Schools aid fight for math, science

Universities must address the nation’s shortage of math and science professionals, UNC-system officials say, but state schools won’t have as much of an influence on the problem as other groups.

The decreasing number of people choosing math and science careers, along with the concern that other countries will surpass the United States in technology development, has some looking to the nation’s universities for help.

It’s a problem that hits close to home. Carr Thompson, senior program and communications officer for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, said earlier this week that North Carolina needs 9,000 to 11,000 more teachers with a background in math or science.

North Carolina boasts a pool of talent in scientific and mathematical fields, said Joe Freddoso, director of Research Triangle Park site operations at Cisco Systems.

Freddoso said Cisco has had great success in recruiting employees from all schools in the UNC system. He estimates that during the past two years, the company has hired 25 percent of its employees from the state.

But, he added, the supply of qualified graduates soon could dry up. “What I’m worried about is if we don’t produce enough graduates in the U.S.,” he said.

University officials also face the challenge of addressing the lack of teachers and the shortfalls of their own math and science programs.

Freddoso said the way to produce more students is to hire quality middle- and high-school math and science teachers who will make the fields more exciting to students.

Good math and science teachers would influence children to major in these fields when they enter college, he said.

One of the universities Cisco recruits from is N.C. State University, known nationally for its engineering programs.

John Penick, head of the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education at N.C. State, said the university has some of the most qualified faculty in the sciences. But students won’t teach math and science in public schools because North Carolina doesn’t pay its teachers as much as other states.

In addition to offering more money, Penick said, the UNC system should increase the range of qualified students by making itself more attractive to those outside the state.

Gretchen Bataille, UNC-system senior vice president of academic affairs, said that officials are aware of the problem, but that right now they are simply discussing the issues.

“We’re concerned about how low the numbers are,” she said. She added that she and Richard Thompson, who works with the UNC system to attract workers to N.C. public schools, met with deans of colleges of education and arts and sciences to talk about ways to stimulate enthusiasm for teaching math and science.

Bataille said that if the trend continues, the United States will lose not only manufacturing jobs but also the power to design new innovative technology.

“Right now we can brag that we have many critical thinking aspects of (technology) design. But it’s not very far away to say that we will lose the brain power which has characterized the United States.”

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.