Christopher M. KeaneAmerican Geological Institute

October 2007

AGI Council MeetingDenver CO

5

0% of geoscience highest degree earners do NOT work as geoscientists

5

0% of working geoscientists do NOT have their highest degree in

geosciences

F

unctionally no unemployment of MS & Ph.D.s

R

apid new hire demand

E

mployer dissatisfaction with new hires

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

4000019

5519

5719

5919

6119

6319

6519

6719

6919

7119

7319

7519

7719

7919

8119

8319

8519

8719

8919

9119

9319

9519

9719

9920

0120

0320

05

Ma

jors

Undergraduate

Graduate

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

800019

73

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

B.S.

M.S.

Ph.D.

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

Year

Per

cen

t F

emal

e

Enrolled

Graduated

2004

50

NSF/AGI/BLS

Petroleum43%

Mining12%

Other Services1%

Environmental8%

Exec. Management1%

Academia17%

Government18%

2005

Academic7%

Government12%

Petroleum50%

Mining9%

Environmental7%

Retired/Unemployed10%

Other5%

1986

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

State

/Loca

l

Feder

al

Enviro

nmen

tal

Min

ing

Petro

leum

Academ

iaK-1

2

High T

ech

Gener

al B

usines

s

Continue

Educatio

n

Other

Outsid

e of G

eosc

ience

Inte

nti

on

Rat

e

AGI

GeologistsPetroleum $107KMining $69KFinance $84KConsulting $68KAcademia $58KGovernment

Federal $86KState $51KLocal $62K

HydrologistsConsulting $65KAcademia $57KGovernment

Federal $75KState $52KLocal $63K

BLS

A

ttrition Math

340,000 Intro Geo Students

6,000 New Geo Majors Per Year

2,700 New Geo BS Degrees Per Year

1

3% of BS geology recipients go on to a career in the

geosciences

Substantial hiring of new geology/env. science BS recipients

What are their REAL future prospects?

Professional geoscientist?

Starbucks Barista?

Wal-Mart Greeter?

Is the profession serving them honestly?

Gender

Females now dominate at the university Geoscience second at attracting women Industry discontinuing female preferences

Race

Minorities tend not to move for college Few geo programs near minority areas Most come through Community Colleges Lack of cultural continuity

There are 602 BS-granting geo departments

Physics has fewer than 300…. Chemistry has 1100… Average of <5 grads per year per department

There are 379 MS-granting geo departments

75% of MS degrees come from 10 programs Average of 1 grad per year per department

There are 268 Ph.D.-granting geo departments

58% of new Ph.D.s go into a Post Doc…. Average of 1 grad per year per department

Top students choose certainty

Medicine, Law, and Business ~17% STEM BS grads go to professional school High entrance requirements Fixed exit from graduate school High completion rate High economic return

Science & Engineering ~10% STEM BS grads continue in STEM areas Lower entrance requirements Vague completion timeframe Low graduation rates Unattractive earning potential

Zumeta & Raveling, 2002

H

ostility towards private sector Source of bulk of opportunities

“

Environmental Awareness” Student interest declines precipitously

P

reference for government Little to no hiring growth

2

9% of students intend to look at “non-traditional” careers

1. Self-Efficacy Work towards tangible success Make the class attractive and applied

2. Outcome Expectations Promote rewards of the success Social & Intellectual Standing

3. Interest Align with interests and currency Be innovative Make success attainable

Akbulut & Looney, ACM Communications, October 2007

U

S Government data collection is modeled after

manufacturing

Working with Labor/Commerce reform efforts

T

rack economic indicators and analyze for potential leading

indicators

R

apid information dissemination

K

-10

Covered by AGI Curricula

M

ajors and Grad Students

Covered by Societies and Departments

C

areer Decision Point is 11th grade to Sophomore year!

We have a vacuum

Immerse in current networking methods

Facebook, etc.

Communicate relevantly

Use social context Avoid subdisciplines and industry boundaries

Recognize importance of parents

Hit their need to succeed

Engage as a professional from day 1, not after the Ph.D.

Print pieces

Parents/counselors/students

Editable media

Templates with content that can be modified by societies, departments, etc.

Video/Audio

Engage in “recreational venues” Utilize existing vetted resources like Faces of Earth and Geotimes

Remain flexible in format and style

E

ngage from day 1 as a professional

D

evelop & Promote Scholarships/Aid

“

Welcome Packets” to new majors/prospects

E

nable multiple society memberships

C

ompete with the outside, not each other

P

romote internships at all levels

AGI leverages its strengths

Wide and deep K-12 presence Mass media experience Popular communications History of data collection/analysis

Societies leverage their strengths

Bring the profession to the student Key to link students to their future

Departments

“Set the hook” on interested students