HR: 1340h
AN: ED23A-0084    [Abstracts]
TI: Recruiting the Future Workforce in the Geosciences And the Role of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
AU: * Velasco, A A
EM: velasco@geo.utep.edu
AF: University of Texas at El Paso, Geological Sciences, El Paso, TX 79968-0555 United States
AB: The declining interest in the physical sciences among U.S. students has been recognized as a vital issue for the continued health of science. In particular, the declining number of geoscience students, especially US citizens, threatens the country's future preparedness in natural hazards mitigation, resource development, national security, and education. Furthermore, the geosciences suffer from poor representation among underrepresented groups, even by comparison to other sciences and engineering. Thus, exciting young scientists from all backgrounds into the geosciences must remain a high priority for all geoscientists, educational institutes, national laboratories, and industry. Exciting young scientists into the geosciences must remain a high priority for all geoscientists, educational institutes, national laboratories, and industry. I identify some key factors that may be contributing to the decline in the science workforce as well as the geoscience workforce, including generational and cultural attitudes, and the changing demographics in the U.S. I propose that the workforce and diversity issues are intertwined and both must be addressed for the survival of geoscience. To address diversity specifically, several organizations have been successful in mentoring and recruiting minorities into science. The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) focuses on encouraging undergraduate and graduate Hispanic and American Indian students to pursue higher degrees. For over 30 years, SACNAS has provided strong national leadership in improving science and math education, as well as expanding opportunities for minorities in the scientific workforce and academia. Currently, SACNAS has added a geological science emphasis to its existing programs to address the need to diversify the field. This presentation will also outline this approach, and outline how SACNAS has been able to grow over the past 30 years.
DE: 0810 Post-secondary education
DE: 0840 Evaluation and assessment
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting