Pugh 690 Connecting Underrepresented Minorities And Women To Science 11 23 10 p 1 Connecting Underrepresented Minorities and Women to Science A Reflection of the past Thirty Years Lamont Moody Pugh Lamont Moody Pugh SUNY Buffalo State College Author Note Lamont Moody Pugh Department t of Physics SUNY Buffalo State College 1300 Elmwood Ave Buffalo NY 14222 Lamont pugh verizon net Acknowledgment This manuscript was prepared in partial fulfillment of requirements for PHY690 Masters Project in Physics Education at SUNY Buffalo State College under the guidance of Dr Dan MacIsaac Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Lamont Moody Pugh Department of Physics SUNY Buffalo State College 1300 Elmwood Ave Buffalo NY 14222 Pugh 690 Connecting Underrepresented Minorities And Women To Science 11 23 10 p 2 E mail Lamont pugh verizon net ABSTRACT Over the past thirty years there s been a concerted effort to improve the quality of education deployed to the citizens of America Embedded within this mission has been a greater emphasis on recruitment of minorities and women into the science field Data from the National Science Foundation 2009 show that minority students particularly African Americans Hispanics and Native Americans are highly underrepresented in the science and engineering workforce As a possible prelude to being underrepresented in the workforce these groups are also underrepresented in the number of graduate level degrees they are awarded in the science and engineering fields According to the National Science Foundation 2009 in 2004 the percentages of master degrees awarded to African Americans Hispanics and Native Americans were only 7 46 5 08 and 0 54 respectfully Women on the other hand have made significant strides in both the number of graduate level degrees obtained in the science and engineering fields and the number of employment opportunities in the workforce According to the National Science Foundation 2009 women were awarded 43 of the master degrees and 39 of the doctorates in science and engineering in 2004 The purpose of this study is to examine why women have been able to make significant strides in the science and engineering fields and the underrepresented minority groups have not We will examine the factors that may influence both the pursuit and obtainment of the graduate level degree in science as well as those factors that may influence the transformation of these degrees into employment in the workforce Pugh 690 Connecting Underrepresented Minorities And Women To Science 11 23 10 p 3 Connecting Underrepresented Minorities and Women to Science A Reflection of the past Thirty Years Introduction and Literature The mission to increase the number of minorities and women participating in the science and engineering fields began more than twenty five years ago yet the journey still continues Women have made great strides in both pursuing and obtaining some success in the science and engineering fields however Some minority groups although there has been growth have done so at a much slower pace According to the National Science Foundation 2009 in 2004 women were awarded 43 of the master s degrees and 39 of the doctorates in science and engineering fields in 1985 women were awarded 34 of the master s degrees and 27 of the doctorates in science and engineering Data from the National Science Foundation 2009 show that the percentages of master degrees awarded in 2004 to African Americans Hispanics and Native Americans were only 7 46 5 08 and 0 54 respectfully Additionally the percentages of doctorates awarded in 2004 to African Americans Hispanics and Native Americans were 3 0 3 2 and 0 36 respectfully Asians on the other hand were awarded 8 57 of the master s Pugh 690 Connecting Underrepresented Minorities And Women To Science 11 23 10 p 4 degrees and 5 5 of the doctorates in 2004 Although these numbers are very small percentages for African Americans Hispanics Native Americans and Women they also represent an increase in the number of degrees earned in the fields of science and engineering for these groups over the previous three decades Data from the National Science foundation 2009 show that minority students particularly African American Hispanics and Native Americans are highly underrepresented in the science and engineering workforce The term minority refers to all groups other than white underrepresented minorities includes three specific groups whose representation in science and engineering is less than their representation in the population Blacks Hispanics and American Indians Davis 1996 In 2004 the underrepresented minority groups made up approximately 27 0 of the United States population yet they earned only 13 08 of the master s degrees awarded in the science and engineering fields between 2003 and 2004 the underrepresented minorities composed approximately 9 0 of all employed scientists and engineers in business and industry Likewise women comprised 51 of the United States population between 2003 and 2004 they earned 43 of the master s degrees awarded in science and engineering fields and were employed in 27 of the science and engineering jobs in the workforce In contrast the Asian population another minority group composed approximately 4 2 of the United States population earned 8 57 of the master s degrees in science and engineering fields yet they composed approximately 14 of all employed scientists and engineers in business and industry Pugh 690 Connecting Underrepresented Minorities And Women To Science 11 23 10 p 5 between 2003 and 2004 National Science Foundation 2008 As we examine the historical data presented although the percentages for the underrepresented minority groups and women may not be great there appears to be a correlation amongst all groups between the obtainment of the graduate level degree in the science and engineering fields and working in the science and engineering fields if this postulate is true than the opposite may also be true no degree no work Although the underrepresented minority groups and women are both moving in the same direction in terms of growth in the science and engineering fields a closer look at the data surrounding both groups also reveals another similarity For example data from the National Science Foundation 2009 show that although Africa Americans were awarded 7 46 of the master s degrees in science and engineering in 2004 in the fields of chemistry and physics they were awarded
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