The future depends on nation�s science writers, news media

Science has revolutionized the world in the past century, challenging us with tremendous opportunities as well as critical choices. In a democratic society such as ours, the science writer -- a person who translates laboratory discoveries into information we all can understand -- plays a critical role in helping the public make these informed decisions.

At a time when we need to empower the electorate to make decisions, our national media are giving less space and air time to science reporting. We face the challenging issues of genetic engineering, global warming and an energy crisis. Yet newspaper after newspaper that once offered its readers a full page of science every week has lost that commitment.

According to a survey by the Scientists' Institute for Public Information, only 44 weekly science sections remain from among a high of about 95 only a few years ago.

Award-winning science journalists are losing their jobs, a recent example being the elimination of the science section at the Dallas Morning News and the firing of three staffers.

The National Science Foundation's National Science Board has identified public understanding and appreciation of science and technology as essential for successful public policy for the benefit of society.

It is imperative that citizens are well-informed about the sciences and are equipped to make critical decisions. Scientific advancements are often highly technical and difficult to understand, yet all aspects of our lives have been changed by them.

Beyond the need for an informed electorate, we also must address the shortage of American scientists needed to ensure United States leadership in the global market.

As our nation produces fewer and fewer graduates in the key areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the numbers are rising in China, Japan and India. For example, the U.S. currently graduates fewer than 60,000 engineers a year, while China graduates more than 200,000.

According to the National Science Foundation, if this trend persists, more than 90 percent of the world's scientists and engineers will live in Asia by 2010. The National Academies has called this a "Gathering Storm" and the Association of American Universities is urging our nation's leaders in higher education, industry and government policy to reverse this trend.

To do so, many initiatives must be taken. First, we must work to rekindle students' interest in the sciences, helping them build a K-12 foundation that prepares them to pursue science or engineering at a research university. Second, we must arm the public with information in hopes it will support research funding. In that way, we not only benefit today, but just as importantly, we ensure that these students will have jobs waiting for them when they graduate.

Science writers are an integral part of these efforts. When they bring science to our living rooms, they help build fundamental support within the electorate. They also inspire our children to join the campaign to secure our future.

Ours is a technology-driven economy, requiring innovations and breakthroughs to fuel the future. It can take decades for new breakthroughs to have commercial impact, and what happens now will dramatically affect whether we are competitive in 30 to 40 years.

Therefore, at Purdue we are making a call to recognize and appreciate those who pursue the science writing craft that is so vital. We are honoring leading science journalists as "science laureates" and ask that other universities institute similar programs to showcase the importance of this field.

We must garner interest and support from students, who are the future decision makers of our nation and leaders of our economy, and we must write our newspaper editors explaining the importance of and our interest in science news.

Jeffrey Vitter
Frederick L. Hovde Dean
College of Science
Purdue University

Read more about the Science Laureates program at www.sciencelaureates.net.