The Bright Side Of The Summers Controversy

Regardless of one’s opinion on President Summers’ recent remarks on women in academia, the resulting international media ruckus, presumably unintentional, has at least brought the issue to the attention of the general public. There is one major source of female under-representation that begins too early for university employment policies to affect directly: too many young girls are dissuaded from studying math and science, even by their own parents and teachers. More public awareness, beyond the confines of academic discussion, can only be helpful in tackling this much larger issue.

DAVID M. HARVEY

Jan. 19, 2005

Cambridge, Mass.