New Developments in Pathways Towards Diversity and Inclusion in STEM: A United States Perspective


Book Description

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program of the US National Science Foundation has been a primary force for raising the success and graduation of minority students in STEM for 30 years. Increasing the number of underrepresented students earning baccalaureate degrees, and entering graduate school in STEM is the goal of LSAMP. This goal has been nearly achieved through the formation of alliances of degree granting institutions of higher learning, varying from community colleges to major research institutions. Currently there are 59 alliances including more than 400 institutions. LSAMP is responsible for more than 650,000 bachelor’s degrees earned by minority students in STEM. The papers for this Research Topic should focus on the use of LSAMP activities, programs and collaborations to develop pathways to success and graduation of STEM majors from minority groups that underrepresented in STEM. These pathways can include any segment from pre-college through graduate school. Areas of special interest include mentoring, research experiences, transitions between levels and novel approaches for retention. The studies should be research based and rigorous. They can be pure research studies, curriculum and design or literature reviews but they must be at a cutting edge level and be subject to detailed review and assessment.




Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation


Book Description

In order for the United States to maintain the global leadership and competitiveness in science and technology that are critical to achieving national goals, we must invest in research, encourage innovation, and grow a strong and talented science and technology workforce. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation explores the role of diversity in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce and its value in keeping America innovative and competitive. According to the book, the U.S. labor market is projected to grow faster in science and engineering than in any other sector in the coming years, making minority participation in STEM education at all levels a national priority. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation analyzes the rate of change and the challenges the nation currently faces in developing a strong and diverse workforce. Although minorities are the fastest growing segment of the population, they are underrepresented in the fields of science and engineering. Historically, there has been a strong connection between increasing educational attainment in the United States and the growth in and global leadership of the economy. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation suggests that the federal government, industry, and post-secondary institutions work collaboratively with K-12 schools and school systems to increase minority access to and demand for post-secondary STEM education and technical training. The book also identifies best practices and offers a comprehensive road map for increasing involvement of underrepresented minorities and improving the quality of their education. It offers recommendations that focus on academic and social support, institutional roles, teacher preparation, affordability and program development.




Women of Color In STEM


Book Description

Though there has been a rapid increase of women’s representation in law and business, their representation in STEM fields has not been matched. Researchers have revealed that there are several environmental and social barriers including stereotypes, gender bias, and the climate of science and engineering departments in colleges and universities that continue to block women’s progress in STEM. In this book, the authors address the issues that encounter women of color in STEM in higher education.




Minority Serving Institutions


Book Description

There are over 20 million young people of color in the United States whose representation in STEM education pathways and in the STEM workforce is still far below their numbers in the general population. Their participation could help re-establish the United States' preeminence in STEM innovation and productivity, while also increasing the number of well-educated STEM workers. There are nearly 700 minority-serving institutions (MSIs) that provide pathways to STEM educational success and workforce readiness for millions of students of colorâ€"and do so in a mission-driven and intentional manner. They vary substantially in their origins, missions, student demographics, and levels of institutional selectivity. But in general, their service to the nation provides a gateway to higher education and the workforce, particularly for underrepresented students of color and those from low-income and first-generation to college backgrounds. The challenge for the nation is how to capitalize on the unique strengths and attributes of these institutions and to equip them with the resources, exceptional faculty talent, and vital infrastructure needed to educate and train an increasingly critical portion of current and future generations of scientists, engineers, and health professionals. Minority Serving Institutions examines the nation's MSIs and identifies promising programs and effective strategies that have the highest potential return on investment for the nation by increasing the quantity and quality MSI STEM graduates. This study also provides critical information and perspective about the importance of MSIs to other stakeholders in the nation's system of higher education and the organizations that support them.







The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM


Book Description

Mentorship is a catalyst capable of unleashing one's potential for discovery, curiosity, and participation in STEMM and subsequently improving the training environment in which that STEMM potential is fostered. Mentoring relationships provide developmental spaces in which students' STEMM skills are honed and pathways into STEMM fields can be discovered. Because mentorship can be so influential in shaping the future STEMM workforce, its occurrence should not be left to chance or idiosyncratic implementation. There is a gap between what we know about effective mentoring and how it is practiced in higher education. The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM studies mentoring programs and practices at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It explores the importance of mentorship, the science of mentoring relationships, mentorship of underrepresented students in STEMM, mentorship structures and behaviors, and institutional cultures that support mentorship. This report and its complementary interactive guide present insights on effective programs and practices that can be adopted and adapted by institutions, departments, and individual faculty members.







The Case for STEM Education


Book Description

"If you are interested in STEM education, policies, programs or practices, or you work on STEM in some capacity at any level, The case for STEM education will prove to be valuable reading. Author Rodger W. Bybee has written this book to inspire individuals in leadership roles to better understand and take action on STEM initiatives. The book's 10 chapters accomplish several tasks: Put STEM in context by outlining the challenges facing STEM education, drawing lessons from the Sputnik moment of the 1950s and 1960s, and contrasting contemporary STEM with other education reforms; Explore appropriate roles for the federal government, as well as states, districts, and individual schools; Offer several ideas and recommendations you can use to develop action plans for STEM. With an emphasis on both thinking and acting, The case for STEM education is a must-read for leaders at all levels: national and state policy makers, state-level educators responsible for STEM initiatives, college and university faculty who educate future STEM teachers, local administrators who make decisions about district and school programs, and teachers who represent STEM disciplines." - Back cover.




Latin* Students in Engineering


Book Description

The growing population of engineering students who identify as Latin* are underrepresented in the field of engineering. Latin* refers to an individual of Latin American origin or descent, without restricting to a specific gender. The asterisk (*) includes related identity terms such as Latina/é/o/u/x.There is, however, a rising need to train U.S. students in engineering skills to meet the demands of our increasingly technological workforce. Structurally excluding Latin* students hinders their economic and educational opportunities in engineering. Latin* Students in Engineering examines the state of Latin* engineering education at present as well as considerations for policy and practice regarding engineering education aimed at enhancing opportunity and better serving Latin* students. The essays in this volume first consider, theoretically and empirically, the experiences of Latin* students in engineering education and then expand beyond the student level to focus on institutional and social structures that challenge Latin* students' success and retention. Finally, it illuminates emergent work and considers future research, policy, and practice.




STEM


Book Description

A vibrant capacity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is pivotal to increasing Australiaâs productivity. Building on recent research commissioned by Australiaâs Chief Scientist to identify STEM skills shortages, this project critically examines existing solutions to the STEM skills shortage in comparable countries and ascertains which, if any, of those solutions could be usefully applied to the formation and maintenance of a STEM skills workforce and proposes a set of options for increasing Australiaâs productivity and international competitiveness. The following aspects are addressed in this report: trends in STEM enrolments in all educational domains; access of STEM graduates to the labour market; the perceived relevance of STEM to economic growth and well-being; what are other countries doing to address declining STEM uptake and its impact on the workforce, and/or lifting national performance?; strategies, policies and programs used to enhance STEM at all levels of education, and judgments concerning the success of those programs; are measures put into effect in other countries and cultures successful and how has this been evaluated?; could and should such measures be applied in the Australian context, taking into account our cultural diversity?; what are the implications of the application of culturally appropriate measures in Australia and will the policy framework need to be modified to accommodate them? [p.10-11, ed]