Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden
(D-Ore.) today said the government, the educational system, the news
media and private businesses should all contribute to overcoming the
underrepresentation of girls and women studying and working in math
and science. Wyden, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Science,
Technology and Space, convened a hearing to discuss the barriers that
discourage girls and women from studying and working in the fields
of math, science and technology. Wyden has said he wants to help triple
the number of women graduating with math, science and technology degrees
in the next ten years.
"This is the first Senate hearing in 20 years dedicated primarily
to the issue of women in the hard sciences. With women representing
but a tiny fraction of the professionals in these vital fields it
seems incredible to me that this topic has been invisible in this
body for so long," Wyden said. "I'm convinced that women have been
actively discouraged from careers in math, science and technology.
I want to put the heat on all these major institutions, from the
government to private business, to rock the boat and stay at it
until there is real, measurable change."
Research indicates that girls lose interest in math and science
somewhere around the junior high school years. These are the same
years when future scientists have developed a strong interest in
the sciences. Sixty-one percent of scientists state that they first
became interested in science before the age of eleven. By eighth
grade, twice as many boys than girls show an interest in science,
engineering and mathematics careers. Women make up only 20 percent
of college graduates in the so-called "hard sciences" such as physics,
engineering and computer sciences. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
reports that only 10 percent of the 2 million scientists and engineers
working in the United States are women.
Witnesses at the hearing included Ms. Nancy Stueber, President
of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). OMSI has several
programs to interest youth, and particularly girls, in science and
technology. Stueber says as girls gain experience with successful
scientific problem-solving, they gain confidence, a willingness
to experiement, and a head-start on science in school.
"In the after-school clubs and classes at OMSI, we offer girls
the same opportunity as boys to work with LEGOs, construction sets,
science kits and computers. But we also make those activities relevant
to the girls' lives," Stueber said. "For example, we found many
boys, but few girls, interested in a recent engineering challenge
to build a radio tower that could withstand a simulated earthquake.
When we switched the challenge to the design of an earthquake-proof
room, the girls suddenly wanted to participate. The application
was something they could relate to."
Other witnesses at today's hearing were Dr. Kristina Johnson,
Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, and
Ms. Kay Koplovitz, founder of USA Networks. The witnesses had several
recommendations for encouraging more girls to pursue math and science,
including:
- Requiring four years of math education in secondary school -
Providing girls with toys and activities to encourage problem-solving
- Stopping active discouragement of girls who wish to study math
and science - Increasing availability of women mentors and role
models in the sciences - Creating "centers of excellence" to fund
projects putting technology in service to society, i.e., developing
technologies for child protection
Witnesses indicated that girls and young women are more likely
to enter scientific fields when they see the relevance of their
work to society; both Wyden and Ms. Koplovitz noted the relevance
of scientific research in combating homeland security. Experts say
that at a time when scientific and technological expertise is more
necessary to national security than ever, math, science and technology
professions are suffering from a shortage of skilled workers. The
Hart-Rudman Commission on National Security to 2025 warned that
America's failure to invest in science and to reform math and science
education is the second biggest threat to our national security.
"The events of the last year have made it clear that the lives
of millions of people may depend on this country's ability to find
scientific solutions and responses to new threats. America desperately
needs more scientists, more mathematicians, and more technology
experts in the pipeline," Wyden said. "A girl being told today that
she can't do science could be one of the nation's greatest researchers
tomorrow. Every day that passes without addressing the issue of
girls in math and science is a day that great potential is lost."
Wyden also discussed the possibility of employing Title IX, which
guarantees women equal opportunity at publicly-funded educational
institutions, as a method of reaching parity for girls who wish
to study math and science. He closed the hearing by expressing his
intention to work on a bipartisan basis with Ranking Member George
Allen (R-Va.) to follow up on the witnesses' suggestions and form
strategies to enfranchise women and girls in the disciplines of
math and science.
