Helping Gifted Black Males Succeed in Science

197 Presentation HELPING GIFTED BLACK MALES SUCCEED IN SCIENCE FREEMAN A. HRABOWSKI, IH, Ph.D. Executive Vice President University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland 21228-5398 Many people are shocked to learn that African-Americans constitute fewer than three percent of American scientists. While the nation suffers a general shortage of African-American scientists and health care professionals, the decreasing number of males enrolling in college suggests that this shortage will become increasingly alarming. One attempt to address this problem is the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). The program is designed to increase the number of AfricanAmericans , especially males, who enter and succeed in undergraduate and ultimately doctoral or professional programs in science and technology. Several studies document the need for such programs. Many AfricanAmerican males avoid advanced mathematics and science courses in high school, possibly because of their teachers' view that they are incapable of successfully competing in these courses. There is also evidence that AfricanAmerican males may not value education and are therefore not willing to enroll in advanced courses1, thereby restricting their opportunities to pursue sciencerelated careers. Not only do many African-American students lack confidence in the power of science to solve at least some of the world's problems, they are "less convinced (than white students) of the benefits of science to society and less supportive of science research."2 For whatever reasons, fewer African-American male students take college -preparatory classes—especially science and mathematics—than do their white counterparts.3 As a result, the number of African-American male high school graduates eligible for college has decreased, and many of those who do enroll in college are unprepared academically.4 Of those African-American males who complete their undergraduate Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, Vol. 2, No. 1, Summer 1991 198 Black Males in Science studies, many decide not to pursue graduate degrees. In 1988, AfricanAmerican males earned only 2.8 percent of the 33,456 doctorates conferred in the United States.5 Indeed, African-American males earned 46.7 percent fewer doctoral degrees than they did in 1978, the largest decline of any race/gender group.6 For example, in 1978 African-American males earned twice as many doctoral degrees (584) as did Hispanic males (317). However, 10 years later, Hispanic male degree recipients (321) outnumbered black degree recipients (311) by 10. Over half of the doctorates earned by African-American males in 1986 were in education-related fields; the lowest numbers were in the sciences. Various measures need to be taken to insure that young African-American males have a place in college and in the world of science and health care. Elementary and high school education must be improved substantially to prepare students for college courses, and universities must strive to increase their Af rican-American male enrollment. They must incorporate programs that offer counseling and tutorial services to students. The Meyerhoff Scholars Program for gifted Af rican-American males is a million-dollar initiative of the University of Maryland Baltimore County designed to increase the number of minority students, particularly black males, who succeed in science-related disciplines. The goal is to provide Ph.D.'s in science and M.D.'s. The program allows the University to work not only with schools but with parents and community groups, addressing the question of minority student achievement. As part of that effort, UMBC has produced a tape called "Yes, We Can," which identifies some of the factors that influence student success. Those factors include academic background, field of study, choice of institution, availability of support services, interaction with faculty and staff, and family support. When we interviewed students for the Meyerhoff Program, we looked at students' attitudes and goals as well as at their test scores and grades. We especially emphasized math and science since the goal of the Program is to produce M.D.'s and Ph.D.'s in science and technology. Of the students chosen, 10 scholars and nine finalists, all had very high standardized test scores and good high school grades. In the past, however, black students with similar strong academic preparation and with an...