Science Majors Increases Dramatically Across CSUS
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Top-Notch Facilities Spur Student Interest in Scientific Fields; Emphasis on STEM Academic Areas, State’s Economic Growth; Graduate Program in Nanotechnology Being Developed
The number of students majoring in the sciences has grown by 32 percent during the past five years across the Connecticut State University System (CSUS), responding to a persistent need in the state and nation for more young people to pursue careers in science and science education. CSUS includes Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut State Universities. The universities have heightened their emphasis in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and plan to launch a new collaborative graduate program in nanotechnology.
While the number of science majors has increased at all four universities, the growth has jumped by more than 50 percent at the two universities where new academic science buildings have opened to students in recent years,
“It appears that the phrase ‘if you build it, they will come’ holds true for students and science,” said Karl J. Krapek, chairman of the CSUS Board of Trustees. “We’ve said that Connecticut students deserve first-rate facilities, and this data tells us that when our students are provided with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, along with top caliber faculty, they will stay in our state and major in science in increasing numbers. This is great news for Connecticut.”
The number of students majoring in scientific academic disciplines including biochemistry, bimolecular sciences, meteorology, chemistry, earth and planetary sciences, environmental science, physics and related fields increased from 1,373 in 2005 to 1,818 in 2009 across the four universities.
At Eastern, which opened a new science classroom building in 2008, the number of science majors climbed from 222 in 2005 to 343 in 2009, a 54 percent increase. At Western, where a new Science Building opened on the Midtown Campus in 2005, the number of science majors grew from 239 to 362, an increase of 51 percent. The increase was 34 percent at Central and 10 percent at Southern.
“High school students with an interest in science, when considering where to attend college, are extremely interested in the level of the facilities that will be available to them. The construction of new facilities, and bringing them online, has had a dramatic impact on the numbers,” said CSUS Chancellor David G. Carter.
Carter said that in addition to the increasing number of students choosing to major in science, an increasing number of non-majors are also benefitting from the science facilities by taking a wide range of science classes as part of their academic programs.
“We are opening up the world of science to more and more of our students, majors and non-majors. In an era that is increasingly driven by innovation and discovery in so many fields, this is particularly important for our students’ future, and the future of our state,” Carter added. “For Connecticut-based businesses looking to hire students with scientific knowledge and background, these numbers are tremendously encouraging. When students have had hands-on experience with the latest technology, they can move seamlessly into the workforce. That’s absolutely critical.”
Focus on Science, STEM fields
The expanding science programs reflect an increased emphasis in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the CSUS universities, responding to state and national concerns about the decline in interest and expertise in the STEM disciplines.The United States Department of Defense reported earlier this year that a “significant national decline” in the number of U.S. college graduates with science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees is “harming our national security.” The report said that as a nation, “our ability to compete in the increasingly internationalized stage will be hindered without college graduates with the ability to understand and innovate cutting edge technologies in the decades to come.” In addition, a report issued earlier this year by the National Science Foundation found that “compared to their U.S. counterparts, undergraduate students in foreign countries chose natural science and engineering disciplines as their primary field of study at considerably higher rates.”
Southern teaches introductory physics to more students than any other university in the state, and the university recently added a new program in forensic anthropology as well as a concentration in engineering. It has also established the Center for Excellence in Mathematics and Science, which includes scholarships for outstanding high school and community college students looking to specialize in the STEM disciplines, as well as a program introducing elementary school students to the field of engineering and another designed to provide support for women interested in entering these fields.
Eastern has developed a new Sustainable Energy Studies track in the university’s Environmental Earth Science degree, as well as a new minor within its Computer Science program for students interested in simulation, human machine interaction and gaming. Eastern also graduates more math majors than all but one college or university in the state, and the university’s Institute for Sustainable Energy has been a leader in involving students in work with municipal governments, local school districts and businesses across the state to improve energy efficiency and promote job opportunities in the sustainable energy field.
At Western, professors working with non-profit organizations are gathering information and researching ways to preserve two important regional water resources. Two research projects seek to test and evaluate strategies for more effective containment and eradication of Eurasian watermilfoil in Candlewood Lake, Connecticut’s largest lake. The growth has had a significant impact on Candlewood’s overall ecological balance, as well as recreational use of its 60-mile shoreline. WCSU student research assistants under the supervision of Dr. Mitch Wagener, professor of biology and environmental sciences, have participated in a pilot study to address the problem. At the same time, WCSU students and faculty led by Dr. Theodora Pinou, WCSU associate professor of biology and environmental sciences, are working with the community to start cleaning up the water and restore balance to Danbury’s Lake Kenosia.
In a partnership between Western and two local school districts, Danbury and Bethel, Exploration Academy was launched to bring middle school students onto campus. The programs recognizes that successful preparation for college can begin long before the latter years of high school, especially for students from low income families or other at-risk situations. The effort also is meant to benefit girls who have the aptitude for math and science but are steered away from those fields at a young age.
At Central, the recently added mechanical engineering program “is fulfilling one of this state’s highest workforce demands. The good news is that we currently have twice as many fully qualified students in the program as we had anticipated when we applied for the state licensure for this program, and at least 85 percent of our graduates remain in the state,” points out Dean Zdzislaw Kremens of the School of Engineering and Technology.
Earlier this year, CSUS and the Connecticut Science Center launched a collaborative venture, the "i4 Initiative," which showcases science research and applications underway led by faculty at the four universities, and highlights career paths for young people pursuing scientific fields.
Initial applications developed by CSUS faculty and currently being featured include geology, genetics, navigation and technological simulations in healthcare. Gallery science programs, podcasts, and web resources are also part of the initiative, now underway at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford. More information is available at http://www.ctsciencecenter.org/educate/i4-initiative.aspx
New Graduate Certificate in Nanotechnology Being Established
The CSUS universities are also completing development of a system-wide nanotechnology initiative that will offer a graduate certificate, with coursework at all four of the universities, tentatively slated to begin next fall. With a $750,000 grant from the federal Department of Energy supporting specialized equipment purchase, faculty development and curriculum development, the academic initiative will include the disciplines of physics, chemistry and biology. To fully make use of the expertise of faculty, specialized equipment and facilities, the initiative creates the CSUS Nanotechnology Center at Southern Connecticut State University with Nanotechnology Hubs at each of the other institutions in the system.The 12 credit nanotechnology program will offer courses that include material characterization, physics and chemistry of nanoscale materials, fabrication techniques, nanoscale applications, microscopy with emphasis on atomic force, transmission and scanning electron techniques, and applications in nanobiology and nanomedicine. The curriculum is currently being finalized, and is slated to be available to students next fall.
The nanotechnology initiative has been developed by a committee of faculty and administrators from each of the four universities, working with the System Office to secure federal funding, and developing program plans and guidelines during the past year.
"Our goal is to design a program that fits the needs of Connecticut’s students and industry while building on the many existing strengths of our faculty. There are several nanotech graduate certificate programs elsewhere in the country (e.g., Lehigh University, U of Penn and George Mason). What sets our program apart is the level of collaboration among the CSUS faculty which maximizes the use of resources and talent," said Christine Broadbridge, Chair of the Department of Physics at Southern Connecticut State University.
The federal government has identified nanotechnology as having the potential to profoundly change our economy and improve our standard of living, in a manner not unlike the impact made by advances over the past two decades by information technology.
“With our extraordinarily talented science and technology faculty, the universities will offer a cutting edge nanotech education program for graduate-level students. In doing so, all of our students, including undergraduates, will benefit from the expertise and equipment that will be available at the universities,” said Louise Feroe, CSUS Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs.
With 36,500 students in undergraduate and graduate programs, the Connecticut State University System is the state’s largest university system. Ninety-three percent of students are from Connecticut, and 86 percent remain in the state after graduation to pursue their career.
