Breadcrumb
COMPASS
Chart your path, stay the course, enjoy the journey.
Helping students along the path to graduation and a career in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine.
The land where Cal Poly Humboldt is located is part of the ancestral homeland of the Wiyot people who were here since time immemorial before this campus was founded. We acknowledge the history and present of this land and our indebtedness to the Wiyot and neighboring tribal communities for collaboration with our Indigenous and Indigenous minded scholars.
Centering the Indian Natural Resources, Science & Engineering Program (INRSEP) at its heart and guiding North Star, COMPASS programs place special emphasis on working with our Native students and those from backgrounds historically marginalized and underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM).
COMPASS provides academic and research support services to historically underrepresented students in STEMM fields to support their academic success and degree completion and connect them with resources and opportunities to meet their career and graduate school goals: We mentor students into careers, graduate programs, and (if eligible) fully-funded doctoral programs.
COMPASS comprises a constellation of programs which serve first generation and low-income students: INRSEP, Native FEWS (Food, Energy and Water Systems) Alliance, the Geoscience Alliance, Natural Resource Career Development Program (NRCDP), Ecological Forecasting Initiative (EFI), STEM Pathways and Research Alliance/California State University Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CSU-LSAMP@Cal Poly Humboldt), California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Scholars Program (CIRM), and the McNair Scholars Program.
Our goal is to empower our students to become leaders who give back to their communities, society, and future generations while strengthening connections with their heritage and culture, ultimately improving STEMM fields.
Cal Poly Humboldt is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and Minority-Serving Institution (MSI).
Research Opportunities
COMPASS advisors are STEMM professionals from diverse backgrounds who facilitate student research on campus, in the community, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) at other institutions of learning. Research experiences contribute to student attainment of advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEMM.
REUs provide real experience by involving students in ongoing research programs or in research projects in any of the areas funded by the National Science Foundation. REUs are typically summer programs which support undergraduate students' participation in active research at college campuses and academic institutions and facilitate networking in the academic science communities.
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
Humboldt CIRM Bridges 3.0 Program is designed to produce biomedical scientists from diverse backgrounds. Each year, COMPASS collaborates with Cal Poly Humboldt STEM faculty to facilitate a cohort of 10 graduate and undergraduate students to participate in a yearlong stem research experience accelerating the discovery, development and delivery of stem cell, gene therapy, and related technologies for improving human health.