GeoSpectrum

AGI Geoscience Workforce analyst, Leila Gonzales presented a Betty Vetter Research Seminar on October 22, 2008. Gonzales’ presentation “Tracking the Dynamics of the Geoscience Workforce” focused on the earth science education requirements in grades K-12 nationwide, enrollment trends in the geosciences at U.S. colleges and universities, career and salary paths of those with geosciences degrees, diversity issues, and most importantly the increased demand in geosciences workforce versus the stagnant growth in the number of students majoring in the geosciences.

The seminar was held at the American Association for the Advancement of Science building located in Washington, D.C., The Betty Vetter Research Seminar series is sponsored by the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology and takes place monthly.

Click here to view the talk: “Tracking the Dynamics of the Geoscience Workforce”- Betty Vetter Research Seminar October 22, 2008

Geoscience Currents #16 presents data from federal sources, professional societies, and industry that indicate an imbalance in the age distribution of geoscientists in the profession. The percentage of geoscientists between 31 and 35 years of age is less than half of geoscientists between 51-55 years old. Read more in Geoscience Currents #16: Geoscience Workforce Age Distribution.

Geoscience Currents #15 investigates the distribution of under-represented minorities in the United States and the distribution of universities with geoscience departments.  States where under-represented minorities make up more than 35% of the population typically have a larger number of 4-year degree-granting institutions. However, less than half of those schools offer geoscience degrees. Read more in Geoscience Currents #15: Under-Represented Minorities and Geoscience Departments.

Geoscience Currents #12 examines the current age distribution of geoscience faculty in the United States by rank. As expected, the average age of a given faculty rank increases as the rank increases. Of note also is that the cross-over point of full professors and emeritus faculty is in the early 70s.

AGI’s workforce program’s Geoscience Currents #9 looks at gender in the geoscience faculty. Women make up only 14.2% of tenure-track faculty in U.S. geosciences departments compared to 28% in tenure-track positions in all science and engineering fields. This number has not changed significantly since 1973. Yet, women are increasingly earning their degrees, at all levels, in the geosciences.