SHPE President’s Spring message • 03.16.10
As engineers, the domain in which we practice our science is one of facts. As members of SHPE, our concern is to fill the pipeline that provides our nation with the necessary engineers and scientists to assure technical leadership for generations to come. Here are the inescapable facts: According the Census Bureau, the Latino population in the United States is expected to grow from 15 percent to 28 percent by the year 2050. While this fills us with pride, it also demands responsibility. We have an obligation to contribute our share to an educated and technically trained work force that is globally competitive. Some reports indicate that by 2025, as much as 22 percent of the U.S. college population will be Latino, a level already exceeded in four states (California, Florida, New York and Texas). Today, only 7 percent of Latinos, ages 18-24, have an associate’s degree or higher compared to 9 percent of African Americans, 16 percent of Caucasians and 25 percent of Asians. Now more than ever, our visibility and involvement in STEM education is crucial to significantly advancing our nation’s goals.
More inescapable facts: Statistics indicate that in 2005 Hispanics accounted for 4.2 percent of all the engineering bachelor’s degrees awarded – a 1.3 percent decrease from 1995. These same statistics showed that in 2005 Hispanic men accounted for 2.5 percent and Hispanic women for 0.9 percent of the engineering master’s degrees awarded. At the doctoral level, Hispanic women represented a mere 0.4 compared to Hispanic men at 1.1 percent. Those statistics are already five years old, so I’m curious to see where the numbers are for the 2010 census, being conducted now.
Within SHPE, we have nearly 100 Ph.D. members serving at the top of their fields; yet, in my opinion they are not getting the attention and support they deserve. That is why one of my tenure goals is to focus attention on advanced degree holders. SHPE’s responsibility doesn’t end when a student member gets his or her first job, a master’s degree or even a Ph.D. I strongly believe that we have an ongoing commitment to add value to their professional membership.
We plan to keep our Ph.D. members in the spotlight. Against the depressing statistics surrounding Latinos, these members serve as dramatic reminders that negative stereotypes do not define us as an organization or as a community. The accomplishments of our Ph.D. members serve as a far better definition of what can be accomplished against all odds. They have faced the demographic challenges inherent in academia, and some of them have overcome them to earn world recognition and become role models for aspiring young researchers.
Among the many accomplishments of our Ph.D. members is a Congressional Fellow and a Science Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE); a Diplomacy Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and an Evaluator for Technical Areas of the Missile Defense Agency. We need our Ph.D. members to serve bigger roles as respected voices in leadership, including industry boards and advisory councils. As an organization, SHPE will use its resources and networks to advance the professional accomplishments and influence of these individuals. This issue’s cover article on Latinas in Government includes a profile of one such esteemed member, Dr. Angelique Diaz, whose work at the Environmental Protection Agency is in radiation-related fields.
Graduate education is the pipeline that produces the university faculty and researchers of the future. Through our graduate programs, we are encouraging more SHPE members to pursue advanced degrees. As we help our members achieve their fullest potential, we need them to guide future generations, impressing upon them that it is not only possible, but crucial that they continuing their education and step into leadership roles within the STEM and Latino communities.
I wholeheartedly believe that SHPE has the power to show the world how to dream big. Our most esteemed and highly educated peers deserve respect for their dedication and skill. As STEM professionals, educators and students, our leadership is needed during these times of great opportunity and challenge.
