Shepherd in Ebony: how to be competitive in STEM career fields

Geography professor and president of the American Meteorological Society J. Marshall Shepherd has an article out in the current issue of Ebony magazine extolling how African Americans can be more competitive in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers of the future:

As a professional in the atmospheric sciences,  I see how extreme weather like Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Katrina and changing climate affect society. As a result, President Obama continues to tout a new “green” economy built on renewable energy, climate change solutions, and sustainability.  This economy will require a new generation of professionals that understand changing weather patterns, climate science, wind and solar engineering, environmental sustainability, and mitigation-adaptation strategies,

U​nfortu​nately, many African Americans won’t be prepared for them due to woeful under-representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.  According to The National Science Foundation, only 9.9% of master's degrees in STEM fields were awarded to Blacks as compared to 63.2% of Whites.  Surprisingly, this is an improvement. In 2001, Blacks made up only 8.6% of STEM-field master's degrees. While we are headed in the right direction, the number of Blacks in STEM fields is far too small. Fortunately, there are some things we as a community can do to improve the situation.

Read the rest at the link. Kudos to Dr. Shepherd for taking to the popular media to get (further) involved with the future of young people and the future of the country.

Image: Ebony magazine.