Humanities majors are used to answering the question, "So, what are you going to do with that degree?" The common misconception is that students in humanities programs don't learn any useful skills for the real world. In "Major Trade-Offs," sociologist Corey Moss-Pech argues that not only do humanities majors learn real-world…

On September 22, 2022, the National Academy of Sciences held a symposium entitled Endless Frontier 2022: Research and Higher Education Institutions for the Next 75 Years. The event was a follow up to a February 2020 NAS symposium convened to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the landmark report Science, the Endless Frontier. Building on the 2020…

The vitality of the innovation economy in the United States depends on the availability of a highly educated technical workforce. A key component of this workforce consists of engineers, engineering technicians, and engineering technologists. However, unlike the much better-known field of engineering, engineering technology (ET) is unfamiliar to…

The Lifelong Learning Imperative (LLI) project was initiated to assess current practices in lifelong learning for engineering professionals, reexamine the underlying assumptions behind those practices, and outline strategies for addressing unmet needs. The LLI project brought together leaders of U.S. industry, academia, government, and…

The rapid growth in online and virtual learning opportunities has created culturally diverse classes and corporate training sessions. Instruction for these learning opportunities must adjust to meet participant needs. "Online Course Management: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications" is a comprehensive reference source for the…

The National Research Council (NRC) and National Academy of Engineering (NAE) have released a new report, "Community Colleges in the Evolving STEM Education Landscape: Summary of a Summit." Based on a national summit that was supported by the National Science Foundation and organized by the NRC and the NAE, the report highlights the importance of…

Science, engineering, and technology permeate nearly every facet of modern life and hold the key to solving many of humanity's most pressing current and future challenges. The United States' position in the global economy is declining, in part because U.S. workers lack fundamental knowledge in these fields. To address the critical issues of U.S.…

In the face of so many daunting near-term challenges, U.S. government and industry are letting the crucial strategic issues of U.S. competitiveness slip below the surface. Five years ago, the National Academies prepared "Rising Above the Gathering Storm," a book that cautioned: "Without a renewed effort to bolster the foundations of…

In order for the United States to maintain the global leadership and competitiveness in science and technology that are critical to achieving national goals, we must invest in research, encourage innovation, and grow a strong and talented science and technology workforce. "Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation" explores the…

Engineering education in K-12 classrooms is a small but growing phenomenon that may have implications for engineering and also for the other STEM subjects--science, technology, and mathematics. Specifically, engineering education may improve student learning and achievement in science and mathematics, increase awareness of engineering and the work…

Women faculty's participation in academic science and engineering is critical for future US global competitiveness, yet their underrepresentation particularly in senior positions remains a widespread problem. To overcome persistent institutional resistance and barriers to change, the "NSF ADVANCE" institutional transformation initiative,…

In January 2006, the President announced a new civilian space policy focusing on exploration. As part of its preparations to implement that policy, NASA asked the NRC to explore long-range science and technology workforce needs to achieve the space exploration vision, identify obstacles to filling those needs, and put forward solutions to those…

The study employs economic models of supply decisions, employer demand decisions and market interactions to examine scientific, engineering, and technical manpower utilization. The introduction surveys the major reasons for the perennial concern about manpower supply in the field, and examines problems of defining the occupations under study. A…

A study examined the effect of national culture and institutional tradition on the response of engineering companies and their management to product-technology and market changes in the United Kingdom in the 1980s. Data were collected from semistructured interviews of managers at 24 small, medium, and large engineering firms. The introduction of…

Community colleges play an important role in starting students on the road to engineering careers, but students often face obstacles in transferring to four-year educational institutions to continue their education. "Enhancing the Community College Pathway to Engineering Careers," a new book from the National Academy of Engineering and the…