“Now I’m Not Afraid”: The Influence of Identity-Focused STEM Professional Organizations on the Persistence of Sexual and Gender Minority Undergraduates in STEM

Campbell‐Montalvo, Rebecca; Cooke, Hannah; Smith, Chrystal A. S.; Miller, Michelle Hughes; Wao, Hesborn; Puccia, Ellen; Mayberry, Maralee; Skvoretz, John

doi:10.3389/feduc.2022.780331

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 59 publications

(81 reference statements)

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“…In addition, more research is needed to examine the longitudinal effects of K-12 STEM programming, including those offered in middle and elementary school, to determine impact on broadening STEM participation. Finally, work like ours, considering binary gender and race/ethnicity, can be augmented by added intersectional lenses attending to the impact of additional identities, such as sexual and Wao et al International Journal of STEM Education (2023) 10:25 gender minority identities (e.g., LGBTQIA+; Campbell-Montalvo et al, 2022a, 2022d. These areas are ripe for investigation by researchers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Examining how social networks influence women and under-represented minority students’ pursuit of engineering in university: when, who, and how?

et al. 2023

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Background Women and under-represented minority (URM) students continue to be under-represented in STEM and earn the lowest proportion of undergraduate engineering degrees. We employed a mixed methods research approach grounded in social capital theory to investigate when they first consider pursuing engineering as a college degree major, who influences this decision, and how the influence occurs. First, we surveyed 2186 first-year undergraduate students entering engineering programs at 11 universities in the U.S. during the fall of 2014. Next, we interviewed a subsample of 55 women and URM students. Results Survey findings indicated that women were more likely than men to consider pursuing engineering while in high school, before admission into college, or while in college rather than considering it earlier in their education. Black and Latinx students were more likely than white students to consider pursuing engineering after high school. In addition, Black and Latinx students were more likely than white students to identify a school counselor (rather than a family member) as having the most influence on their engineering academic and career decisions. In interviews, women and URM students provided examples of influential people who connected their aptitude and enthusiasm for mathematics, science, and problem-solving to engineering, explained the benefits of being an engineer, and provided advice about engineering academic and career pathways. Conclusions Encouraging earlier consideration of engineering majors, such as during middle school, could allow women and URM students time to take requisite courses and take advantage of college preparatory programming. Likewise, universities can engage in intentional efforts to identify women and URM students with engineering interests and provide guidance. Such efforts should also include connecting them with other women and URM students in engineering. In addition, universities should support K-12 and university personnel in offering advice that can influence students’ decision to declare an engineering major, which could help recruit more women and URM students into engineering.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Examining how social networks influence women and under-represented minority students’ pursuit of engineering in university: when, who, and how?

et al. 2023

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“…In this section, we explore the possible barriers HUG students face when pursuing STEM degrees along the career research roadmaps. While studies have shown that non-binary and transgender people have similar experiences as cisgender women, they face augmented difficulties (Blackburn, 2017;Conrad et al, 2021;Miles and Naumann, 2021;Campbell-Montalvo et al, 2022a). Challenges and compounding difficulties will both be addressed in this section.…”

Section: Obstacles and Possible Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 96%

HUG Initiative: Overcoming roadblocks on a research career roadmap of individuals from historically marginalized or underrepresented genders

Lin

Chen²,

Golecki³

2023

Front. Astron. Space Sci.

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The underrepresentation of students of Historically marginalized or Underrepresented Genders (HUGs) in STEM departments results in the low representation of HUG researchers in the space science community. This paper reviews relevant literature to explore the potential barriers that prevent HUG students from staying in STEM fields, including few opportunities to develop STEM identities, experiences with professional devaluation, and chilly campus climates. Thus, HUG students are more likely to feel excluded in STEM programs. To address the disparities, our HUG Initiative, a student-led research initiative, is proposed and piloted at a large research institution. This initiative promotes the pursuit of research careers among students who self-identify as HUG in the department of electrical and computer engineering. By holding panel discussions, interactive workshops, and networking luncheons, HUG Initiative aims to demystify what it means to be a researcher and provide resources on research opportunities and support for HUG students. The influence on the HUG students’ career choice and their accessibility of information will be evaluated by pre-study and post-study surveys. The research outcome will offer suggestions to create a safe and supportive departmental environment for HUG-identifying students to pursue research careers.

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“…However, research shows that LGBTQ+ populations face significant health disparities and discrimination (Gonzales et al, 2016;Kronk et al, 2022;Samuels et al, 2021). Not only are LGBTQ+ individuals underrepresented in STEM (Cech and Waidzunas, 2021), but they are more likely to be harassed as well as face stigma, discrimination, and bias (Campbell-Montalvo et al, 2022a;Cech and Waidzunas, 2021;Freeman, 2018;Freeman, 2020;Hughes, 2018;Marr et al,2022;Palmer et al, 2022). The distinct barriers that LGBTQ+ trainees face because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity impede their career advancement despite making considerable contributions to STEM fields (Cech and Waidzunas, 2021;Marr et al, 2022).…”

Section: Sexual Orientation Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Inclusive Approaches for Measuring Demographics of Underrepresented Populations in STEM and Biomedical Research Training Programs

Paris,

Dinno,

Marr

et al. 2024

JSTEM

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As federal strategic plans prioritize increasing diversity within the biomedical workforce, and STEM training and outreach programs seek to recruit and retain students from historically underrepresented populations, there is a need for interrogation of traditional demographic descriptors and careful consideration of best practices for obtaining demographic data. To accelerate this work, equity-focused researchers and leaders from STEM programs convened to examine approaches for measuring demographic variables. Gender, race/ethnicity, disability, and disadvantaged background were prioritized given their focus by federal funding agencies. Categories of sex minority, sexual (orientation) minority, and gender minority (SSGM) should be included in demographic measures collected by STEM programs, consistent with recommendations from White House Executive Orders and federal reports. Our manuscript offers operationalized phrasing for demographic questions and recommendations for use across student-serving programs. Inclusive demographics permit the identification of individuals who are being excluded, marginalized, or improperly aggregated, increasing capacity to address inequities in biomedical research training. As trainees do not enter training programs with equal access, accommodations, or preparation, inclusive demographic measures can welcome trainees and inform a nuanced set of program outcomes that facilitate research on intersectionality to support the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in biomedical research.

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“Now I’m Not Afraid”: The Influence of Identity-Focused STEM Professional Organizations on the Persistence of Sexual and Gender Minority Undergraduates in STEM

Cited by 9 publications

References 59 publications

Examining how social networks influence women and under-represented minority students’ pursuit of engineering in university: when, who, and how?

Examining how social networks influence women and under-represented minority students’ pursuit of engineering in university: when, who, and how?

HUG Initiative: Overcoming roadblocks on a research career roadmap of individuals from historically marginalized or underrepresented genders

Inclusive Approaches for Measuring Demographics of Underrepresented Populations in STEM and Biomedical Research Training Programs

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