American Youth, Science, and Engineering in the New Century.

Abstract

Can America's youth meet the needs of science (including mathematical science) and engineering (or SME) that will arise in the new century? The authors are concerned over a number of gloomy articles and speeches and propose to set the record straight by recounting relevant history since World War 2, describing the SME pipeline that supplies professionals for these fields, and discussing supply-and-demand factors that bear on the issue. They attack the notion that American youth are becoming less able academically, while pointing out that lower numbers of college-bound youth are now choosing to pursue SME majors and careers. When all factors are considered, a shortage of SMEs in the 21st century is possible. The problem, they believe, is motivation, not ability. Four options for meeting the challenge are presented, accompanied by a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1996
Accession Number
ADA321191

Entities

People

  • D. A. Smith
  • Dayton S. Pickett

Organizations

  • LMI

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Biological Sciences
  • Computer Science
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Governments
  • Logistics Management
  • Mathematics
  • Motivation
  • Personnel Management
  • Pipelines
  • Public Policy
  • Second World War
  • Statistics
  • Students
  • United States
  • War

Readers

  • Economics
  • STEM Education
  • Theoretical Analysis.