Educating Future Earth Scientists: ABSTRACT

Abstract

With knowledge expanding at a quickening pace, there is obvious necessity for broad and substantial preparation in mathematics and the physical sciences as a basis on which to build the derivative earth sciences. Three of these earth sciences--geology, geophysics, End_Page 1771------------------------------ and geochemistry--are of special concern to explorationists of the petroleum industry. Institutions trying to train students for future professional work in the earth sciences are confronted with difficult educational problems. Certain of the more important and critical of these problems are discussed. The student who is to become the imaginative and successful explorationist of the future must know the fundamental facts and principles of the earth sciences. He must know how to do field work, for exploration is still a combination of field science and art, but he must also understand the place of theory and experiment, of laboratory investigation and careful measurement. He must know enough mathematics to understand the laws and principles of physics and chemistry, so that he is reasonably knowledgeable about the work of his earth science associates. And he had better be able to speak clearly and forcefully, to write succinctly and to the point, and to press or yield as occasion demands when dealing with situations or people. This is a big order to fill. It will hardly ever be filled by any single person. Assuming nevertheless, that we should attempt to train the best possible earth scientists, even though few will approach the specifications given, how shall we solve the problems now with us which bear directly on this question? Should we go to a five-year program for a bachelor's degree, and correspondingly increase the time necessary for more advanced degrees? How many bachelors, masters, and doctors should we train? Is there a possibility of an oversupply in the coming decade? How can some of our best younger scientists be attracted into the earth sciences? How can the ambitious and capable ones without adequate funds get financial help? Can the best professors, especially the younger ones, afford to continue to be professors, in the face of more inviting positions in industry? How can the great Ph.D.-producing institutions maintain quality in staff and students in the face of inflation? Should the petroleum industry support educational effort even more generously than at present and possibly share some of their abler scientists and engineers with educational institutions? Finally, should the endowed institutions look to increased federal support? End_of_Article - Last_Page 1772------------