Black History Month Keynote Luncheon: "Diversity in Science & Engineering: Regions of Influence" - Dr. Claudia Alexander

As we've seen with the recent election, the demographics of the United States are changing, having an effect not only on the electorate, but also on professional fields such as science and engineering. Years ago, the President of the American Geophysical Union asked Dr. Alexander to 'teach us about the diversity issue.' His concern --  the shrinking pool from which future professors in Geophysics were going to come from, and the need to draw from a wider demographic. The result, a special issue of the Journal of Geoscience Education [2007] edited by Drs. Alexander and Riggs on the so-called 'diversity issue;' attrition from the Geo-sciences by peoples of color, and what the future might look like. In this talk, Dr. Alexander will discuss some of the surprising findings highlighted in this special issue, and some personal experiences that would go counter to evidence provided. Dr. Claudia Alexander currently serves as the U.S. Project Scientist on NASA's contribution to the International Rosetta mission. RSVP online at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BHMKeynoteLuncheon2013