This is a collection of theses completed to fulfill B.S. requirements in the College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin from 1895 to 1962.

In most developed countries a high proportion of the population (up to 50 percent) now enter higher education at some time in their lives. Higher education is therefore very important to national economies, both as a significant industry in its own right, and as a source of trained and educated personnel for the rest of the economy. It follows that there are enormous stakes involved for a particular country even though the payoff of serious reforms may take decades and thus be counterproductive to the political forces responsible for designing and implementing such reforms since their horizons tend to be very short. This new book tackles important issues in this dynamic field.

The fed. gov't. has spent billions of dollars on educ. programs in the science, tech., engin., & math (STEM) fields for many years. However, concerns have been raised about the nation's ability to maintain its global technological competitive advantage in the future. This report presents info. on: the number of fed. prog. funded in FY 2004 that were designed to increase the number of students & graduates pursuing STEM degrees & occupations or improve educ. progress in STEM fields, & what agencies report about their effectiveness; how the number, percentages, & character. of students, grad., & employees in STEM fields have changed over the years'; & factors cited as affecting students' decisions about pursing STEM degrees. Charts & tables.