project description
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania received a two-year $299,875 grant titled Research, Educate and Value Equity at All Levels in the Sciences (REVEALS) to address equity—particularly gender equity—in the sciences. REVEALS includes data collection, analysis, and institutional self-assessment to identify and correct systemic inequities impacting not only STEM faculty but the entire University community. With NSF ADVANCE Catalyst Track support, REVEALS is examining the faculty experience and underlying causes of inequity with constant consideration of intersectional aspects of identity. The overarching goal of the proposed REVEALS program is to develop a five-year STEM faculty equity strategic plan informed through:
- institutional assessment
- pilot programming and evaluation
- best-practices research
KU has a long history of supporting diversity and is excited about this opportunity for self-assessment and growth. REVEALS offers a unique opportunity for the academic community to learn from a rural university that has been successful in enrolling women STEM students, despite a lack of women STEM faculty.
The project provides a distinctive environment for studying how inequitable policies impact retention and advancement of women faculty. The REVEALS work will be informed by prior research in STEM faculty equity, the organizational change literature, and an understanding of social location, intersectionality, and systems of oppression. An evidence-based approach that builds on the social scientific literature on connectedness, inclusion, motherhood penalties, and work-life balance will ensure that REVEALS adds to the existing research.