For The Sake Of Today's Graduates, Science Education Must Discover The Real World

A page 1 article in the June 6, 1993, edition of the New York Times ("Top Graduates in Science Also Put Their Dreams on Hold") reported that only a handful of this year's graduates from the prestigious California Institute of Technology had found jobs as of commencement day. The article also reported that half the class members had decided to delay their entry into the job market by going to graduate school. Their decisions should be viewed with concern, since additional specialized education may not necessarily serve to make them more marketable in the future. The overall economic situation may worsen by the time they enter the job market, and the demand for science graduates, already waning, may grow even weaker. As a graduate of Caltech, I share the pain of the capable young men and women who find their futures clouded by today's uncertainty in science and engineering careers. This uncertainty springs mainly from two factors. One has to do with the declining need for highly specialized researchers; the other with the curricular narrowness at Caltech and similar science- and engineering-oriented institutions. From the end of World War II until relatively recently, the Department of Defense, the national laboratories, and the defense and space industries consistently absorbed, directly or indirectly, more than half of the scientists and engineers produced by the research universities. People were needed to develop weapons systems, atomic power, and aerospace technology. Now these government programs are largely curtailed. Meanwhile, large industrial research laboratories have also dried up as a market for science graduates. Many large corporations have lost the ability to translate their technical skills into marketable products. Without product sales, they have had to cut back on research and hiring. With these job markets weakened, new science graduates are the first to feel the pain. While the demand was high, meeting the specialized needs of government and industry also affected research and teaching, leading to strict specialization within the universities and a correspondingly strict divisional structure. (Caltech has, for the most part, maintained this divisional structure since its beginnings, seven decades ago.) This structure emphasizes the basic sciences physics, chemistry, and biology with engineering and social sciences as separate divisions; and, while providing strong basic science training for undergraduates, it `allows the faculty and graduate students to do world-class basic research. But in the absence of demand for science graduates, it may no longer be appropriate. Today's undergraduate training needs to be complemented by interdisciplinary programs that address broad societal problems. But Caltech has not allowed enough of its programs to be driven by societal needs and the changing job market. Scientific and engineering skills are still needed; however, they must now address a myriad of emerging problems. These include preserving the environment, providing a sustainable economy, and ensuring human health and well-being. Professional progress in the university establishment remains a tenuous career path. In the current environment of stagnation, an academic career involves a long series of temporary postdoctoral research positions. Shifts in program direction or the departure of a faculty member can upset large and stable research activities. A science or engineering graduate is likely to be employed by a small or medium-sized company. These companies are still viable in the current business environment, but they view scientific and technical breadth as more valuable than specialization and require practical business training in finance and management. The university has to become more involved in real-world problems to provide the experience that the graduates need. It is up to each university to recognize these needs and reorganize or redirect itself before its graduates are no longer marketable. New direction involves considerable risk, especially in areas in which funding may not be easy to obtain. At the same time, federal funding policy in science and applied technology has to share the risk-taking with the universities. Without flexibility and vision by the federal establishment, initiative for change from the universities will not be successful. Kenneth L. Heitner, who was granted a Ph.D. in applied mechanics from Caltech in 1969, lives in Vienna, Va.

For The Sake Of Today's Graduates, Science Education Must Discover The Real World

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