DEMOGRAPHICS OF CHEMISTRY: New data shed light on RACIAL/ETHNIC MAKEUP of chemistry graduates

FOR ITS PAST THREE annual reports, the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training (CPT) has revised and standardized the way it solicits information on the race, ethnicity, and citizenship of new chemistry graduates. The changes are to ensure completeness. The data confirm the high percentage of graduates who are not U.S. citizens—a little more than 30% of master's graduates and about 40% of Ph.D. graduates, as well as 4% of the bachelor's. They also confirm the continued modest representation of African Americans and Hispanic Americans and the elevated role of Asian Americans. This new input adds to the insight into the demographics of the chemistry community that is available from ACS's long-established annual surveys of new chemistry graduates and of the salaries and employment status of ACS members in the domestic workforce. The new CPT data for the 2003-04,2004-05, and 2005-06 graduating classes do not provide definitive evidence ...