Discipline: Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences
Subcategory: STEM Research
Fred Bonner - Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas
Co-Author(s): Aretha Marbley, Texas Tech University
As minority populations continue to increase, their participation in the STEM workforce will be critical to the health of our growing economy. Thus, one of the most important areas of focus should be on increasing minority STEM graduates. A significant facet of this is to understand the role faculty should play in preparing these students and assisting with their matriculation to graduation and ultimately their participation in the workforce. The STEM Workforce Challenge Report (2007) identified three key issues as detractors from STEM success, particularly in developing a STEM workforce: 1. Many students never make it into the STEM pipeline because of inadequate preparation in math and science or poor teacher quality in their K-12 systems. 2. Many, who are academically qualified for postsecondary studies in science and math fields at both the two- and four-year levels don’t pursue those programs. 3. The low engagement with STEM-related learning is particularly acute among minority, female, and lower-income students who comprise a growing proportion of the total college- going public.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): National Science Foundation (NSF)
Faculty Advisor: None Listed,