College and university leaders must address the under-representation of women and minorities in the sciences, and champion the need for investment in basic research, said Presidents Institute plenary speaker Rita Colwell, distinguished professor at the University of Maryland, College Park and former director of the National Science Foundation.

“Science and engineering are extending our vision to the farthest reaches of the cosmos and to the smallest secrets of life. As the sciences grow more interwoven, colleges and universities must develop more integrated tools. The days are gone when a single discipline can go it alone,” Colwell stressed. She urged presidents to promote science literacy for all students, not just those in the sciences. “You have a huge responsibility. As you envision your institution’s allocation of positions, look holistically at what the scientific community is involved in and establish collaborations among disciplines based on what the sciences are doing.”

She also advised presidents to broaden their institution’s focus on mathematics. “Math is the gateway to science and engineering and is critical to broaden students’ perspectives. Don’t farm out math to the math department—challenge science and other professors to use math in their courses and show where it fits in.”

Colwell emphasized that this broader perspective is necessary for students to understand our world today. “Systemic change in education is required. Both K-12 schools and higher education need to transform their educational systems to cultivate lifelong learning and develop new tools to broaden every discipline to include math and science.”

Only through this kind of systemic change in education—as well as a significant increase in support for basic research—can the United States retain its preeminence in the sciences, Colwell concluded. Colwell’s powerpoint presentation is available here on CIC’s website.