Page 36 - Spring 2007

traditional Caucasian and Asian-American groups that have dominated STEM. Unless we find a way to appeal to the Hispanic and African-American students, we might find it impossible to replace acousticians who retire and the field will shrivel. In fact, this is precisely the concern that the Navy has more broadly. It has found that the majority of its leaders, particularly in science, are nearing retirement and insuffi- cient numbers of students are interested in replacing them.
Second, there is a strong business case for diversity, i.e., data have shown that more diverse companies do far better than competitors with less diversity. In the STEM fields, diversity is driven by a number of factors—the globalization of business requiring an employee base that is comfortable and accepted in a wide variety of cultures, the need for a broad range of perspectives to enhance the critical design function in products, and the need for more technically
10,11
Thus, our lack of diversity in the acoustics profession could be hurt- ing the ability of manufacturers to produce products that
trained graduates to meet the demands of industry.
appeal to a broad audience.
Third, there is a compelling argument that seeking diver-
sity is the right thing to do. Public education in the US was established as a public good and it has largely remained the best route out of poverty for disadvantaged people because education leads to jobs that pay enough for families to thrive in some measure of comfort. This is particularly true for edu- cation in STEM fields, where salaries tend to be higher than those in nontechnical areas at all levels. Given that minorities are disproportionately represented among those considered disadvantaged, encouraging students from underrepresented groups to pursue STEM education raises significantly their hopes of building a comfortable life. Further, it raises the probability that they will contribute to the economic welfare of their locale, an issue of importance to everyone living in that region.
While many in the STEM fields have recognized the importance of diversity for some time, the problem of attract- ing and retaining students has proven extremely difficult to address. Several projects that have produced impressive gains have been unsustainable without constant attention and ded- icated resources. Having considered the projects designed to achieve a more diverse student body in STEM fields at the college and university level, we believe that a key problem is that most focus on infrastructural issues (tutoring, social net- works, etc.) rather than the curriculum that forms the core of the experience for students. Unfortunately, when one consid- ers the curriculum in STEM fields, it is perceived as uninter- esting and unappealing, particularly in the first year or two, when students might not take a single course in their major department.
We believe that it is possible to impact the recruitment and retention of students in STEM fields, including acoustics, through development of a more appealing and appropriate cur- riculum. Primarily our work on this topic has considered the total revamping of the undergraduate curriculum in mechani-
12
Our hypothesis is that mechanical engineer- ing will be more attractive to a diverse community if the cur- riculum is changed to show more connections between techni- cal topics and between technical and nontechnical topics, to
cal engineering.
focus more on the social aspects and implications of the subject, to reduce critical path lengths to permit students to transfer into the major without requiring extra time in school, to intro- duce greater teaming experiences, and to create an atmosphere of inclusivity rather than exclusivity. While acoustics is not identical to mechanical engineering, we believe the same prin- ciples hold. It should be possible to attract a more diverse stu- dent population to the field through curricular change without reduction of technical rigor.
The literature points to some successful strategies for attracting and retaining underrepresented populations in STEM fields. For instance, women and underrepresented minorities are far more likely than majority males to choose a college major that will address issues of cultural and social importance and lead to improvements in the quality of life for disadvantaged populations. This suggests the develop- ment of new applications for classes that make the relevance of the field to everyday life clear. Further, the choice of appli- cation should reflect some cultural sensitivity to distinctions between various cultures and ethnic groups. In the US, for instance, Hispanic and African-American populations are far more likely than majority populations to be urban dwellers. They are far less likely than majority populations to own a car or to fly regularly. Does it make sense, then, to focus applica- tions on cars and airplanes and wonder why the material does not attract minority students? It is this sort of cultural sensitivity that led Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to develop strong music programs early in their history as a means of appealing to a population well known for its involvement in music from an early age. In this sense, we have a wonderful opportunity to capitalize in acoustics as well, since musical acoustics is a strong part of the profession. However, there is little evidence that we have taken advantage of this opportunity to attract greater diversi- ty to acoustics programs.
Entertainment represents one of the most popular profes- sions in the Black and Hispanic communities, yet little has been done to introduce this population to the technical aspects of entertainment. Talent is certainly inspirational, but the under- lying technologies represent a wealth of opportunities and should be a motivating factor for continuing studies in STEM.
While there have been great gains in women and minority students choosing a mathematically rigorous route in high school, there are still significant gaps between the participation of women and minorities on one hand, and their male counter- parts on the other in such programs. It is possible to interpret this distinction as proving that women and minorities are less prepared for STEM higher education. However, one could also interpret the data as suggesting that STEM ought not to assume great mathematical knowledge in entering students. Indeed, although mathematics achievement is often used as an admis- sion criterion for STEM programs, virtually all programs teach the mathematics required starting with calculus (and make it possible to take remedial courses in algebra). In considering undergraduate acoustics courses, this returns us to the earlier discussion of order of topical presentation in a survey course. By starting with derivation of the wave equation, arguably the most mathematically rigorous topic presented, we are sending a mes- sage that students without a great mathematical background
34 Acoustics Today, April 2007