Program History

The SCDNR-MRD has a proven track record (1989-2005) in providing research experiences for minorities at the undergraduate college level and has actively encouraged under-represented groups to select careers in the marine and environmental fields. In 1989, MRD began funding summer internships in which minority students attending South Carolina's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) could participate in diverse research programs. In 1996, the National Science Foundation's Ocean Sciences Program, in collaboration with MRD funded a multi-year grant for undergraduate minority research in marine and environmental science. In 2001, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Coastal Ocean Program provided funding for undergraduate research in coastal ocean science. Students, who were recruited nationally, participated in hands-on scientific research.

Most recently, the National Science Foundation, in collaboration with SCDNR-MRD, has funded a two-year effort to continue the Minorities in Marine and Environmental Sciences Program in South Carolina for the summers of 2010 and 2011.

Key Minority Program Accomplishments

Nearly 100 students have participated in summer research training programs at SCDNR-MRD since 1989.
Nearly 50% of these students have continued their education toward graduate science degrees or pursued a career in the sciences including medicine.
Many students have participated in local and national meetings both across the United States and overseas and several have won student awards. Meetings that MIMES students have attended include:
- American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
- Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
- Southeastern Estuarine Research Society
- American Fisheries Society
- South Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation
Many students participate in other summer internship programs after their intern experience at SCDNR-MRD.
Students frequently have been listed as co-authors on publications led by MIMES mentors.