CAREER: Broadening Participation in STEM: A Qualitative Analysis of Resilience Experiences and Strategies of Latina STEM Majors in Hispanic Serving Institutions

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program is a National Science Foundation-wide activity that offers awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. This project awarded to a CAREER scholar has the goal to identify and understand key factors that promote and hinder the success of Latina STEM majors in higher education in Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in Texas.

The research findings will help to support mentoring interventions to promote diversity in STEM across the country. The project will involve undergraduate STEM students as mentors and as researchers. This award is supported by the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program) program.

The study will employ qualitative methods, through a multicase study approach, including interviews and focus groups, in examining the experiences of Latinas STEM majors in HSIs. Student participants will be recruited from three institutions of higher education in central Texas that are designated as HSIs or Emergent HSIs. The influence of family history, socio-economic background, family college experience, cultural and racial identity, and community influence will be examined as part of a resilience experience.

The study will investigate mentoring strategies to improve students' perception of the social climate and supportive experiences at their universities. The study of successful experiences and barriers will guide the development of evidence-based mentoring strategies and interventions that support resilience, persistence, and graduation of Latina STEM majors.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.