September 21, 2007

Despite years of research on ways to reform graduate education, young scientists face uncertain futures in academe.

• ONE PATH TO CHANGE: The chemistry department at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor requires graduate students to rotate through several specialties before picking one.

August 17, 2007

New studies shed light on whether getting students into the lab earlier makes a difference.

• THE STUDIES: The details of three projects to investigate undergraduate research.
• A MYTH BUSTED: Recent studies show that undergraduates' research experiences are no more successful at small colleges than they are at large universities.

August 3, 2007

Proponents of new ways to teach science to undergraduates face resistance, especially at research universities.

Today the alarm is sounding about a new threat: the rising technological prowess of China and India. In response, Congress and President Bush recently enacted legislation intended to produce more scientists and engineers. While educators disagree over whether more American scientists are, in fact, needed, they do agree that for the United States to remain economically competitive and to confront complex problems like global warming and energy shortages, the quality of teaching in science, mathematics, and engineering must be improved at all levels.

In the coming months, The Chronicle will publish a series of articles on what colleges are doing, or not doing, to improve instruction and training in those fields. As national attention on science teaching grows, it remains to be seen if America's response will resemble the vigorous one that followed followed the release of Sputnik 50 years ago this October, or a muted echo.