Opportunities in the Hydrologic Sciences (1991) / Chapter Skim
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5. Education in the Hydrologic Sciences
5. Education in the Hydrologic Sciences
Pages 275-295
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From page 275... ...
The research focus in these departments has properly been the analysis and solution of problems related to engineering practice, on the premise that these problems contribute palpably to the technical knowledge base required for water resources allocation, the management of floods and droughts, and pollution control. Current societal needs, as expressed through legislative action or executive orders, are as important to the choice of research problems and their methods of solution as are the flow of scientific ideas and technological breakthroughs.
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From page 276... ...
The warp of this intellectual fabric consists of the three traditional geoscience threads: solid earth science, atmospheric science, and ocean science. The weft contains multidisciplinary threads among which hydrologic science is dominant by virtue of its central role in cycling energy and matter.
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From page 277... ...
A solid program of course work with unified requirements would constitute an integral part of a graduate program and thereby ensure that degree candidates in the hydrologic sciences have a common background in fundamental, scientific hydrology. Besides these professional considerations, there are institutional constraints that lead to the conclusion that a hydrologic sciences program should not be "hosted" by a single department in another discipline.
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From page 278... ...
One option is a separate department of hydrologic science. The other two options involve less formal, multidisciplinary programs, in one case autonomously degree-granting and in the other, degree-granting through participating departments.
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From page 279... ...
For research on ground water hydrology, the required perspective is a quantitative focus on the analysis of ground water flow and mass transfer, with an understanding of the fundamental role that geology plays in determining the nature of the subsurface environment. And for research on the chemistry of hydrologic processes, the perspective to be developed in the student is that of the applied chemist who is comfortable working with field scientists (or with engineers)
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From page 280... ...
These disadvantages must be weighed against the benefits from lessened conflicts before deciding how the hydrologic sciences program should be structured. STRUCTURING THE GRADUATE PROGRAM A solid program of course work with unified requirements would constitute an integral part of any graduate program in the hydrologic sciences and thereby ensure that degree candidates would have a common background in fundamental scientific hydrology.
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From page 281... ...
The first step in establishing a graduate program in the hydrologic sciences should be the convening of interested faculty and administrators on a campus to form a working group that will develop an academic plan. This plan should consider such elements as:
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From page 282... ...
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From page 283... ...
Graduate students would be expected to take courses in several disciplinary areas, but these courses would have to conform to the requirements of the hydrologic sciences program. Flexible academic curricula should be developed to enable graduates from the pure sciences and other fields to obtain graduate degrees in the hydrologic sciences without an excessive number of remedial courses.
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From page 284... ...
Perhaps most important, it would help to build a national base of highly trained, multidisciplinary scientists in a critical area of significant potential impact on society. UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN THE HYDROLOGIC SCIENCES Few undergraduate programs exist in hydrology, and most professionals gain entry to the field from engineering or from the geosciences.
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From page 286... ...
This sharp decline in undergraduate degrees in the traditional contributing disciplines is beginning to have an impact at the graduate level, thus affecting the overall health of the hydrologic sciences. Thus the hydrologic sciences face a potential recruitment problem created, at least in part, by new, rather general trends among young people that reduce the number aspiring to a scientific career.
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From page 287... ...
In spite of the importance of the above needs, the role played by undergraduate studies in the hydrologic sciences often is underestimated. Perhaps this happens, in the United States and elsewhere, because of the almost complete absence of academic departments devoted to scientific hydrology.
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From page 288... ...
initiating and administering a multidisciplinary undergraduate major in scientific hydrology. SCIENCE EDUCATION FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL The discussion above makes clear that the success of graduate programs in the hydrologic sciences will depend on the quality of undergraduate preparation in pure science and mathematics, which, in turn, depends critically on the educational background obtained in precollegiate years.
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From page 289... ...
Program improvement can be achieved gradually by changes in school district policies or state laws and more rapidly by school-level planners utilizing, on an ad hoc basis, a diverse spectrum of opportunities to improve science education. Early in the 1980s, a California study of the attitudes and education of teachers regarding science education provided the following information: · Only 5 percent of California school districts employ full-time science specialists.
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From page 290... ...
Given these realities at the elementary school level, what is the probability of seeing a high-quality science background developed in students at the high school level? It is obvious that staff development for both teachers and administrators will play a pivotal role in the improvement of science education.
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From page 291... ...
From 1985 to 1987, the number of American ethnic minorities earning science and engineering B.S. degrees rose 21.6 percent.
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From page 292... ...
Research indicates that, especially for women, the attrition from science and engineering majors is seldom related only to academic talent and achievement (NRC, 1989b)
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From page 293... ...
In its 1989 report, Changing America: The New Face of Science and Engineering, the congressionally mandated Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science and Technology lists actions to be taken to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in science and engineering, and identifies exemplary programs of this nature (TFWM, 1989~. Experts in the field believe that increasing the participation of underrepresented populations should be approached as a systems problem, requiring coordinated changes in policies and procedures rather than isolated, radical interventions without continuity.
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From page 294... ...
294 : ~ OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HYDROLOGIC SCIENCES ~~::~ it: ~ T:HEi~:C:HANGl~:NG~ ~PR^FIL~E~OF T:HE:~H:YDROLOGIC::~:~:OM:M~U~N~ITY~ ~~ ~~ ~:~:~ al ~ ~ .: ~ .
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From page 295... ...
Students who are aware of the availability of financial support in science and engineering disciplines are more likely to pursue such careers. Some successful recruitment and retention programs offer forgivable educational loans to students from underrepresented groups who agree to pursue faculty careers (TFMW, 1989~.
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