Distinctives of High Producers of Minority Science and Engineering Doctoral Starts

Demographic shifts in recent years have resulted in a smaller proportion of white males in the American population. Historically, we have depended on these individuals to comprise almost all of the science and engineering doctorates for our workforce. America must now develop S&E talent more fully among minority groups and women. Colleges and universities have moved ahead admirably in bringing these individuals into S&E programs and preparing them for doctoral study. Predictably, some have had greater success than others. The present study was completed under a National Science Foundation grant. It sought to identify the more successful institutions and to identify the elements of their success in an effort to effect a sharing of know-how. The National Research Council was asked to rank-order institutions according to their rates of success in sending Indian, Hispanic and black students on to graduate study in science and engineering. Site visits and interviews were made at ten of the top institutions. Using George Kuh's rubric for involving institutions, site visitors identified valuable threads among the practices for talent development among the populations under study.     

CLOTHING PREFERENCES OF OLDER WOMEN: IMPLICATIONS FOR GERONTOLOGY AND THE AMERICAN CLOTHING INDUSTRY

This paper reports the findings of a study investigating the clothing preferences and problems of older women. The sample consisted of thirty women age 65 years and over who were members of two clubs in Tallahassee, Florida. Personal interviews were conducted by the researcher in the home of each respondent.

Style features discovered to be preferred were A‐line skirts; princess, A‐line, and shift dresses; V‐necklines; convertible collars; long with cuff, three‐quarter length, and short sleeve styles. Color preferences revealed blue as the most popular color for clothing. Implications of the research for gerontologists in higher education and for the American clothing industry are cited and discussed.     

Reflections on International Projects in Undergraduate CS Education

Educational methods race to keep pace with the opportunities afforded by technology, and in computer science we need methods that tie together the diverse aspects of the discipline and set them in a realistic human context. Projects have the potential to address various aims and perspectives, and international projects add new dimensions to student teamwork, requiring students to handle collaboration that is remote, cross-cultural, and linguistically challenging. This paper examines some of the educational issues associated with international projects, in the discussion of two examples: PASTICS and Runestone.     

Creating School Environments Responsive to Gay,Lesbian, Bisexual,and Transgender Families: Traditional and Systemic Approaches for Consultation

The authors review research on (a) gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) families and the nature of discrimination against them; (b) school factors that hinder and facilitate equity for GLBT families; (c) instituting change through organizational consultation or large group-level strategies; and (d) instituting change through traditional consultation or small group and individual level strategies. Taking an ecological perspective, the school is viewed as a system trying to maintain the status quo in the face of increasing pressures to change. The need for systemic change when establishing antiharassment and GLBT-friendly environments in schools is highlighted. The consultant identifies the obstacles hindering change and empowers the system to reorganize itself and connect with resources that will help establish collaboration between straight and gay members of the school community. This role requires a unique combination of expertise in social processes, group dynamics, organizational change, and GLBT issues. Specific consultant strategies for small groups and individuals are identified. Resources for consultants and future research directions also are provided.