication. However, care should be taken to periodically update ter- typically seen as attracting and developing new audiences to support minology as scientific discourse and ideas evolve. Terminology, the growth of the field. Ignoring historically excluded communities examples, and context cannot be effective without developing a rela- from these efforts is not only morally wrong, but it hinders the devel- tionship with the community. These should be co-created with input opment of the field. STEM disciplines have historically excluded and, from teachers, students, and community leaders to avoid a siloed per- at times, outright abused certain communities.5 Without including spective that maintains the separation between “science” and the these communities in conversations about science, talented individuals “public.” choose other careers, mistrust builds, public support of research fund- One way to address the above challenges is to study best practices ing dwindles, science is ignored in policy decisions, and ultimately, in ISEA.6,11–13 Two examples of successful ISEA activities include the society suffers. A major goal for conducting the mini-conference was proliferation of after-school informal science programs and the estab- to initiate building a network, or an ecosystem, where we hope to share lishment of STEM Learning Ecosystem (SLE) communities. Both types resources and experiences that would help us be more effective and to of activities are founded in cross-sector partnerships between schools, expand access to the array of opportunities in plasma STEM. We hope after-school, and summer programs, libraries, museums, and busi- that frequent communication will result in pushing each other to be nesses, among others. It has been demonstrated that after-school intentional about how and with whom we engage. informal science programs support and promote positive attitudes about science among students from both traditional and underrepre- 1. Informal plasma education activities (IPEA) sented groups.14,15 It has also been shown that university student par- and plasma learning ecosystems (IPEs) ticipation in ISEA increases the likelihood of retention in a career related to the field.16–19 Finally, a survey among 37 SLEs shows that Informal science education activities (ISEA) have played an most communities report a willingness to create a shared vision essential role in creating and recruiting the next generation of scien- around data collection, which will help both researchers and educators tists.6 While K–12 teachers are constrained by the curriculum, text- to track, understand, and improve the quality of STEM education and books, and test requirements at the national and state level, guest its impact.20 Based on these examples, we propose supporting the pro- researchers have the freedom to promote creative and culturally rele- liferation of plasma-focused after-school programs, establishing vant learning experiences of science. Researchers visiting the classroom Plasma Learning Ecosystem (PLE) communities, and creating an can improve student/teacher engagement by explaining concepts that open-source repository for Informal Plasma Education Activities may be new and/or missing from the K–12 curriculum and by com- (IPEA) available to the community. municating exciting results from the latest research work, making sci- At least four stakeholders would benefit from these efforts—the ence engaging and contemporary. audiences, the informal educators, the institutions, and the plasma Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-3 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop community. The formation of the PLEs and IPEA repository would allow informal plasma educators to share experiences with diverse audi- ences, standardize terminology, develop impact assessment tools, and send coordinated messages to the public. This will benefit the prolifera- tion of plasma-focused after-school programs at K–12 institutions, which will offer an engaging plasma education experience complemen- tary to the existing curriculum. Other stakeholder institutions, such as universities, national labs, and industries, will further benefit from the shared IPEA repository as it will provide much-needed support for newly employed informal plasma educators. Finally, an increased role of well-coordinated and plasma-specific informal education could impact the public opinion of plasma, help to increase government funding for plasma, and expand the plasma workforce. Effective engagement of all audiences mentioned above is insepa- rable from dedicated strategies for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, FIG. 2. The fusor machine built by Mr. Greninger and his students. Image repro- Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf Accessibility, and Social Justice (DEIA SJ). The growth of the nuclear duced with permissions from Mr. Greninger. fusion and plasma technology industries in recent years has shown a pressing need for broadening participation in this developing work- 2. Plasma training programs force.3 However, the lack of diversity within the plasma community In addition to traditional informal education activities, such as pre- has been detrimental to encouraging historically underrepresented, senting talks and demos in K–12 science classes, organizing museum vis- marginalized, first-generation students, and students of color to join its and field trips, and organizing science cafes, the community can the plasma STEM fields.1,3,21 This, in turn, depletes the pathways from benefit from the proliferation of alternative education projects. A K–12 and higher education to the breadth of employment opportuni- remarkable example is the high-school fusion program established and ties in industries, national labs, government, and academia. The addi- maintained by Carl Greninger in Seattle, WA.23,24 For over 12 years, Mr. tion of global cataclysms, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, lead to Greninger has pioneered a private nonprofit helping high school stu- long-term effects (medical, economic, and educational) that dispro- dents win over $800 000.00 in scholarships through his nontraditional portionately affect marginalized communities,22 which creates an even after-school educational program. The students gain hands-on laboratory larger barrier to joining the plasma community. experience by growing a Farnsworth fusor (Fig. 2) into a cutting-edge The different audiences (including K–12 students and teachers, the fusion research device. The device is then leveraged for oncology, materi- public, the press, and the government) will require highly flexible and als science, and plasma physics investigations. Mr. Greninger’s program adaptive plasma education strategies. Those strategies should take into is local and fully self-funded, showing the important impact private citi- consideration an understanding of the audience’s existing knowledge zen donors can have on the workforce development for plasma. and needs, determining the best medium to engage with the audience, Based on this example, we propose that strategies should be including appropriate venues, online platforms, and a curriculum/ developed to increase engagement of private citizens interested in content that provides relatable examples, connections to the audiences improving society through plasma STEM. Private citizens can be everyday life, career prospectives, and engaging on a personal level. involved as volunteers, donors, and/or advocates for plasma-focused Challenges, recommendations, and responsibilities programs in their local community. The impact from such programs can be maximized through collaborations with local universities, Challenge: The current K–12 public education curriculum does national labs, and businesses, to develop content and training strate- not offer consistent and well-coordinated learning experiences of gies that will expand academic and employment options for the stu- plasma STEM, which severely impedes the ability to engage stu- dents. Fundraising efforts and student engagement can be led by dents from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. plasma science education coordinators, local chapters of professional Recommendation: Following the example of ISEA, the plasma plasma communities, and plasma nonprofit organizations. Care community would benefit from establishing Plasma Learning should be taken to expand access to such programs to students Ecosystems (PLEs) and creating an open-source repository for from underrepresented groups and lower socioeconomic status. Informal Plasma Education Activities (IPEA) available to the Partnerships between private donors, local businesses, and Historically community. Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) within the same state can help developing plasma Responsibility: Government funding agencies (e.g., NSF, DOE) training programs for students from local high-schools. should sponsor the establishment and maintenance of the open- access IPEA repository. PLEs should be established with resources Challenges, Recommendations, and Responsibilities from large plasma collaborations (e.g., user/collaborative facilities, centers, and Track II EPSCoR grants). Effective coordination Challenge: Currently, there is no straightforward formal way to across stakeholders should be maintained by plasma community solicit and receive private funds for plasma-focused informal/ groups (e.g., APS DPP Education and Outreach, Coalition for alternative education, severely limiting who has access to such Plasma Science, Fusion University Association, etc.). experiences. Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-4 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop Recommendation: The plasma workforce will benefit from the Physics and Astronomy. PACE is a graduate student-led mentoring establishment and proliferation of local, privately funded after- organization—peer-mentoring programs by students for students. school programs focused on hands-on plasma projects. Such pro- Their programs include 1-on-1 grad peer mentoring, workshops grams should target students from underrepresented groups and for incoming graduate students, undergrad-grad mentoring cen- lower socioeconomic status. tered on applying to graduate programs), and undergrad–under- grad peer mentoring. PACE is co-sponsored by the Department of Responsibility: Private citizens should be engaged as sponsors, Physics and Astronomy the National Osterbrock Leadership volunteers, and advocates for such programs. Science education Program (NOLP)31 showing the importance of both local and coordinators, local chapters of professional communities, and national support. nonprofit organizations should manage fundraising efforts and Such efforts within the plasma community can also be govern- student engagement. Partners from academic institutions ment funded through career awards, Broader Impact activities32 on (including HBCUs and MSIs), national labs, and local businesses NSF grants and the recently established DOE PIER plans.33 should help to develop content/training for the programs. Government funding through these channels is much appreciated. However, it is important to note here that, while inseparable, public Providing culturally relevant plasma education experience is a engagement and training efforts do not represent the entirety of Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf challenge, especially in areas where the majority of student demo- DEIA SJ work. There is much work to be done to address systemic graphics typically come from lower socio-economic status. Student racism, sexism, and genderism, improving hiring and promotion engagement and retention in such areas require establishing long- practices, promoting diversity in leadership positions, and term, sustainable, hands-on programs through schools, scouting acknowledging the painful role of slavery in the history of US insti- organizations, 4-H, and direct parental engagement. The establish- tutions. Public engagement and education is one piece of these ment and proliferation of such programs focused on plasma- efforts and should not consume more than its share of funds and relevant activities can learn from similar programs in adjacent other resources. In other words, participation in outreach activities STEM fields. An outstanding example is the FIRST Robotics pro- should be necessary, but not sufficient to fulfill the criteria of gram at the University of West Virginia,25 which has demonstrated broader impact or PER plans. In addition, these plans should remarkable success in engaging students from low-income families include dedicated efforts to address systematic issues within the in engineering-focused activities (e.g., via participation in robotics sponsored institutions. competitions) and motivating them to pursue higher education. A main challenge for many of these programs is sustainabil- The basics of electronics, programming, and problem solving can ity through consistent finding sources and continuous commit- be effectively taught in similar programs focused on plasma ment from higher education institutions. Another issue arises applications. from lack of recognition for informal education efforts during It has been shown that the performance metrics of marginal- hiring, performance assessments, and promotions of physicists. ized groups strongly depend on preparatory levels even before Finally, while ground-up initiatives and representative leadership joining the programs (which could be due to a vast array of socio- are essential for the engagement and retention of marginalized economic conditions that preferentially affect marginalized groups, established and empowered leaders within the commu- communities) and not due to the skillset of the individuals.26 nity should share the responsibility through measurable actions. Numerous broadening participation programs are highly focused Specifically, financial support should be provided by the home on training specific skills that may not otherwise be widely accessi- institutions (at the department, college, division level). ble to students from marginalized groups. However, training with- Participation in broadening participation and informal education out building a welcoming community is not a fruitful strategy for activities should be considered in recruiting and promotion deci- engagement and retention. sions, including tenure decisions at universities and other forms In addition to training technical skills, programs aiming to of career advancement at nonacademic institutions.34 Finally, broaden participation in plasma should implement clear strate- institutional leadership should actively and frequently promote gies for establishing community and relevance to the students. and reward such efforts through salary bonuses, fellowships, and Such strategies include near-peer and peer mentorship, culturally awards. This is necessary to avoid placing a disproportionate bur- relevant research experiences, and workshops enabling personal den on early career colleagues and colleagues from marginalized growth and wellness.27 Organizations within the plasma commu- groups. nity, such as The Computational Research Access Network (CRANE),28 are outstanding examples of these principles. Challenges, Recommendations, and Responsibilities CRANE is a group of graduate students, postdocs, and professio- nals from marginalized communities who combine training with Challenge: Programs aimed at broadening participation in plasma mentorship, and representation in a welcoming environment. In STEM are often mostly focused on teaching technical skills with- their talk at the mini-conference,29 CRANE members emphasized out dedicated attention to building an inclusive community, and the importance of representation and role models in the leader- often lack an intentional effort to engage with historically ship of their organization. excluded communities. Another great example of a community-led organization Challenge: Such programs are hard to sustain and grow due to focused on broadening participation is the Physics & Astronomy inconsistent funding, lack of recognition, and undue burden on Community Excellence (PACE)30 at UC Irvine’s Department of Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-5 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop early career colleagues and colleagues from marginalized groups. plant,38 the demand for employees with various academic back- Recommendation: Broadening participation within the plasma grounds is also rising. Recruiting quality candidates fast is both a chal- community should be pursued through the establishment and lenge and an opportunity for the plasma community to broaden proliferation of ground-up organizations with representative participation. leadership. These organizations should be supported through Building on findings from STEM research, the plasma commu- diverse funding sources and consistent recognition at the institu- nity should emphasize the role of plasma as a cross-disciplinary driver tional and government level. of technology by highlighting the various plasma applications in every- day life. Such efforts should start as early as elementary school and Recommendation: Broadening participation and informal educa- should be sustained through all levels of education to establish positive tion activities should be adopted as important criteria in recruit- student predispositions toward plasma STEM topics and career paths. ing and promotion decisions at the institutional level. Such These strategies should aim to engage historically underrepresented efforts should be further recognized through bonuses, fellow- groups by making plasma a relatable subject, highlighting benefits of ships, and awards in the home institution. plasma education and careers, and bringing opportunities for engage- Responsibility: Established and empowered members of the com- ment at the local level. All stakeholder institutions within the plasma munity who assume leadership positions in their institutions community, including academia, national labs, industry, and govern- Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf should seek to encourage the formation of ground-up organiza- ment should invest in long-term strategic plans and collaborative part- tions with representative leadership, whose work is focused on nerships focused on broadening participation in the field, offering broadening participations. The leadership should support such training and employment opportunities, and establishing a nurturing organizations financially and formally implement such efforts as culture that will ensure success and retention. criteria for recruitment and promotion. One approach is for stakeholder institutions to set specific and measurable goals related to the broadening participation, include Another challenge that needs to be addressed by plasma training these as milestones in their strategic plans, and create dedicated programs is explaining what a career in plasma can look like, beyond institutional committees tasked with implementing the goals. The the “traditional” research/teaching academic path. All strategies for plasma community can benefit from the example of other fields broadening participation should implement a clear message on the who have identified specific goals based on assessment of their diverse plasma-relevant career paths, including jobs in industry, workforce needs, such as the quantum information science and national labs, government administration, and informal education. In technology community.39,40 Another powerful example is the work addition, the community should make a dedicated effort to move of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) National Task Force to away from the image that the plasma is solely a sub-discipline of phys- Elevate African American Representation in Undergraduate ics or engineering. Successful engagement and retention of a diverse Physics & Astronomy (TEAM-UP).41 Based on a two-year study of plasma workforce would directly benefit from highlighting the cross- the reasons for the persistent underrepresentation of African disciplinary STEM nature of plasma education and career paths. Americans in physics and astronomy, TEAM-UP produced a Insights from research on different groups’ perception of STEM report with its findings and evidence-based recommendations to careers can be highly beneficial in developing such strategies. increase the number of African Americans earning physics and A study by the NSF-funded Innovative Technology Experiences astronomy bachelor’s degrees.42 An example of a bold, actionable, for Students and Teachers (ITEST) project35 investigated the disposi- and measurable goal set up by the TEAM-UP report is “to at least tions and career aspirations related to STEM across diverse groups, double the number of bachelor’s degrees in physics and astronomy including K–12 students and teachers, university students, and STEM awarded to African Americans by 2030.” professionals. It was established that only STEM professionals and fourth–fifth grade students showed a satisfactory level of positive pre- dispositions toward STEM content areas and STEM as a career. Other Challenges, Recommendations, and Responsibilities groups, including 11th–12th grade students interested in attending college and college of engineering majors interested in industry jobs, Challenge: The breadth of plasma-relevant employment opportu- reported significantly less positive dispositions. In addition, all groups nities available across academia, industries, and national labs exhibited more positive dispositions toward engineering and technol- requires rapid recruitment of a workforce with diverse back- ogy when compared to science and mathematics. Another study on grounds and various levels of academic preparation and subject high-school student perception on inclusivity in STEM suggests that expertise. STEM is perceived as “pushed” while not necessarily helping, or giving back to their community.36 Recommendation: Institutional stakeholders within the plasma Based on discussions among participants at the mini-conference, community should implement into their strategic plan actionable it was concluded that there has been a historical perception that one goals with measurable outcomes for broadening participation needs to have a Ph.D. to work in a plasma-related field, preferably and form dedicated task force committees to implement these from a renowned plasma program. This faulty perception is harmful goals. to both attracting more students to plasma academic programs and to Responsibility: These should be coordinated and collaborative providing diverse workforce for the national labs and the growing efforts initiated by the leadership in all stakeholder institutions, plasma industries. With the increased number of emerging fusion and including academia, national labs, industry, and government. plasma startups37 and the US endorsing the design of a fusion power Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-6 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop 3. Plasma terminology in K–12 and the public domain Responsibility: Organizations, such as CPEP and PhysicsQuest, should manage adapting plasma terminology to NGSS. Branches Successful informal science education activities highly benefit within professional societies, such as APS Public Engagement, from existing knowledge that teachers/students have on the subject, as AIP Public Policy, IEEE Government engagement, should advo- familiarity assists knowledge retention.43 Unfortunately, it has been cate for adopting plasma terminology in NPSS and advocate recognized that the word “plasma” is commonly missing from the adopting NPSS in more states. Members of the plasma commu- K–12 curriculum, even though plasma-relevant concepts (such as the nity should advocate adopting NGSS to local school boards and Sun and other stars, the states of matter, and sustainable energy sour- state representatives. ces) are discussed throughout. One approach to addressing this issue is to advocate incorporat- Challenge: The word plasma is often missing from scientific press ing the word plasma in the Next Generation Science Standards releases and public announcements. (NGSS),10 which have been currently adopted by 20 states in the US and another 24 states have adopted standards based on the National Recommendation: The term plasma and terminology relevant to Research Council’s Frame. Organizations and programs working with plasma STEM should be frequently used in the public domain the plasma community and with K–12 educators can initiate and man- (including press releases and science articles). Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf age coordinated efforts on developing plasma-relevant content appro- Responsibility: All members of the plasma community should priate for NGSS. One example of such organization is the promote the use of plasma terminology in communications with Contemporary Physics Education Project (CPEP)44 to develop scien- other colleagues, government, and the press. tifically accurate and visually stimulating materials and activities adaptable to such K–12 science standards. CPEP shares their plasma and fusion materials at the APS-DPP Teacher’s Day45 with hand’s-on B. Plasma network for engagement and training fusion and plasma activities for the classroom workshop and presenta- (PlasmaNET) tions at the Student Expo.46 Another example is PhysicsQuest47—an Another major goal of the mini-conference was to initiate initiative by APS Public Engagement48 that works with scientists and building a community-based network of people interested in public K–12 educators on the development of subject-specific kits for use in engagement, education, broadening participation, and workforce the middle school classroom. APS Public Engagement48 and other rel- development for plasma. We refer to this as PlasmaNET, or Plasma evant branches of professional communities, such as AIP Public Network for Engagement and Training, following the example set by Policy,49 and IEEE Government Engagement,50 can advocate adopting other networks within our community (such as LaserNet52 and plasma STEM terminology to the formal education communities and MagNet53 and other emerging networks). Among other goals, the net- help to advocate the adoption of NGSS by more states. Plasma col- work can provide support to newly hired plasma outreach coordina- leagues can support these efforts at the local level by working with tors through resources, workshops, and shared data. It can also help school boards and advocating to state representatives. plasma professionals to formalize their broader impact work so The lack of adequate terminology in K–12 education is a detri- that they gain recognition for such work from their departments/ mental issue that later propagates as a rare usage of the word institutions. PlasmaNET can learn from the APS Joint Network of plasma in the public domain. As discussed in the recent white Informal Physics Education and Research (JNIPER),54 which is a com- paper Just Say Plasma,51 submitted to the Steering Committee of munity of practice for people engaged in our mission of designing, facili- the Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) tating, or studying informal physics learning activities and programs. 2024–2033, the term plasma needs to be formally brought into sci- PlasmaNET can be viewed as a plasma-focused analog of JNIPER. ence press conferences and news reports targeting the public. These issues represent major setbacks for building the future Challenges, Recommendations, and Responsibilities plasma workforce and advocating increased government funding for plasma research, even though numerous current industries rely Challenge: Efforts to engage K–12 and the public, broaden partic- on basic knowledge of plasma science and engineering. It is the ipation, and improve the workforce for the plasma-relevant fields are disjointed. There is little coordinated support for colleagues responsibility of all members of the plasma community to promote newly hired as outreach coordinators in the plasma community. the use of the term plasma when interacting with colleagues from other fields, government representatives, and the press. In addition, Recommendation: Establish the Plasma Network for Engagement consistently writing and endorsing white papers on the subject can and Training (PlasmaNET) as an ecosystem connecting col- help to draw attention to the issue. leagues working in public engagement, education, broadening participation, and workforce development for plasma. Challenges, Recommendations, and Responsibilities Responsibility: Various members of the plasma community Challenge: K–12 public education curriculum does not include should work jointly toward the establishment of PlasmaNET. the word plasma when discussing plasma-relevant topics. Those include but are not limited to public engagement coordi- Recommendation: The Next Generation Science Standards nators, informal education practitioners, physics/STEM educa- (NGSS) should incorporate the term plasma and terminology rel- tion researchers, plasma researchers engaging in broader impact evant to plasma STEM where appropriate throughout the K–12 activities, leaders of plasma-related for-profit, and nonprofit curriculum. organizations, K–12 teachers. Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-7 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop Note that while throughout the document, we prefer to use the Recommendation: The APS Committee on Informing the Public word “engagement,” in the table above we use the word outreach as it has advocated for institutions to consider this work in hiring and is often times the title of such job positions. promotion decisions.34 Other plasma-related professional com- Organizing the APS-DPP mini-conference discussed here aimed munities, including IEEE, AAS, AAAS, AIAA, and others should to increase the visibility of work in public engagement, education and write and endorse similar statements. training, DEIA SJ, and other topics related to the plasma workforce. However, as the topics of DPP mini-conferences change each year, Recommendation: The APS Division of Plasma Physics should there is a need for a separate conference or workshop, which can be boost recruitment of abstracts in Section 9.00 on “Science organized by an organization, such as PNET for the plasma commu- Education, Public Engagement, and DEIA SJ” by offering travel nity. Establishing PNET can also coordinate increasing the number of grants and poster awards, and, eventually, by establishing a ses- contributed talks and posters for the APS DPP section category 9.00 sion of invited topics within these categories. Science Education, Public Engagement, and DEI, which typically Recommendation: Other professional plasma conferences, such receives only a handful of submissions each year. These efforts can fur- as IEEE ICOPS and APS GEC, should establish a session category ther be coordinated with the APS Forum of Outreach and Public dedicated to science education, public engagement, broadening Engagement. Similarly, the PNET members can work with other pro- Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf participation and related topics. Participation in these sessions fessional communities, such as IEEE NPSS (Nuclear and Plasma should be boosted by offering travel grants and poster awards. Sciences Society), to establish a similar session category at more con- Recommendation: Plasma professional communities, including ferences, including the IEEE ICOPS (International Conference on APS DPP and IEEE NPSS, should sponsor an annual mini- Plasma Science) and APS GEC (Gaseous Electronics Conference). conference or a workshop focused on DEIA SJ, workforce, educa- An important obstacle to increasing interest in such sessions is tion, and public engagement (interrelated topics). the lack of financial support for colleagues who are normally not funded to attend plasma professional conferences (such as K–12 teach- Recommendation: The professional plasma communities should ers and physics education researchers). Plasma professional communi- work with other communities, such as the AAPT (American ties, including APS DPP and IEEE NPSS, can be instrumental in Association of Physics Teachers) and the AAAS (American providing financial support in the form of travel grants, registration Association for the Advancement of Science), to co-sponsor fee waivers, and poster awards to boost participation of such colleagues plasma-related sessions at their meetings. APS DPP should spon- in their conferences. In addition, these organizations can co-sponsor sor plasma-focused sessions at the APS March meeting. the organization of a separate annual workshop fully dedicated to the Responsibility: Leadership within the various plasma-related pro- topics discussed here. PNET and its institutional members can help to fessional communities should initiate and implement these raise funds for these activities, coordinate the organization of events, changes. and manage the distribution of travel grants and awards. There are numerous examples of other conferences that have In addition to creating a repository of resources, organizing work- significant participation in their public engagement and education shops, and boosting participation in broader impact sessions at profes- sessions, showing the growth potential for such sessions at APS sional conferences, the proposed PNET can initiate and manage large- DPP, APS GEC, and IEEE ICOPS. The Materials Research Society scale plasma training programs. As many sub-communities organize (MRS) has a topical cluster in the Fall Meeting on “Broader summer schools for undergraduate interns (e.g., PPPL’s Intro Course Impacts” to specifically address the NSF requirements, broadly on Plasma and Fusion for Interns, LTP summer school, and HED sum- interpreted as workforce development, public engagement, and mer school), many topical educational materials already have already informal education. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), been developed. However, these training programs are typically geared originally a purely scientific organization that faced competition toward helping the students conduct research and do not grant a formal with the American Astronomical Society (AAS), grew its education certificate or degree. The growing need for a qualified plasma workforce focus in its sessions to differentiate it from AAS and eventually will benefit from the establishment of formal plasma training programs became almost entirely focused on education, science communica- that grant professional certificates, similar to a specialization in a tion and public engagement. A large portion of AAS meetings is Bachelor’s degree or a one-year Master’s degree. Such programs can be dedicated to education and science communication. Other exam- initiated at the state level, for example, through EPSCoR grants, such as ples of incorporating public engagement in the activities of profes- the CPU2AL (2017–2023)57 and the FTPP (Future Technologies and sional societies are the AAS Astronomy Ambassadors program55 Enabling Plasma Processes) (2022–2027) in Alabama. The FTPP is a and the AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship.56 collaboration of nine universities and one industry focused on develop- APS DPP, APS GEC, and IEEE ICOPS leadership can benefit from ing plasma technology. This project involves several Historically Black interaction with these professional communities. Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and has a strong focus on workforce development. The establishment of similar programs throughout the Challenges, Recommendations, and Responsibilities EPSCoR states will attract students to the participating institutions, sup- Challenge: The work of informal educators, science communica- ply a qualified workforce for industry partners, and pave the way for tors, K–12 teachers, science education colleagues, and colleagues forming a coordinated national plasma training program. involved in engagement, mentoring, and DEIA SJ activities is not For example, in the last five years, CPU2AL organized three dif- well recognized within the plasma community. ferent summer research programs for undergraduate students, namely, Alabama Plasma Internship program (ALPIP), Alabama Research Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-8 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop Experience for Undergraduates (ALREU), and Corporate Internship development programs, specializations in Bachelor’s degrees, or Program on Plasma Technology Applications (CIPPTA). For most of one-year Master’s degrees. these students, these experiences were the first time where they get introduced to the field of plasma physics research and most of them Responsibility: Plasma colleagues at academic institutions should have later presented their work in APS-DPP or have continued in work with national labs and industries to develop curriculum and higher studies in the STEM field. In similar lines, the next five-year training materials. University leadership can work toward pro- Alabama EPSCoR program FTPP, plans to continue and expand on viding certification of these programs. A public–private partner- these positive experiences of CPU2AL. ship between government funding agencies and industries can be used to sponsor these programs. Nonprofit plasma organizations Challenges, Recommendations, and Responsibilities and emerging community networks can help to advertise and recruit participants for the programs. Challenge: Most plasma training programs for high-school and undergraduate students, such as summer schools, do not grant professional certifications. C. Post-conference survey Recommendation: Programs focused on training the plasma The mini-conference attendees were surveyed to capture their Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf workforce should be established both at the state and the national experience level and needs as a proxy for the larger plasma community level. Those should be implemented as certified professional engaged in the topics covered. The answers on STEM engagement experience, training, and current position are shown in Fig. 3. Based FIG. 3. Results from post-conference sur- vey. (a) Participants experience level in pub- lic engagement, training/education, DEI, and related topics. (b) Participants were asked if they received training or resources for their work in public engagement, training/ education, DEI, and related topics. (c) Current occupation of participants. Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-9 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop on the responses, it seems most have had some formal training in pub- not explicitly mentioned. NGSS are K–12 science content standards, lic engagement or education. Nearly all job titles expected, given the based on the NRC’s K–12 Framework for Science Education,6 that set target audience of the mini-conference, were represented in our survey the expectations for what students should know and be able to do. respondents: University Faculty or Lecturer, Research Staff/Staff NGSS have been adopted by 20 states and have been developed in col- Scientist, Education/Outreach/Public Engagement Staff, Formal K–12 laboration with critical partners, including the National Research Educator, Informal Educator (museum staff, after-school programs, Council, the National Science Teachers Association, and the American etc.), Communications Staff, and Graduate Student. The only catego- Association for the Advancement of Science. Another 24 states have ries not represented were: Administrative Staff, Post-doctoral Fellow, adopted standards based on the National Research Council’s Frame. and Undergraduate Student. The survey was anonymous and invited speakers may have been overrepresented in the survey respondents, 3. CPEP reflecting our choice of speakers, rather than the larger audience, The mission of the nonprofit Contemporary Physics Education though all the speakers are representative of the audience targeted. Project (CPEP) membership of active scientists and practicing teachers The survey responses indicated that funding is a major concern. is to convey current knowledge of physics topics using scientifically Respondents echoed the discussions held during the mini-conference accurate, visually stimulating materials and activities. CPEP’s focus in calling for recognition and training, especially in terms of “training Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf topics are particle, cosmological, gravitational, nuclear, and plasma/ for how to create a safe learning environment for marginalized fusion physics. CPEP shares their plasma and fusion materials at the students.” In addition to calling for professional recognition for this APS-DPP Teachers’ Day with a hands-on fusion and plasma activities work, responses indicated the need for plenary sessions or invited talks for the classroom workshop and presentations at the Student Expo. on public engagement and DEIA SJ topics and how “refreshing” it was The CPEP plasma and fusion chart (Fig. 4) summarizes topics that are to “see this type of event at conferences.” Respondents also highlighted related to plasma and fusion science and serves as a useful classroom the need to push each other to always consider equitable access and teaching device. Development of the chart began in the early 1990s strive to remove barriers that may uphold systems of oppression. The and was supported by the AIP journal, Physics of Plasmas, APS DPP, networking opportunity was identified as a valuable component of the General Atomics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, MIT, event, and it is our hope that these opportunities will become more PPPL, University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics and the frequent and well attended. U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences. IV. SPECIFIC PLASMA ACTIVITIES Individuals from many of these institutions collaborated with CPEP members and other scientists and educators on the original design and This section provides a list of organizations and initiatives pre- content of the chart. The chart is periodically updated and is available sented at the mini-conference and during related discussions, along in several languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish, and with specific projects and more resources. The authors recognize that Portuguese. Through contacts made at the 2022 mini-conference dis- this list is not exhaustive. cussed in the present paper, plans are under way to translate the chart into Russian, Bulgarian, and Hindi. A. K–12 informal plasma education and public CPEP members have also developed a collection of engaging engagement plasma and fusion related educational activities. All the necessary 1. ISEA instructions, worksheets for students, and teacher’s notes for the activi- ties are accessible for free on their website. Activities explore such Informal science education activities (ISEA) have long played an things as the motion of charged particles in fields, the electric field essential role in helping create and recruit the next generation of scien- near plasma globes, and the properties of plasma through the study tists. Researchers not having constraints from the curriculum, text- half-coated fluorescent bulbs. The CPEP fusion simulation model uses books, and tests have a freedom that allows creative and culturally Velcro and bottle-caps and allows students to explore the parameters relevant learning experiences of science. This freedom can present that influence fusion reactions. While most activities are designed for opportunities for engagement by presenting key concepts to the K–12 high school students and introductory undergraduates, there are sev- teachers and students and communicating exciting results from the eral activities for middle school students. In addition, on their website researcher’s work allowing K–12 teachers and students to have more they maintain a Resource page with links to plasma-related educa- access to science. The audience is the focus of this presentation, which tional materials. is one of the four stakeholders that benefit from ISEAs—the audiences, Since the goal of the group is to convey current knowledge of the researchers, the institutions, and the field of plasma physics. physics, they are open to collaboration with other engagement groups, Colleagues, like Maajida Murdock, who participate in various pro- institutions, and research groups to help to spread knowledge of grams focused on work with K–12 teachers, currently work with the plasma physics. plasma community to promote the use of the two-way interactive method to bring science “alive,” spark interest and stimulate curiosity. 4. Bryan Stanley’s research 2. NGSS Informal physics programs create learning environments where physicists, physics students, and public audiences can interact with K–12 science courses typically address the Sun and stars, the each other. The formats of these spaces vary considerably with exam- states of matter, and energy sustainability. Yet, while the Next ples, including summer camps, public lectures, open houses, and dem- Generation Science Standards (NGSS)10 refer to fusion, plasmas are onstration shows. Participation in informal physics spaces can be Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-10 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf FIG. 4. CPEP Plasma and fusion chart. Image source is the CPEP website listed in Ref. 44. Image is reproduced here with permissions from Cheryl Harper and Katrina Brown. impactful for both the public audiences and the program facilitators. The students achieve experiential technical prowess by growing a Bryan Stanley’s qualitative research study investigates the career paths Farnsworth fusor into a cutting-edge fusion research device with a of university students who volunteered in informal physics programs. unique plasma electrode design offering 2 106 neutron output, The study hypothesized that participation in informal programs pro- which is a remarkable achievement in DD fusion within the ranks of vided impactful experiences that influenced student volunteers’ career amateurs. The device is then leveraged for oncology, materials science, paths. It involved interviews with alumni who had volunteered in and plasma physics investigations. Most recently, the telemetry has informal physics programs as students about their career pathways seen serious development, including a Langmuir probe, AZURE and experiences. The data were analyzed for common themes to better Power BI, and touch screen reactor control. Yet, it is the PM role- understand the commonalities in experiences for volunteers more based student-led engagement that drives the educational experience, broadly. The resulting themes could be useful to informal physics as the student researcher quickly realizes that science at this level practitioners in better understanding and improving their programs to demands skills far beyond a Langmuir probe. They must become support their student volunteers. accountants, publicists, advocates, stakeholders, managers, and tech- nologists. The value of this skill set becomes obvious in R&D compa- 5. The Northwest Nuclear Consortium nies where research dollars are hard to come by. The Northwest Nuclear Consortium is an organization based in Washington state, which uses a research grade ion collider to teach a B. Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and social class of high school students nuclear engineering principles based on justice the Department of Energy curriculum. For over 12 years its founder, 1. CRANE Mr. Carl Greninger has pioneered a private nonprofit helping high school students win over $800 000.00 in scholarships through an edu- The growth of the nuclear fusion industry and programs in cational program that looks more like a company than a classroom. recent years has shown a need for increased support for young people Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-11 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop to join this developing workforce. However, the lack of diversity within population. Plasma colleagues in small college can share valuable per- the plasma physics community has always been detrimental to encour- sonal experiences in joining and starting an experimental plasma aging underrepresented, marginalized and students of color to join the research program at primarily undergraduate institutions. The small field of plasma physics. Although the worst of the COVID-19 pan- college plasma consortium (SCPC) is an organization whose aims are demic is over, the long-term effects (medical and economic) have dis- to create a community for existing and future plasma researchers at proportionately affected marginalized communities and created an small schools, in addition to providing a platform for shared resources even larger barrier to joining this specific field. The Computational and collaboration among small schools and with larger academic insti- Research Access Network (CRANE) was formed to address these tutions. The SCPC has developed a set of recommendations for what issues. CRANE is a group of graduate students, postdocs, and profes- the plasma community and funding agencies can do to support the sionals from marginalized communities. CRANE’s goals are to intro- growth and development of these unique research programs. duce underrepresented students to physics (specifically plasma and nuclear) at early stages, teach the computational tools needed to suc- 2. ZEUS ceed in both computational and experimental research, and provide them with opportunities in the form of internships or undergraduate In alignment with recommendations from the National research positions. In addition, CRANE’s diverse group members Academy of Science study on high-intensity lasers,58 NSF has recently Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf work at removing entry barriers for plasma and nuclear physics, such invested in three extreme light mid-scale research facilities, including as representation, role models, mentorship, and encouraging culture. the Zettawatt-Equivalent Ultrashort Pulse Laser System (ZEUS) at the University of Michigan. Critical to the success of these facilities is the 2. Franklin Dollar’s program ability to integrate their research into their outreach efforts. They must develop outreach programs that raise awareness, effectively communi- Despite many long-standing efforts, representation of numerous cate to various audiences, and promote meaningful understanding of demographics in plasma physics in particular, and physical sciences as the significant impacts of extreme light research on society. ZEUS’s a whole lags behind higher education in general. While many pro- outreach coordinator, Elizabeth Oxford, has established an outreach grams focus on the development of the student to address perceived program at the ZEUS facility, including activities, evaluation methods, gaps in ability and performance, we instead developed programs in and resources. Colleagues like Elizabeth Oxford can share valuable which the primary focus is establishing community and relevance to experiences as new members of the plasma-focused outreach commu- the student. Franklin Dollar’s program explores a variety of modes of nity and suggest effective methods for sharing best practices. Those student engagement, including near peer and peer mentorship, cultur- include a virtual toolkit, which would provide members with examples ally relevant research experiences, and workshops enabling personal of successful programs, assessments and corresponding data, a direc- growth and wellness. tory of members and their areas of expertise, webinars, and other resources. 3. Earl Scime’s programs Research studies of persistence in STEM after youth engagement 3. LaserNet in STEM activities have demonstrated that long-term, sustained pro- LaserNetUS, a network of ten high-power laser facilities across grams have the most significant impact on future persistence in America operating effectively as a user facility, was established by the STEM. For example, compared to a baseline peer group with the same U.S. Department of Energy in 2018. The vision of LaserNetUS is to socio-economic and educational backgrounds, students who partici- advance the frontiers of ultra-intense laser science and their multi- pate in a FIRST Robotics program are 50% more likely to attend col- and interdisciplinary applications in various sectors including high lege, twice as likely to major in science or engineering in college, and energy density, materials, and biomedical science. The mission of four times as likely to end up in an engineering career. Therefore, Earl LaserNetUS is to re-establish US scientific competitiveness in high- Scime’s focus in rural West Virginia has been to develop long-term, energy-density and high-field optical science by advancing the fron- sustainable, hands-on, engineering focused STEM programs through tiers of laser-science research, providing students and scientists with schools, scouting organizations, 4-H, and direct parental engagement. broad access to unique facilities and enabling technologies, and foster- Since 2008, 100% of our local (in their county and three surrounding ing collaboration among researchers and networks from around the counties) program graduates have gone on to postsecondary education world. Now in its fourth experimental cycle, LaserNetUS has wel- (98% to college), nearly all full or partial tuition scholarship. 83% have comed more than 400 single users, with a quarter being students. gone on to undergraduate programs in science or engineering. Of Networks like LaserNetUS can share their valuable experience in pro- those that have gone on to undergraduate programs in science or engi- moting collaborations and workforce development in the field of neering, over 40% are female or from other underrepresented groups plasma, high energy density, and laser science. in STEM careers. 4. FTPP C. User facilities, collaborations, and networks A 2021 study from the National Science Board finds that the per- 1. SCPC formance of U.S. elementary and secondary students in STEM educa- Establishing research programs at smaller schools offers the tion continues to lag behind that of students from other countries.59 plasma community a chance to increase exposure to plasma science FTPP (Future Technologies and Enabling Plasma Processes) and the throughout the country, particularly to a diverse undergraduate CPU2AL (Connecting the Plasma Universe to Plasma Technology in Phys. Plasmas 30, 060601 (2023); doi: 10.1063/5.0144847 30, 060601-12 Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing Physics of Plasmas PERSPECTIVE pubs.aip.org/aip/pop Alabama) are two projects funded by the NSF Established Program to between scientists and the public. This work can help to inform tai- Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) that have focused substan- lored professional development resources for building an inclusive net- tial effort in addressing this problem in Alabama. Outreach coordina- work of practitioners in informal science education and public tors for these programs, such as the FTPP outreach coordinator, Laura engagement. Provenzani, can provide valuable perspectives on the critical areas that contribute to the success of this effort. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In state-wide projects, such as the EPSCoR programs, the man- agement of the organizational activities requires hiring specialized per- The mini-conference was co-sponsored by Coalition for sonnel. The turnover rate of the supporting staff can negatively affect Plasma Science (CPS) and the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. We the specialization level and the team’s effectiveness. Moreover, building would like to recognize help by the APS DPP leadership and the an extended network of external contacts with Agencies or other contributions of many colleagues who attended the conference and/ Universities is essential to success. Universities are not all the same— or participated in the follow-up discussions. they vary by size, cultural variation, and student population. In addi- tion, the local environment must also be considered to obtain and AUTHOR DECLARATIONS maintain cooperation with industries, museums, and nonprofit organ- Conflict of Interest Downloaded from http://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0144847/17925011/060601_1_5.0144847.pdf izations. These activities must be meticulously planned, organized, and The authors have no conflicts to disclose. monitored in a practical project management framework. One of the main goals is to build additional capacity by creating new educational and outreach programs for college and K–12 students. Consequently, Author Contributions increasing public awareness and plasma-focused education in a state, Evdokiya G. Kostadinova: Conceptualization (lead); Writing – like Alabama, is challenging. This situation requires action directed original draft (lead); Writing – review & editing (lead). Franklin toward elementary and secondary students as soon as possible, consid- Dollar: Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Carl ering how they vary by size, cultural background, and underrepre- Greninger: Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). sented minorities. The FTPP outreach team learned that “marketing” Bryan Stanley: Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). campaigns must be focused and specifically built toward a variegated Elizabeth Oxford: Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing target. Response rates can differ depending on the channel and meth- (equal). David Schaffner: Resources (equal); Writing – review & odology used to increase student engagement. editing (equal). Laura Provenzani: Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Chandra Breanne Curry: Resources (equal); 5. JNIPER Writing – review & editing (equal). Claudia Fracchiolla: Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Shams El-Adawy: Within physics, most of us have, in some form or another, facili- Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Saikat tated public engagement, outreach, and/or science communication. Chakraborty Thakur: Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing However, research on informal physics education (IPER) is relatively (equal). Shannon S. Greco: Conceptualization (lead); Writing – nascent. The Joint Network for Informal Physics Education and original draft (equal); Writing – review & editing (lead). Dmitri M. Research (JNIPER) is a response to a need for articulating and discus- Orlov: Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). sing a number of issues in informal physics education. The network Caroline Anderson: Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing will bring together physicists who facilitate informal physics learning (equal). Maajida Murdock: Resources (equal); Writing – review & activities, along with researchers who investigate the impact of these editing (equal). Ernesto Barraza-Valdez: Resources (equal); Writing – activities, to align and centralize the informal learning efforts of the review & editing (equal). Hannah Rose Hasson: Resources (equal); physics community at large. Therefore, a big component of this net- Writing – review & editing (equal). Imani West-Abdallah: Resources work would focus on building capacity for research and practices to (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Cheryl Harper: Resources bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners. (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Katrina Brown: Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Earl E. Scime: 6. Shams El-Adawy’s research Resources (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). The pathways and engagement of physicists in informal physics education are varied, making their professional development needs DATA AVAILABILITY not well understood. 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