Bloomberg Gives $150 Million to Help Universities Diversify STEM Doctorates

New York Times ^ | 5/11/21 | Azi Paybarah

[Meatspace]

Michael Bloomberg is donating a total of $150 million to Johns Hopkins University and six other institutions of higher learning to increase racial diversity among students seeking Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math.

The effort was announced Tuesday in a joint statement from Bloomberg Philanthropies and Johns Hopkins University, Mr. Bloomberg’s alma mater and the recipient of most of the money.

Funding will also go to a handful of historically Black colleges and universities and minority serving institutions: Howard University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, Prairie View A&M University, Spelman College and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

An affirmative action STEM degree is as valuable as a warm bucket of spit.

[AlmaKing]

Throwing money at this ‘effort’ simply won’t work.

There are good reasons white men, indian men, chinese men, and even indian and chinese women are dominating in the tech fields -> IQ and work ethic. The groups not mentioned won’t put in the effort or don’t have the IQ for the work.

A third reason is ‘I want it’. You have to want to do this kind of tech work. But if you don’t put in the effort or don’t have the IQ, you won’t make it.

[Lee25]

They will make it because tests are lowered

[LS]

He might want to start with IQ differences as early as second grade.

Regardless of environment.

[algore]

Not in my experience. I have probably been lucky but every boss of color including those from a mit or an ivy league school has been extremely smart/

[AlmaKing]

But they won’t make it in the workplace. Not many businesses can carry extra useless employees in the tech industries. You have to perform.

[RBW in PA]

Had the pleasure of interviewing a STEM diversity student once. Asked him about his senior project. He presents slides to his class that he was given as a summer intern working at NASA. He was an electrical engineers and I asked him how do you measure current through a resistor, basic question. His response was the Deer in the headlights look. I can only imagine the quality PHDs the diversity crowd will produce.

[algore]

You should have asked how many ways can you..

I can think of a lot

B
B
R
O
Y
G
B
V
G
W

[House Atreides]

“But they won’t make it in the workplace. Not many businesses can carry extra useless employees in the tech industries. You have to perform.”
***********************************************************
That may, and likely will, change. Private technical businesses may become like what I’ve seen in government “systems” organizations - a minority were competent with many others, to be kind, being “carried”.

[eclecticEel]

Expect a new crop of “science education” phd’s.

[AlmaKing]

That happened in the 90s in the semi industry and only with large companies. They’ve been cleaned out. It was quickly apparent when diversity hires couldn’t perform. Engineers are quick to point it out and complain. No one wanted to deal with the complaints or put up with dead weight.

Note also that the semi industry is one of the few subject to unionization attempts with none successful that I know of in my 30 years. There is too much pressure to perform and keep margins high.

You’ll get the diversity hires in HR for example. But HR is one of those functions that is first to get cut in a downturn. Engineers are kept, especially high performing engineers. I went through many rounds of rifs. That’s especially where the diversity hires got pushed out the door.

[UnwashedPeasant]

Good opportunity for girls looking to meet future engineers.

[cgbg]

My experience has been that talented blacks are promoted far above their skill level to meet hiring quotas—it is not their fault but is just the way it is....

When they get high enough, they almost inevitably crash and burn—in some cases taking entire enterprises with them.

[TomEd]

E = RI

Boy Scout merit badge stuff.