States and the global economy

The opening general session for the NCSL Annual Meeting involved a panel discussion of the challenges of a quickly expanding global economy facing state level government. Panelists Frederick Smith (CEO, FedEx), James Sasser (former ambassador to China), and Congressman John Tanner (TN) explored states' roles in the emerging global economy and the benefit from planning a more active participation.

While each panelist agreed to the importance of states facilitating international commerce for the long-range betterment of their communities, all strongly expressed the need for an educated population (especially in math and the sciences) for success in the global arena. Ambassador Sasser also emphasized the need to address the issue of the increasingly large class of disenfranchised and undereducated Americans.

Pertinent to this issue of education, the sciences and opportunity, the National Academies Press (NAP) has published a book examining the "recruitment, retention, and promotion for women scientists and engineers in academia." Looking at "successful strategies" in recruitment of female undergraduates and graduate students; methods to reduce the attrition in undergraduate years; ways to improve retention rates during the important transition points (undergraduate to graduate, graduate to postdoc, postdoc to faculty positions), and to increase the tenured and administrative opportunities, this guide:

offers numerous solutions that may be of use to other universities and colleges and will be an essential resource for anyone interested in improving the position of women students, faculty, deans, provosts, and presidents in science and engineering.

To Recruit and Advance: Women Students and Faculty in U.S. Science and Engineering
(available as an Open Book from NAP)