Purdue provost to discuss country's science and technology deficit

Sally Mason

Sally Mason's presentation, "Purdue, International Enrollment and the U.S. Science/Engineering Deficit: Facing the 'Gathering Storm,'" is part of the President's Executive Roundtable Luncheon, which is being held at the Ritz Charles of Carmel.

"It is clear that American investments in higher education — most especially investments in science, math, engineering and technology — played a major role in creating this great nation," Mason said. "But today we have lapsed, and lapsed dramatically in a remarkably short period of time. The impact of what has happened is being described as a 'gathering storm.'"

Mason points out that 20 years ago, the United States, Japan and China each graduated a similar number of engineers and produced more than twice the total coming out of South Korea. But by 2000, Chinese graduates had increased 161 percent, Japanese graduates had increased 42 percent and South Korean graduates had increased 140 percent. Meanwhile U.S. engineering graduates have declined 20 percent.

"We are falling behind in the production of people in science, engineering and technology, and math is at the core of all three," Mason said. "Our middle school and high school students are unprepared in math and science and, correspondingly, uninterested in these careers."

She said that of the nearly 1.1 million U.S. high school seniors taking the ACT college entrance exam in 2002, less than 6 percent had plans to study engineering, which is a 33 percent decrease from 10 years earlier. Meanwhile, more than 50 percent of the current U.S. science and engineering work force is approaching retirement.

"We are at a crossroads in our nation as we enter a century that we know will be dominated by science, engineering and technology," she said.

Mason said Purdue is taking a leadership role in helping to increase the number of science and engineering graduates by reaching out to grade school, middle school and high school students to interest them in scientific subjects.

Purdue programs such as Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS), the Global Engineering Alliance for Research and Education (GEARE) and Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) are creating opportunities for students to learn and practice engineering and are helping students understand how engineering impacts people's lives, she said.

"We do have a choice before us," Mason said. "We can let the future bring what it may, or we can take control of tomorrow through investments in education today. We can develop a national commitment to use our abilities, facilities and resources to energize this next generation in the sciences, engineering and technology that will surely shape the world."

Mason holds a bachelor's degree in zoology from the University of Kentucky, a master's degree in developmental biology from Purdue and a doctorate in cellular, molecular and developmental biology from the University of Arizona.

Earlier this year, President Bush appointed Mason to be one of 14 members of the President's Committee on the National Medal of Science. The committee reviews nominations made by members of the National Academy of Science, academia and the general public and makes recommendations to the president on an annual basis. Mason will serve on the committee until Dec. 31, 2008.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Source: Sally Mason, (765) 494-9709, sfmason@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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