Training the Next Generation of Scientists about Broader Impacts

Abstract

Despite societal expectations that graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines integrate broader impacts into their professional activities, few of them actually receive any formal training in this area. This paper describes a graduate seminar entitled “Broader Impacts of Natural Sciences on Society” taught at the University of Florida in 2006 and 2008. In addition to course goals, recruitment, expectations, format, content, and outcomes, this paper describes challenges and recommendations for others who might want to teach a similar course.

Keywords:

• Broader Impacts
• Graduate Education
• Museums
• Science
• Technology
• Engineering
• Mathematics
• (STEM)

Acknowledgements

The author thanks the students for their enthusiasm and interest that they developed while taking the BI course and also for realizing outcomes that resulted from this experience. The author thanks K. Church, B. Dunckel, and C. Pimiento for providing helpful comments that improved earlier versions of this article. Prior to the author’s current affiliation with NSF, some of the projects discussed in the text were supported by NSF, including Fossil Horses in Cyberspace (supplement to IBN 9528020) and Megalodon: Largest Shark that Ever Lived (ESI 0628810). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF.

Notes

[1] Available from http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fhc; INTERNET [accessed 18 April 2009].