http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-574512.mp3
Albany, NY – SMITH COLLEGE SUMMER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS: ON THE TRAIL OF BIODIVIRSITY -
It's Women's History Month. According to statistics released earlier
this month, the number of women majoring in science and engineering
continues to increase. That comes from the National Science
Foundation's Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in
Science and Engineering bi-annual report. The report is based on
stats that track enrollment and degrees awarded to both graduate and undergraduate students in American universities..and includes data
from 1997 through 2004. The report indicates that women have usually
been well represented in fields like anthropology and psychology. But it
also shows that more recently, women have received more than a third
of the doctorates awarded in agriculture and atmospheric science. There
are also more women astronomers and chemical engineers. However,
even though more women are studying the hard sciences like math
and physics, the men in those fields still far outnumber them. So what's
being done at the high school level to get more young women thinking
about science careers? TBOOK went to find out at Smith College in
Northampton, Massachusetts.
Nancy Cohen reports. (10:05)
EDUCATION HEADLINES AND UPDATES -
* According to the U.S. Education Department's most recent statistics,
women now make up a clear majority, 58% of undergraduate students.
Analysts point out that the number of men attending college is still
increasing, just not as fast as the number of women. And the true
concern is that the men who are not going on to higher education,
are primarily from low-income and minority groups, making the gap
more about class and race, than about gender.
* A new report just published in Academic Matters, The Journal of
Higher Education in Canada, mirrors many of the same statistics as
the U.S. The research analyzed the most current Statistics Canada
data on students and faculty on Canadian campuses, and found that
women represent 58% of those taking classes, just like in the U.S.
In spite of the dominate classroom numbers, still, only about one-quarter
of those in mathematics, computer and information sciences are women.
And only 11% enroll in engineering. The Canadian numbers show that
fewer than one-third of full-time faculty are women, and just 18% are full professors.
Dr. Karen Hitchcock reports. (1:20)
GUEST COMMENTARY:
SCIENCE IS THE FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE CAREERS -
Back in the United States, a general accounting office study last
year found that overall, the proportion of students obtaining degrees
in STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields has
fallen. The study reports that in academic year 1994 to 1995, about
32 percent of students obtained STEM degrees. But nearly ten years
later, from 2003 to 2004, only about 27% of degrees awarded were in
STEM fields...a 5% reduction. Looking at this report and these
problematic figures is our guest commentator, Dr. Mel Schiavelli.
He's President of the Harrisburg University of Science and
Technology in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Mel Schiavelli comments. (3:40)
**(Attention Program Directors. The university website mentioned at
the conclusion of the above story is: www.harrisburgu.net)**
GUEST ESSAY:
BOOKS FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH -
Generations of Women Moving History Forward. That's the theme of
this year's National Women's History Month. The Women's History
Project is using the opportunity to highlight important historical events.
One of these is the 30th anniversary of The Women's Conference in
Houston, Texas, which marked the high point in the influence of the
women's rights movement on the formation of American government
policy. Dr. Fiona Barnes is the Director of the Center for Management Communication at the University of Florida's Warrington College of Business. Dr. Barnes has been looking at new and essential books
to help celebrate Women's History Month. This essay was originally
recorded for the program, Recess which is a co-production of the
University of Florida's Center for Children's Literature and Culture,
and WUFT-FM in Gainesville, Florida. For further information,
visit their website
Dr. Fiona Barnes. (2:33)