The NRAO NINE Program: Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Astronomy for Development

The National and International Nontraditional Exchange (NINE) program was implemented by the NRAO Office of Diversity and Inclusion with the intention to use radio astronomy as a tool for increasing involvement of underrepresented groups in the field. NINE Hubs, physical locations where students and professionals can receive training in radio astronomy, are currently being developed in both Honduras and Lubbock, Texas (Texas Tech University). During the summer of 2019, detailed plans for the new TTU Hub were drafted. Goals of the TTU NINE Hub include: increasing involvement in undergraduate astrophysics research; improving TTU astronomy curriculum with the introduction of a new 3000-level course; and contributing to a diverse STEM workforce. Working toward these goals, Python command-line tools were developed to be compatible with Raspberry Pi modules for use in the new course at TTU as well as in a potential summer workshop. TTU will continue to collaborate with other Hubs to accomplish NINE's objective of creating a network for knowledge exchange and broadening diversity in the radio astronomy community.