News of the Week
NSF HEAD ASKS TOP ASSISTANTS TO RESIGN In an action that has some in the scientific community concerned, the new director of the National Science Foundation, Edward A. Knapp, has requested the resignations of the three remaining Presidentially appointed administrators at NSF. The move leaves all the appointed positions vacant except that of director. First to leave will be deputy director Donald N. Langenberg, who has said he will leave Dec. 31. Also resigning, but with no set date for departure, will be Francis S. Johnson, assistant director for astronomical, atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences; and Eloise E. Clark, assistant director for biological, behavioral, and social science. The post of assistant director for mathematics and physical sciences already was vacant. This position had been held by Knapp until he was promoted to director. The requested resignations caught everyone by surprise. The removal of all appointed assistant directors appears to be unprecedented in NSF history. A chief concern is that it will make NSF more subject to the political whims of future Administrations. But the judgment on politicization should be reserved. Of the three resignations, two probably would have occurred anyway. Langenberg has been deputy director since 1980 and has seen two directors appointed over him, first John B. Slaughter and now Knapp. In view of this, it was believed he soon would leave NSF anyway for another job. As it turns out, it has just been announced that he will become the chancellor of a new University of Illinois campus in Chicago next year, a move that was probably some time in the making. Of the other resignations, Johnson apparently already had told Knapp that he would be leaving NSF soon, so the request for his resigna-
No Dec. 27 issue Chemical & Engineering News will not publish an issue on Dec. 27, 1982. The editors wish all readers a very happy holiday season. Our next issue will be Jan. 3, 1983.
6 C&EN Dec. 20, 1982
Langenberg: will take university job
tion probably made little difference in his plans. The only real casualty may be Clark, who has been with NSF since 1969 and in her present position since 1976, when she was appointed by Gerald Ford. She says she hasn't had time yet to make any plans. There appear to be two reasons for Knapp's taking this action. He has admitted that officials at the
White House personnel office requested he seek the resignations, but he says there was no real pressure on him to do so and that this was not the main reason for the change. He says he has come to manage NSF and that he wishes to do so with his own team. Although this is not unusual for a manager, it's unusual for it to happen at NSF. Lewis M. Branscomb, chairman of the National Science Board, says that the NSF director has the prerogative of choosing his people. "It's important that Knapp indeed have the authority and latitude to select his own team," Branscomb says, "and that it be selected on scientific and managerial ability alone." He therefore cautions against worrying for the moment about politicization at NSF; instead he suggests waiting to see who Knapp chooses to fill the vacant positions. The vacancies may be there for some time, as this Administration has been slow in filling scientific appointments. Branscomb says the NSB already has begun compiling a list of candidates, but these are only sug 'estions. The Administration can choose whomever it wishes. Knapp has given no indication of who might move into the assistant directorships. Still, regardless of who is chosen, no major change in the way the foundation is run is expected. D
Demand for chemistry, engineering grads drops Next spring's college graduates will find 9.5% fewer jobs waiting for them, according to the 1983 "Endicott Report," Northwestern University's annual survey of employers' hiring intentions. Starting salaries will, on average, be up, but only slightly. Compared to 1982, overall demand will be down 11% for bachelor graduates and 2% for masters. Particularly hard hit will be bachelor engineers and chemists—with about 18% fewer jobs available in each category—and liberal arts graduates, for which hiring intentions will be down by more than 22%. The only category to show an increase at the bachelor's level is computer science, up 3%. At the master's level, demand will rise 6% for engi-
neers, 5% for accountants, and 4% for "M.B.A. with technical B.S." At the bachelor's level, starting salary increases will range from 2.7% for engineers to 7.7% for liberal arts graduates. Engineers still will command the highest salaries (average $2150 per month) and liberal arts graduates the lowest ($1522), but at least the latter group is starting to catch up. Victor R. Lindquist, Northwestern's placement director, says many employers have come to believe that hiring and training liberal arts grads is a "cost-effective alternative" to hiring their more highly specialized classmates. Starting salaries for bachelor chemists will average $1862 per month, up 3.7% from 1982. At the master's level, average
