How Did We Arrive at the Current Level of Diversity in the Geosciences?

This paper provides data on historical trends in the representation of women and minorities among geoscience degree recipients at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Data are presented on education trends for women and minorities over the past decade in solid earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, and oceanography. Universities that are succeeding in increasing the representation of either women or minorities in the geosciences will be identified. Reasons will be discussed both for the marked changes that have occurred and for those trends that show little or no change. Detailed data are shown highlighting the role of minority serving institutions in the production of scientists and engineers generally and in the production of geoscientists in particular.