hbcu’s in america’s high-tech future
July 16th, 2007 Fredric · 6 Comments
lots of things going on today, so i won’t be able to hit you guys up with a super-original post. i do, however, want to share some insightfulness that i found through my daily perusing that reiterates exactly what i’ve been trying to preach in my whole ‘black tech, through tech‘ philosophy.
infrastructure.
funding for infrastructure is needed and we need to make sure that this upcoming election focuses on the importance and vitality of hbcu’s that ultimately affect america’s overall competitive health.
By the year 2010, according to the National Science Foundation (NSF), this country will need to produce 11,000 Ph.D.s in engineering and science annually. Concurrently, the annual Ph.D. shortfall could be about 9,600 by the year 2000.
This substantial shortfall cannot–and will not–be alleviated by continued dependence upon the “good ole boy” network of traditional sources of scientists and engineers. It will be physiologically impossible for Yale, Harvard, Berkeley, Michigan, MIT, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins universities–alone–to pick up the slack with regards to our national needs as far as economic development is concerned.
This means that increasingly, as already signaled by the federal government, there will be more and more dependence upon the productivity by historically Black institutions.
more at diverseeducation.com
(image from collegeanswer.com)
updated: i also found a report about diverse magazine’s recently published study that georgia tech was the leading school for african-american technological graduate degrees from 2005-2006. other top universities include morgan state and north carolina a&t. (via georgia tech)
Popularity: 1%
Tags:
Awareness · Community · News · Race · Tech
Share:
6 responses so far ↓
1 Laderadvisor // Jul 16, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Unfortunately, the HBCU’s are not focused on expanding their graduate programs or undergraduate interests, especially for technology. As a computer science major from Spelman (in the early 80s), even with what few developments they had in tech then, tech and research support was scant. I remember when Morehouse and Spelman shared a single Linotype-esque machine, and we had to sign up in advance to use it. Crazy, huh?
I love the AUC, the contacts there and the education I received have propelled me into the career I have today. But at the same time, the schools seem more keen on developing lawyers and executives than researchers. I hope the government and the schools work to allocate more money to these departments in the future.
2 Black Ph.D. Chemist // Jul 17, 2007 at 12:29 am
As an Atlanta Native and Tech Alum, I’m obviously quite proud of the continued success of the Institute.
Though, on the outside looking in, I would think that the problem for HBCU’s might be the huge capital investment that science and engineering require of an institution.
Do HBCU’s have the alumni/corporate donor network to remain at the forefront in facilities?
Government dollars rarely fund more than people and equipment, brick and mortar appears to come mostly from alumni donors and capital campaigns?
3 ybpreader // Jul 17, 2007 at 8:34 am
What is the return on pursuing an advanced degree in a STEM field these days? I can be an investment banker and earn more than double what an engineering Ph.D would earn annually?
And you have to contend with ‘plantation tax’, ‘glass ceilings’ and everything else. Here’s an interesting story I listened to on NPR about a black Professor’s struggle with MIT.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10982521
4 Ibn Adam // Jul 17, 2007 at 12:51 pm
HBCUs are in serious financial difficulty. How nice it would have been if Madame O had give 40 million dollars to the HBCUs to fund tech programs and bail them out of debt. The HBCUs have served well but ever since civil rights laws opened the door to the white schools there has been a steady drain away from the HBCUs. White schools have been taking the cream of the crop of Black America. Now the take the cream of Africa, Asia, India and classify them as minorities and reduce the number of seats for Black Americans.
5 ETS // Jul 17, 2007 at 6:09 pm
To get more black Ph. D’s in the sciences and engineering you have to start at elementary schools. It’s not as if many qualified people - black and white - are avoiding these programs because they WANT to do something else, many people CAN NOT keep up with the work load of these programs. It is not easy work. Folks must start young.
Yes, funding is and has always been an issue …. and it will continue to be an issue. Many HBCUs have to worry about keeping some of their most popular undergrad programs. Starting a Ph. D. in engineering is definitely considered a luxury. Even if Oprah DID give $40 million to the HBCU of her choice - which she does not have to do, you would have to have qualified folks overseeing the funds. If not, chaos will ensue (I’m talking to you Morris Brown College).
And if the government, expects HBCUs to catch up with these leading producers of Ph. D.s they really need to put their money where their mouths are. These ivies can do these kind of things because as my line brother says, “Harvard still has money from the pilgrims.”
6 Ibn Adam // Jul 29, 2007 at 6:12 am
Do the Black Greeks really want to have a 1oo million dollar endowment fund to benefit HBCUs and the ‘Negro’ Black American students they were created to serve? Do the Black Congressmen and women in Washington want to have a 100 million dollar endowment established as a memorial and in the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to be controlled by and for the benefit of HBCUs? Take action read go and read the points at: http://empowerment.weblog.peacezone.net/
Love your PC:
$100 in Free Links
Leave a Comment