Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the United States, predicted to reach about 15 percent of the population within the next two years. But these numbers are not reflected in the percentages of Hispanic students in college and graduate school. As debate swirls over what is causing Hispanic students to drop out of the educational system, several organizations are working to increase the numbers of Hispanic students in the pipeline to science programs in four-year colleges, as well as to increase the ranks of those going on to graduate or professional schools. Despite seemingly overwhelming odds, some of these groups have managed to achieve a notable degree of success.
The U.S. Hispanic population is ethnically diverse, consisting of Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, South Americans and people from the Caribbean and Spain, whose socioeconomic and even medical problems differ. "Every one of our disciplines should reflect that diversity," states Beltran ...
