Steve Russell: Advancing more Indians to graduate studies

Monday, January 28, 2013  

"The National Science Foundation just sent me the 2011 report on earned Ph.Ds. I immediately headed for the graph that breaks down the numbers by race/ethnicity.

Like all credentials, the Ph.D can represent more aspiration than reality, but the aspiration is worthy by any measure. The objective of a doctoral dissertation is to add to the total store of human knowledge in a measurable way.

It’s true that some Ph.D granting schools are more rigorous than others, the same as undergraduate schools generally or tribal colleges.

My claim is not that the credential is infallible evidence of the accomplishment it is supposed to represent. We all know better than that. But it’s also more than the union card for the professoring trade, and the more tribal citizens with advanced degrees—Ph.D, M.D., J.D., or others—the more 21st century possibilities are open to the tribe, not just the individuals who get the degrees."

Get the Story:
Steve Russell: The Unlikely Story of Dr. Wahoo, Professor Illiniwek, and RGIII (Indian Country Today 1/27)