Committee on Underrepresented Groups and the Expansion of the Science and Engineering Workforce Pipeline

		Project Scope This National Academies’ committee, under the aegis of Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP), will explore the role of diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce and its value in keeping America innovative and competitive. The study will analyze the rate of change and the challenges the nation currently faces in developing a strong and diverse workforce. It will identify best practices and the characteristics of these practices that make them effective and sustainable. Specific questions that would be addressed include: 1. What are the key social and institutional factors that shape decisions of minority students to commit to education and careers in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields? What programs have successfully influenced these factors to yield improved results? 2. What are the specific barriers preventing greater minority student participation in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields? What programs have successfully minimized these barriers? 3. What are the primary focus points for policy intervention to increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities in America's workforce in the future? Which programs have successfully implemented policies to improve recruitment and retention? Are they "pull" or "push" strategies?" Overall, how effective have they been? By what criteria should they be judged? 4. What programs are underway to increase diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields? Which programs have been shown to be effective? Do they differ by gender within minority group? What factors make them more effective? How can they be expanded and improved in a sustainable way? 5. What is the role of minority-serving institutions in the diversification of America's workforce in these fields? How can that role be supported and strengthened? 6. How can the public and private sectors better assist minority students in their efforts to join America's workforce in these fields? 7. What should be the implementation strategy? The committee should develop a prioritized list of policy and funding action items (e.g., tax credits) with milestones and cost estimates that will lead to a science and engineering workforce that mirrors the nation's diverse population?		PROJECT LINKS * Meetings & Events * Members * Staff * Sponsors
				Contact Information: Committee on Underrepresented Groups and the Expansion of the S&E Workforce Pipeline Keck Center National Academies 500 Fifth Street, NW, COSEPUP/WS525 Washington, DC 20001 Send comments to: Diversity@nas.edu
Meetings & Events March 10-11, 2008 First Committee Meeting Keck Center of the National Academies 500 Fifth Street, NW Room 110 Washington, DC [Agenda] June 11-12, 2008 Joint Committee Meeting National Academies of Sciences Building 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC [Agenda] October 22-23, 2008 Third Committee Meeting Keck Center of the National Academies 500 Fifth Street, NW Room 206 Washington, DC [Agenda] Back to top Members Freeman A. Hrabowski III (Chair) President, University of Maryland Baltimore County James Ammons President, Florida A&M University Sandra Begay-Cambell Principal Member of the Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories Nancy Grasmick State Superintendent of Schools, Maryland State Departmetn of Education Beatriz Chu Clewell Principal Research Associate and Program Director, The Urban Institute Carlos Gutlierrez Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University Evelynn M. Hammonds Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity, Harvard University Wesley Harris Department Head and Charles Stark Draper Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sylvia Hurtado Professor and Director of the Higher Education Research Institute, University of California –Los Angeles James S. Jackson Director, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan Shirley M. McBay President, The Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network Diana S. Natalicio President, The University of Texas John C. Nemeth Vice President, Oak Ridge Associated Universities Eduardo J. Padrón President, Miami-Dade College Willie Pearson, Jr. Professor of Sociology, Georgia Institute of Technology John Brooks Slaughter President and CEO, National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering Lydia Villa-Komaroff Chief Executive Officer, Cytonome, Inc Linda Sue Warner President, Haskell Indian Nations University Back to top Staff Peter Henderson, Study Director Earnestine Psalmonds, Senior Program Officer Neeraj P. Gorkhaly, Senior Project Assistant Back to top Sponsors This committee’s work is being sponsored by the generous contribution from National Science Foundation, The Carnegie Foundation, The Walter and Elise Haas Fund, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration Back to top