“For minority students who come from backgrounds where they have not been exposed to role models in science … they just have no idea that science is something they can do,” says Bozeman. “It’s important for students to have an early introduction to the idea that they can be scientists — and that’s what Spelman does. We put students in close contact with faculty through undergraduate research and other structures so that faculty members can mentor them to be scientists, and we also help them see themselves as scientists.”
Burrelli notes that data included in the report was extracted from the NSF’s Division of Science Resources Statistics and the Department of Education and Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Education Statistics.
She adds that smaller institutions, which are sometimes overlooked, are also essential to preparing the country’s future science and engineering professionals.
“HBCUs are very prevalent among the top 50 baccalaureate-origin institutions,” Burrelli says. “But there are also other institutions, including research universities and other non-elite and non-research institutions, like the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, that are important.”
Click here to post and read comments
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
