NAPE Website

National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation
P.O. Box 369, Cochranville, PA 19330
Phone: 610-593-8038 Fax: 610-593-7283
Email: NAPE@napequity.org

Funded by the National Science
Foundation HRD-0734056

September 2008
STEM Equity Pipeline News

ARTICLES

Tracking the Reasons Many Girls Avoid Science and Math

(ScienceDaily, 9/8/08)
Most parents and many teachers believe that if middle-school and high-school girls show no interest in science or math, there's little anyone can do about it. New research by a team that includes vocational psychologists at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) indicates that the self-confidence instilled by parents and teachers is more important for young girls learning math and science than their initial interest.

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Students Get Taste of Science Online

(Mickey Powell, Bulletin)
An online program aimed at middle school students can help anyone gain a better understanding of science, according to two Martinsville Middle School (MMS) teachers. The JASON Project, a nonprofit National Geographic Society subsidiary, is aimed at motivating students to learn about science through connections with prominent scientists and scientific events, said Lillie Moreland and Chanda Prillaman, who train other teachers to use the program.

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Adam Savage's Plan to Banish Boring Science Education & More: Back-to-School Podcast

(Matt Sullivan, Popular Mechanics)
American teenagers want to invent the solutions that power our future, but feel unprepared by science education-and their newest test scores are backing up that sad state of affairs. All of which has MythBuster and Popular Mechanics contributing editor Adam Savage pretty fired up.

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How to Attract Women to Enterprise IT Jobs

(Laurie M. Orlov, Information Technology)
Whenever a journalist asks whether or why women hate IT, grumps trot out the usual laundry list of clichés and stereotypes about women's supposed genetic disposition against math and science, the lack of role models or the profession's geeky image. It is a problem that more women are not choosing technology careers, but I think we'll solve it only if we start asking the right question: Why should women want to be in IT?

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NASA Wants Students to Choose Sciences

The U.S. space agency and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education say they will work together to encourage students to focus on science studies. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said it signed a cooperative Space Act Agreement to work with Challenger to encourage students to focus on STEM studies and programs. "Through hands-on interactive educational activities, NASA and the Challenger Center will engage students, their teachers, their families and the general public to help increase overall science and technology literacy."

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Project Will Boost Women Faculty in Sciences

Ohio State will use federal funding to help female faculty advance in the sciences by launching a five-year initiative to change academic departmental culture in disciplines in which women are underrepresented on the faculty.

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PUBLICATIONS

Students Perceptions of the Need for Mentoring

In 2006-07, MentorNet surveyed approximately 2,500 STEM undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars about their perceptions of the value and need for mentors. 98% of respondents reported that having a mentor (of some type) was important to them. Gender proved to be a significant factor in determining which respondents were more likely to report that they did not receive any mentoring support in all three mentoring role factors (psychosocial, role modeling and academic/career). Almost 40% of the respondents reported that they were not encouraged by anyone to find a mentor. The outcomes are summarized in three research briefs which focus the results for academic leaders, students, and faculty.

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Report: Plan for New Life Sciences Workers

Nine out of 10 employers in life sciences-related fields are already finding it difficult to hire enough staff to conduct clinical research, and 75 percent reported having problems locating staff in engineering and life science regulatory experience, according to a much-anticipated life sciences industry study released this week.

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