Successful STEM Women of Color Must Network Differently

Overcoming barriers for women of color in STEM can be eased not only by what you know, but rather by who you know. Women are always encouraged to network, but often are not given the full instructions on what the outcome of the network could or should be. Seldom are they mentored to network in ways that they are viewed as contributors who bring impact and value to the discipline. The purpose of this chapter is to provide some guidelines from lessons learned about networking not only through the author's experience as a faculty member moving through the ranks, but as a university administrator, and a leader in a national organization. The chapter will have examples of various ways that women of color can contribute through networking to create opportunities to make significant impact to their discipline. The chapter will also reference some key books and articles that share some of the most pertinent work being done.

An Assessment of School Segregation and Its Impact on STEM Education

The focus of this chapter is to understand the intersection of school segregation and African American girls' performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. This chapter will begin with an assessment of school segregation in New York City. The next section of the chapter will assess how school segregation influences the performance of African American female students in STEM education. The final section of this chapter will provide recommendations on how to increase the number of African American girls in STEM education.

Negotiating Intersectionality

This concurrent mixed methods study sought to unveil how historically Black colleges and universities assist African American women with negotiating intersectional experiences within science disciplines. The authors sought to determine the relationship(s) between racial identity, science identity, and science self-efficacy beliefs of African American science students enrolled at HBCUs. The quantitative data revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between science self-efficacy and science identity for women and men. While the quantitative data indicated that racial identity (assimilation) is positively correlated to science identity for the women, the same relationship was not significant for the men. The findings indicated that science identity significantly predicted college science achievement for men but not women.

A Journey Worth Traveling

Women of color have historically been underrepresented across the sciences. Neuroscience is no exception. Unfortunately, few studies have examined or shed light on how the dual presence of race and gender affects the educational and professional experiences of African American women in science. This chapter will reflect upon the journey of being an African American woman of science (psychology and neuroscience) in the academy and the blessings not abundantly clear. Through a critical lens, recognizing how the journey would have been more difficult without the supportive network of individual and the critical importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Understanding the context of the times and the need to develop networks that facilitate success of future generations of African American female scholars is crucial.

Navigating the STEM Professoriate as a Black Woman

The absence of faculty diversity continues to plague American colleges and universities, with about 6% of associate and 4% of full professors identifying as Black or African American, based on a 2016 survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. This chapter will reflect on the personal experiences of a Black woman in STEM, examining whether diversity efforts have affected the number of Black and African American women in the STEM professoriate. It includes current efforts regarding diversity and inclusion, as well as recommendations of ways that institutions can help to foster a sense of belonging.

Celebrating Transformations Through STEM Storytelling

Storytelling describes the social and cultural activity of sharing stories. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation, or instilling moral values. In the STEM culture, women of color tell their stories about overcoming barriers and obstacles. Their stories echo familiar themes (the lack of role models, gender bias, and/or cultural racism within the organization/institution) as well as shed light on decades of programs continuing to fall short in empowering and encouraging women of color, thus resulting in an exodus from the STEM pipeline. More disturbing is their stories are often silenced or filled with embellishments and improvisations by the institutions or organizations they faithfully served. The chapter reflects on a “typical” story about a woman of color in STEM higher education. It takes the reader on a journey from entry to departure from the “fairy tale pipeline” of higher education. It is a story of struggle, transformation, and love, within the culture of STEM.

Rediscovering Our Original Selves

STEM careers are complex, requiring the management, monitoring, and implementation of several different technical and interpersonal interactions. For women of color (WOC), the journey is complex as they are impacted by issues of bias, marginalization, and unconscious bias. Finding opportunities to reflect, rejuvenate, and regenerate requires strategic planning to explore the positive and negative elements in your STEM career box. In this work, the author reflects on a 30 year STEM career, challenging the reader to explore their own career trajectory in the context of a conceptualized STEM success cycle.