By David Ehmcke
As STEM careers surge in popularity nationally, the University of Iowa’s latest freshman class displays an impressive growth in the field’s majors.
The UI recently released the report “Class of 2020 by the numbers,” which concluded that 56 percent of the freshman class members are enrolled in a STEM-related major — a 31 percent increase over the Class of 2019.
This increase at the UI is consistent with the national trend of popularity for STEM majors, said Brent Gage, the UI associate vice president for Enrollment Management.
Daniel Reed, the UI vice president for Research and Economic Development, said this increase is a good sign for the university and represents its commitment to excellence in both research and scholarship.
“It’s encouraging to see students exploring STEM majors and careers,” he said. “Both because these are fascinating fields of study and because there is a need for science, technology, engineering, and math experts in a wide range of fields.”
Alec Scranton, the dean of the UI College of Engineering, said this increase could be largely explained by the potential STEM careers offered to students.
“Students are inspired by the prospect of having a career in which they use science and technology to solve problems and improve peoples’ lives,” he said.
Many UI officials view the increase as a payoff for all the hard work that they have poured into fostering a strong and competitive STEM foundation at the UI.
“The faculty and staff of the College of Engineering have worked tirelessly to provide a high-quality, personalized education for increasingly large classes of students,” Scranton said. “They have created innovative ways to provide hands-on learning experiences that engage their students in the classroom and outside the classroom.”
This increase can also be attributed to the success of specialized admissions programming, Gage said. These programs, he said, have allowed prospective STEM students, along with students interested in non-STEM programs, to have a specialized visiting experience through events put on by various UI colleges.
Scranton said one unique advantage the UI has in STEM fields is its strong foundation in liberal arts.
“Our College of Engineering is fortunate to be located on a comprehensive campus that provides our students with educational opportunities that extend far beyond their technical engineering content,” he said. “This broad education beyond technology is especially important in today’s rapidly changing society, because engineers must understand the cultural, societal, and economic impact of their engineering solutions.”
The emphasis on interdisciplinary interaction and education provides the UI the advantage necessary to attract outstanding students in increasing numbers, Scranton said.
Gage agreed, noting, “[This growth] provides great opportunity for students to create more linkage to our strong core of liberal arts through interdisciplinary programs and coursework.”
Beyond what the STEM enrollment increase means for the Class of 2020 today, Scranton is optimistic about what this growth means for the college in the future.
“The enrollment growth provides us with an enhanced opportunity to have a positive impact on the state, the nation, and the world by producing an enhanced number of new graduates who are prepared to tackle the most challenging problems of our day,” he said. “There have been growing pains associated with the increased enrollment, but the faculty and staff of the college are up to the challenge.”
STEM
“As STEM careers surge in popularity nationally, the University of Iowa’s latest freshman class displays an impressive growth in the field’s majors.”
“This increase can also be attributed to the success of specialized admissions programming,” Gage said. These programs, he said, have allowed prospective STEM students, along with students interested in non-STEM programs, to have a specialized UI visiting experience through events put on by various colleges at the UI.
“This increase at the UI is consistent with the national trend of popularity for STEM majors,” said Brent Gage, UI associate vice president for Enrollment Management
