Letters to the Editor

Philadelphia Inquirer, The, August, 2008

Supply, demand Re: "As chemists gather, let's refocus efforts to gain diversity in science," Tuesday: Catherine T. Hunt, past president of the American Chemical Society, plays a familiar refrain. Her message is that we need more students (especially women and minority students) to take up science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) so our country can compete more effectively in the world economy.

The blind spot in the argument is that there is not the slightest indication that our economy can absorb additional STEM professionals. Recent graduates as well as seasoned veterans in STEM abandon the profession because they don't find suitable full-time salaried employment. The excitement of science and the presumed gratitude of their fellow Americans do not pay the...