Emerging Geoscientists' Conceptualizations and Perspectives Of 'Community'

It is widely recognized that participating in community engagement activities benefits both the community and the individuals involved. This paper explores how Geoscience graduate students conceptualize and experience the notion of 'community.' A community is a collection of individuals who reside in the same area or share a specific trait or feature. The study aimed to examine the relationships and dynamics between the various communities in which Geoscience graduate students participate. A semi-structured interview was conducted with nine students at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) who are involved in the Community-Driven Inclusive Excellence and Leadership Opportunities in the Geosciences (CIELO-G) program. The results revealed that students are community-centered; they focus their research on community, which stems from their interests in educating the community, being change-driven, and community-sensible. Furthermore, findings show that students' understanding of community is influenced by the various communities present in the borderland region, which act as a melting pot that shapes their perceptions of community. Our findings have meaningful implications for higher education institutions in enhancing their support for students and guiding research that benefits local communities.