Improving Gender Equity among STEM Faculty
Project Overview
NSF ADVANCE Catalyst Grant
The Research, Educate and Value Equity at All Levels in the Sciences (REVEALS) initiative investigated gender equity in the STEM fields and social sciences, using an intersectional lens to identify underlying drivers. Three key measures were used to identify themes driving inequity: exit interview data, an internal survey, and individual interviews. The most relevant themes affecting equity are:
- Family obligations
- Invisible service/labor
- Connectedness and community
- Emotional labor
- Value of contributions
- Pandemic-related concerns
Institutional Context
Students majoring in traditional STEM and social science fields show an increase in the percentage of women enrolling over time. However, the faculty in traditional STEM fields are showing a decrease in the percentage of women faculty during that same time period, and faculty in the social sciences have shown a consistently low percentage of women faculty.