State's Economic Future Addressed at Student-Led Summit

The UW Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) convened more than 60 high-level leaders in academia, business and the Legislature at a summit Dec. 7, 2007 to explore Washington State’s graduate and professional degree production and address how employer demand can be met in the future. The Graduate School co-sponsored the summit, along with the Technology Alliance, Prosperity Partnership, and the College Work Ready Agenda.

UW President Mark Emmert, Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith, and Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) Executive Director Ann Daley, among others, described how graduate and professional education is critical to Washington State’s ability to compete globally, and how degree production must be increased if Washington is to stay competitive.

Discussion among speakers, panelists and the audience ranged widely, spanning many issues within K-20 education. A presentation by GPSS Vice President Sarah Reyneveld helped make the case for greater investment in graduate and professional education by featuring these and many other compelling facts:

• Although Washington State leads the nation in high-education, globally competitive jobs, it does not produce enough workers with advanced degrees to meet surging, in-state demand.
• Highest-demand fields where gaps are projected between employer demand and degrees produced are computer specialists; engineers; and health diagnostic and treatment practitioners.
• UW remains a national leader in graduate education, receiving $770 million in research funding annually from the federal government--more than any other public university; more than 200 companies have been started as a result of UW research; and, most engineering, health and computer/information science graduate degrees state-wide are from UW.

In opening remarks, GPSS President Dave Brown called for increased investment in graduate and professional education, saying, “To be competitive globally, Washington State must ably meet employer demand and ensure that larger employers, such as Boeing, Microsoft, emerging companies in the life sciences, and others, can look to Washington graduate and professional students to meet their workforce needs.”

Also participating at the summit: Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) CEO Sally Jewell; Boeing Commercial Airplane Vice President of Engineering Mike Denton; UW Dean of Engineering Matt O'Donnell; and Geospiza President and COO Rob Arnold.

Summit presentations, data summaries and remarks can be found at the GPSS website.