The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded Humboldt State nearly a half million dollars to finance a new scholarship program aimed at encouraging more students to enter the science and technology fields. Humboldt’s scholarship program is part of a new national effort to help the United States regain its prominence as a leader in fields such as engineering and computer science.
Concern over America’s standing in the world of science and technology is nothing new. Following the Soviet Union’s launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957, the United States embarked on an ambitious campaign to recover lost ground and become the world’s dominant player in the field of science. In the years following Sputnik, students in schools across America were encouraged to study engineering, science and math. Likewise, the federal government made tremendous investments in those same fields. Those investments paid off during the 1960s, `70s and `80s—decades which saw the birth of NASA, the micro-computer industry, advanced robotics, remote sensing, and significant U.S.-initiated advances in medicine.
By the 1990s, however, the United States Congress began receiving reports, suggesting that America had lost its competitive edge in the sciences. In 2005, Congress commissioned a 20-person task force to study the issue further. Task force members included several Nobel prize winners and was chaired by the retired CEO of Lockheed Martin, Norman Augustine. The findings were unveiled in the National Academy of Sciences’ study, Rising Above the Gathering Storm. The study concluded that America has, indeed, lost its technological dominance and is increasingly dependent on imported high-tech equipment and workers. The following are just a few of the facts the study cited as evidence of that conclusion:
- The United States’ share of global high technology exports fell from 30 percent to 17 percent during the last two decades
- Fewer than one-third of U.S. fourth-grade and eighth-grade students performed at or above a “proficient” level in mathematics.
- In 2003, only three American companies ranked among the top 10 recipients of patents granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
- In 2004, China graduated over 600,000 engineers. Likewise, India graduated 350,000 engineers. America? Only 70,000.
In addition to highlighting America’s deficits, Rising Above the Gathering Storm also includes strategies for making up the lost ground. One of the study’s recommendations? Boost the number of students entering science-related fields by making funds available to recruit and retain the best and brightest minds. To that end, Humboldt State University recently applied for, and was awarded, a $499,943 National Science Foundation grant. This grant is being used to fund the new Scientific Leadership Scholars Program. Over the next four years, this scholarship program will encourage students to enter and excel in HSU’s Computer Science, Environmental Resources Engineering (ERE), and Mathematics programs by providing 120 scholarships of $3,623.00
“Humboldt has great programs in these fields,” notes Environmental Resources Engineering professor and grant co-author, Beth Eschenbach. “These scholarships will help shed a light on what we have to offer and attract high-caliber students. The grant also helps us improve the quality of life in our region.”
California’s rural north coast communities still lag behind the rest of the state and nation in producing workers with college degrees. “This grant gives us the opportunity to serve our region by offering scholarships for those that are first generation college students and/or Native Americans in our three majors,” explains Eschenbach.
The scholarships will target academically-talented and financially-needy Native American and first-generation HSU students who meet the high school GPA requirement of 2.75. However, all students who meet the financial need and GPA requirements will be eligible for the scholarship. The scholarship program also includes leadership training, professional development, support services and the opportunity to apply science to service learning projects in local Native American communities.
Creating the winning grant proposal was a true group effort that involved faculty from the Computer Science, Environmental Resources Engineering, Mathematics, and Sociology Departments, as well as staff from the Indian Natural Resource, Science, and Engineering Program, Financial Aid, the Office of Enrollment Management, the Educational Opportunity Program, and the Career Center.
To learn more about the Scientific Leadership Scholars Program, visit www.humboldt.edu/~sls The deadline for applying to the program (for the fall of 2007) is April 15, 2006.