Lost Generation of Elite Talent in Science

This study was designed to identify the variables that lead to the retention and attrition of talented men and women in science. It is an outgrowth of a longitudinal investigation conducted by the principal investigator with 1983 winners of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search (currently called the Intel Science Talent Search; Subotnik, Duschl, & Selmon, 1993; Subotnik & Steiner, 1993; 1994). The results of three earlier collection points have established patterns of external and internal influences that lead to participation in the research sciences, into applied sciences (e.g. medicine, engineering), or out of the field altogether.