A Study of the Career Patterns of African-American Doctoral Chemists: 1916-1990

皮尔森教授比较了非洲人的相对地位- 美国科学院的美国和白色博士化学家 社区 以往对美国大学生职业模式的研究 化学家没有把种族地位包括在内。 这项研究旨在 通过研究参与这一文献作出贡献， 非裔美国人在化学 皮尔森教授正在研究所有非洲人的职业模式- 众所周知，美国人获得了化学博士学位。 他和他 学生助理正在通过邮寄的方式收集数据 问卷调查和个人访谈。 对照组为 由白色化学家组成，符合四个标准：（1）博士学位- 授予部门，（2）性别，（3）论文导师（如可能）， （4）研究性专业。 皮尔森教授正在用双变量方法分析数据， 多元统计 因为现有的关于 种族在一般科学特别是化学中作用 是不系统的和轶事，研究结果将 推进我们对非裔美国人职业模式的了解 博士科学家 结果应提供数据， 学者们来修正我们对非洲人经历的理解-- 美国化学家与他们的白色同行。 虽然这 历史不能纠正过去的错误，它可以指出 避免将来犯这些错误。 并在此范围 最近的政策改善了过去的错误，这项研究应该有助于 评估什么工作，不工作，努力创造真正的 科学中的平等机会。

Professor Pearson is comparing the relative status of African- American and White doctoral chemists in the American scientific community. Previous studies of the career patterns of American chemists have not included racial status. This research seeks to contribute to this literature by examining the participation of African-Americans in chemistry. Professor Pearson is examining the career patterns of all African- Americans known to have earned chemistry doctorates. He and his student assistants are collecting data by means of a mailed questionnaire and personal interviews. The control group is comprised of White chemists matched on four criteria: (1) Ph.D.- granting department, (2) sex, (3) thesis advisor (where possible), and (4) research specialty. Professor Pearson is analyzing the data by means of bivariate and multivariate statistics. Because much of the existing knowledge of the role of race in science in general and chemistry in particular is unsystematic and anecdotal, the results of the study will advance our knowledge of the career patterns of African-American doctoral scientists. The results should provide data that permit scholars to revise our understanding the experiences of African- American chemists vis-a-vis their white counterparts. While this history cannot correct past wrongs, it can point the way to avoiding those mistakes in the future. And to the extent that recent policy has ameliorated past wrongs, the study should help to assess what works and does not work in the effort to create true equal opportunity within science.