Speaker
Description
Students of color (SOC) experience higher levels of attrition in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) fields than students who do not identify as people of color. Undergraduate research programs may offer partial solutions as this co-curricular experience has been linked to better academic performance, persistence, and matriculation to graduate and professional programs. Consequently, the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to upend undergraduate research opportunities further exacerbating disparities experienced among SOCs in the STEM. Amid the COVID-19 health crisis, the fight for racial equity in the wake of continued anti-Black violence heightened as well as anti-Asian sentiment related to misinformation about the virus, compounding the stressors of SOCs. Furthermore, this talk will share findings from a study, funded by the Spencer Foundation, that investigated a remote undergraduate research intervention at a research university in the southeastern region of the United States. Specifically, the aim of this talk is to highlight the remote learning and research experiences of five SOCs and shifts in their science and social identities during the 2021-2022 academic year.
