Minority Faculty Research Articles

Various shapes of whiteness: A new look at racism and its institutional operation in Israeli academia

This article explores theoretical concepts that reveal the power structures within Israeli academia. Rather than employing the conventional framework that emphasizes practices of discrimination and underrepresentation to explain the ongoing preference for the dominant Western, white Jewish group and its cultural capital over Jewish and Arab Palestinian minorities, we propose a new theoretical perspective. By integrating whiteness theory, critical race theory, intersectionality and settler colonial paradigms, the article illustrates how this framework can effectively analyse academic epistemology and social dynamics. We then introduce the subsequent articles in this issue as examples of the successful application of these concepts, highlighting how they expose the concealed and sophisticated exercise of organizational power that aligns with the norms of the dominant culture, to the detriment of minority students and faculty.

Underrepresented minority faculty in the USA face a double standard in promotion and tenure decisions.

Underrepresented minority (URM) faculty face challenges in many domains of academia, from university admissions to grant applications. We examine whether this translates to promotion and tenure (P&T) decisions. Data from five US universities on 1,571 faculty members' P&T decisions show that URM faculty received 7% more negative votes and were 44% less likely to receive unanimous votes from P&T committees. A double standard in how scholarly productivity is rewarded is also observed, with below-average h-indexes being judged more harshly for URM faculty than for non-URM faculty. This relationship is amplified for faculty with intersectional backgrounds, especially URM women. The differential treatment of URM women was mitigated when external reviewers highlighted candidates' scholarship more in their review letters. In sum, the results support the double standard hypothesis and provide evidence that different outcomes in P&T decision-making processes contribute to the sustained underrepresentation of URM faculty in tenured faculty positions.

Depression disparities among sexual minority faculty of color in the United States

This study aimed to examine potential differences in depression symptoms between sexual minority (SM) and heterosexual faculty of color (FOC). A United States (U.S.) national survey of early and mid-career faculty experiences was undertaken. A total of N = 676 participants were screened, with a total usable sample size of N = 596 (n = 80 surveys were missing sexual orientation information). Participants were U.S. born and self-identified as African American/Black, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Native American/American Indian, or other Hispanic, and held a tenure-track assistant or associate professor position at a research university. Participants were identified through network sampling techniques, such as use of academic listservs, personal contacts, respondent referrals, and university websites. The study aim was examined using multiple linear regression. In multivariable analysis, SM FOC were more likely to suffer from greater depression symptoms compared to heterosexual FOC (HFOC). Significant covariates included perceived career impact of inadequate mentoring, individual annual income, and home ownership. Study findings signify mental health threat among SM FOC compared to HFOC. There's an urgent public health need for future research to identify the underlying mechanisms driving mental health among SM FOC to inform the development of prevention programs that can mitigate these disparities, especially in higher education settings. Lastly, findings suggest a need for critical examination of mental health, socioeconomic, and mentoring resources for SM FOC in higher education institutions.

115 Strategies for Training and Advancing under-represented Researchers (STARs)

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Minority faculty have inequitable access to information, professional development, and research resources. A structured research-mentoring program could help strengthen the research acumen of underrepresented (UR) faculty, provide a community, and support to ensure their success in becoming independent investigators. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The Translational Research Institute (TRI) STARs program aims to build a peer support community of UR in biomedical, clinical, behavioral and social sciences to support career development and research success. The program provides a structured peer support group with a 3-month grant training and development program and addresses issues of isolation often felt by UR faculty in academic settings. It encourages the development of innovative research ideas in a safe environment. This peer support group can also help improve confidence and self-efficacy in clinical and translational research development and execution by UR faculty. At the didactic program’s conclusion and seed grant application submission, STARs provides $10,000 as a TRI DEI Equity, Diversity, and Grantsmanship Expertise project. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Since its launch in 2021, 11 scholars have enrolled in the program;three have fully completed the program, and all three have received subsequent grant funding. Four scholars have completed the didactic program and are in the process of using seed funding to collect initial data and working on initial publications. The remaining scholars are currently in the didactic program. Initial scholar satisfaction with the program is high: 100% reported satisfaction with their participation (Very Satisfied/Satisfied), and 100% agree the program provides adequate support to their research project (Strongly Agree/Agree). Overall, scholars reported an average increase in confidence of 7.9% in grantsmanship skills (Scale 0-10). The return on investment is 3106%, with over $1.9 million in subsequent funding. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Research shows diverse teams working together, capitalizing on innovative ideas, and distinct perspectives outperform homogenous teams. Our preliminary experience demonstrates success for the model. Additional, long-term support will be furthered developed to address additional challenges experienced by UR faculty across their careers.

Group peer mentoring is effective for different demographic groups of biomedical research faculty: A controlled trial.

Improved mentoring of midcareer researchers in medical schools has been identified as an important potential avenue for addressing low vitality and high burnout rates in faculty, and the scarcity of both underrepresented minority (URM) faculty and women in biomedical research. To address the need for widescale effective mentoring, we sought to determine whether a group peer mentoring intervention (C-Change Mentoring and Leadership Institute) for early midcareer research faculty was effective for different demographic groups in a controlled trial. Thirty-five diverse early midcareer faculty and 70 propensity-matched (PM) control subjects matched to intervention subjects on a) study inclusion criteria; b) gender, race, and ethnicity, degree, rank, years of experience, publications, grants; and c) pretest survey outcome variables, participated in the intervention. The C-Change Participant Survey assessed vitality, self-efficacy in career advancement, research success, mentoring others, valuing diversity, cognitive empathy, and anti-sexism/anti-racism skills at pretest and intervention completion. Analysis using multiple regression models included outcome pretest values and indicator variables for intervention, gender, URM status, and MD vs. PhD. Hypotheses regarding differential effectiveness of the intervention by demographic group were tested by including cross-product terms between the demographic indicator variables and the intervention indicator. Missing data were addressed using chained equations to create 100 data sets. The intervention participants had significantly higher (favorable) scores than PM controls for: self-assessed change in vitality; self-efficacy for career advancement, research, and mentoring others; cognitive empathy; and anti-sexism/racism skills. The benefits of the intervention were nearly identical across: gender, URM vs non-URM faculty, and degree MD/PhD, except vitality significantly increased for non-URM subjects, and not for URM faculty. Self-assessed change in vitality increased for URM and non-URM. The intervention worked successfully for enhancing vitality, self-efficacy and cross-cultural engagement across different demographic groups of biomedical research faculty.

Assessing departmental readiness to support minoritized faculty

AbstractThough increasing numbers of racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) individuals earn PhDs and national initiatives focus on faculty diversity, challenges persist in recruiting, hiring, and retaining REM faculty. While a pervasive issue nationally, the literature predominantly focuses on faculty diversity at research‐intensive institutions. This exploratory case study pilots a readiness instrument to evaluate the commitment and willingness of a biomedical department at a primarily undergraduate institution to embrace faculty diversity before initiating a postdoctoral faculty conversion program. We introduce the Community Readiness Model (CRM) into an academic context, offering academic departments a robust framework and tool to evaluate readiness and capacity to recruit, retain, and support REM faculty.Practical Takeaways Academic departments can be conceived of as a type of community. The adapted Department Readiness Tool can be a valuable method of evaluating a department's readiness to support the success of underrepresented minority faculty. Departments may score highly on some areas of readiness but relatively low on others, which provides insight into where time and resources should be invested to improve readiness.

Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Composition Among Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Faculty Ranks.

Despite increases in nursing faculty diversity, representation is lacking in positions of higher faculty rank. Challenges for minority faculty include decreased awareness of promotion standards, less mentoring, and increased stress from being the sole representative of their respective underrepresented population. The purpose of this study was to determine the racial, ethnic, and gender composition of neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) faculty in the United States. A nonexperimental survey was sent to all accredited NNP programs to describe demographics of NNP faculty in the United State. Of the 128 survey participants, 84% self-identified as White. Forty-eight of the participants ranked Professor or Associate professor were White. In contrast, all other races only had 8 respondents who were of the higher faculty ranks. There were only 2 male participants; one identified as full professor and one as associate professor. Limitations of this project included a small sample size leading to an inability to determine statistical significance. Previous evidence supports decreased diversity in higher faculty rank in other healthcare providers and the results of this study add to that body of literature. Barriers to increased diversification need to be rectified to ensure health equity to all patients.

Stigmas and limited opportunities of on-line and for-profit university doctorate graduates in Technology, Healthcare, and Business

Introduction:Walden, Capella, and the University of Phoenix universities generate many African-American doc-toral graduates, according to Diverse Problems in Higher Education. Problem:While these universities graduate many minority students with doctoral degrees, they contribute sig-nificantly to student loan debt. These universities are for-profit, on-line, or owned by for-profits. Because of that classification, these universities and their doctoral degrees have stigmas in higher education that may hinder African-American and other minority faculty chances at elite, state flagship, and prestigious research universities. Objective:The research aims to formulate strategies to help African-Americans be more knowledgeable about non-traditional doctoral program selection and the current stigmas of graduating with a doctorate from a to-tally on-line or for-profit university. The purpose is not to diminish the accomplishment of anyone with the intellect, courage, and talent to get a regionally accredited doctoral degree. This research intends to educate and empower African-American and other students of color in their doctoral decision-making and discuss the stigmas against doctorates from for-profit universities and totally on-line universities in the U.S. Methodology: The approach used was a content analysis of the literature and qualitative interviews using a phenomenological research approach. The purpose is not to diminish or demonize graduates and degrees from regionally accredited on-line doctorate programs offered by for-profit universities, because they have provided opportunities and access to doctoral education. The goal is to share the realities of the current stigmas of those degrees from those universities in academic communities at the most highly ranked universities. The ultimate aim would be to educate them on the importance of school choice, even if the only viable option for doctoral completion is an on-line or hybrid doctoral program. Results:Academic careers often depend on having a doctorate and the university that awards that doctorate. So, African-Americans and other students of color should investigate and choose brick-and-mortar universi-ties with on-line and hybrid doctoral programs, which are often viewed more favorably. This study offers an accurate world understanding of the challenges and stigmas of African-American doctoral graduates driven by where they pursue their doctorate degrees. Conclusion:This project seeks to change the behavior of doctoral program selection and modification practices that would make graduates more successful and favorable for full-time faculty jobs after graduation. Originality:The gap in the literature explored is the limited academic discussion about how attending and com-pleting a doctorate from one of these universities can be detrimental to African-Americans, especially if they are interested in full-time tenure-track faculty careers at non-profit research universities.Limitations:More current research is needed on the stigmas and challenges of getting a doctorate from a for-profit or totally online university. More scholarly dialogues from the literature could have enriched the study.

End of Affirmative Action-Who Is Impacted Most? Analysis of Race and Sex Among US Internal Medicine Faculty.

For over 50 years, the United States (US) used affirmative action as one strategy to increase diversity in higher education including medical programs, citing benefits including training future public and private sector leaders. However, the recent US Supreme Court ending affirmative action in college admissions threatens advancements in the diversity of medical college faculty. Our study evaluated the demographic trends in Internal Medicine (IM) faculty in the US by assessing sex and race/ethnicity diversity to investigate who is likely to be impacted most with the end of affirmative action. Longitudinal retrospective analysis SUBJECTS: IM faculty from the Association of American Medical Colleges faculty roster from 1966 to 2021 who self-reported sex and ethnicity MAIN OUTCOMES: The primary study measurement was the annual proportion of women and racial/ethnic groups among IM faculty based on academic rank and department chairs. Although racial/ethnic diversity increased throughout the era of affirmative action, African American, Hispanic, and American Indian populations remain underrepresented. White physicians occupied > 50% of faculty positions across academic ranks and department chairs. Among the non-White professors, Asian faculty had the most significant increase in proportion from 1966 to 2021 (0.6 to 16.6%). The percentage of women increased in the ranks of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, and instructor by 19.5%, 27.8%, 25.6%, and 26.9%, respectively. However, the proportion of women and racial/ethnic minority faculty decreased as academic rank increased. Despite an increase in the representation of women and racial/ethnic minority IM faculty, there continues to be a predominance of White and men physicians in higher academic ranks. With the end of affirmative action, this trend has the danger of being perpetuated, resulting in decreasing diversity among IM faculty, potentially impacting patient access and health outcomes.

The Desperate Search for a Mentor: Why Minority Faculty Struggle to Mentor Minority Students.

The Desperate Search for a Mentor: Why Minority Faculty Struggle to Mentor Minority Students.

The Relationship Between the Social Mission Content of Medical School Mission Statements and Minority Faculty Representation Among Faculty and Senior Leadership.

Medical schools with social missions have the potential to increase minority student interest in health disparities research. In previous work, the authors looked at the missions of medical schools to determine if they were associated with minority student representation. In this paper, the authors look at the representation of full-time faculty and senior leaders who are underrepresented in medicine in US medical schools. This study included all MD-granting medical schools in the US with available data on mission statement Social Mission Content (SMC) and faculty demographics. Data were analyzed for representation of faculty underrepresented in medicine (URM) among all faculty, among junior as compared to senior faculty, and among department chairs. In the 2013 data, Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to characterize the association between SMC and contemporaneous URM faculty representation. In the 2014-2020 data, hierarchical linear models were used to estimate the association between SMC and the annual rate of change in URM faculty representation. In 2013, URM faculty accounted for 7.4% of all faculty at the median medical school, increasing to 8.4% in 2020. As of 2013, URM representation among junior faculty was 9.2% at the median school, 5.6% among senior faculty, and 4.3% among department chairs. The authors found a slow increase in the percentage of URM faculty members (but not department chairs). This trend did not vary between schools with lower vs. higher emphasis on a social mission (based on the mission statement). The increase in chair representation was determined to be associated with the type of the school, whether historically Black or Puerto Rican, and not precisely its mission.

Academic Rank Disparities in Minoritized and Racialized Physician Assistant Educators.

The aim of this study was to investigate the disparities in career progression and the need for inclusive mentorship in the physician assistant (PA) profession, specifically focusing on racial/ethnic minority faculty. Pooled data from the Physician Assistant Education Association Program Survey in 2015, 2017, and 2019 were analyzed to examine the effect of PA faculty race/ethnicity on academic rank promotion. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between faculty race/ethnicity and the likelihood of being in a middle/late-career (associate/professor) or early-career status (instructor/assistant), adjusting for confounding factors. The analysis revealed significant disparities in career progression, particularly for Black/African American and Hispanic faculty members, who were 44% less likely to be in late-career positions compared with White faculty. These disparities persisted even after accounting for gender, highest degree, region, and years in rank. The slower career progression experienced by minoritized faculty can have negative impacts, such as lower salaries, impostorism, reduced social capital, isolation, marginalization, burnout, and attrition. The findings highlight the urgent need for increased efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the PA profession. Creating a more equitable academic environment requires addressing systemic biases, implementing inclusive mentorship initiatives, and promoting diversity in hiring and promotion decisions. By prioritizing equity, diversity, and inclusion, the PA profession can foster a more diverse, innovative, and satisfied workforce while reducing turnover. Continued research and evidence-based strategies are essential to effectively address these disparities and create a more inclusive and equitable environment in the PA profession.

Retention and recruitment of minority students and faculty in public affairs and administration programs

ABSTRACT The need to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts has reached monumental heights in the past decade as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement and other DEIA efforts. This shift in thought has impacted recruitment and hiring practices in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. For years, universities have tried a variety of mechanisms to increase the pool of minority applicants in PhD programs as well as the faculty ranks. However, many of these efforts have not been sustainable. In this article, we discuss the results from a survey of graduate-level public affairs programs to discern specific efforts to increase the number of minority students pursuing graduate degrees and subsequently the number of minority faculty. In addition, we completed an extant review of the literature to determine additional practices that have proven fruitful in other graduate programs.

Locally Connected Underrepresented Minority Faculty in Academic Medicine.

Locally Connected Underrepresented Minority Faculty in Academic Medicine.

The future of the U.S. safety & health workforce: Opportunities for academic diversity, equity, and inclusion through a leak-proof career pathway

Introduction: In this commentary, we explore safety and health career pathways in the U.S. and discuss the future of work through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We address occupational safety and health inequities, including underrepresentation of racial and ethnic groups in academic disciplines, which impacts workers' safety and the future of work. We introduce the Accessibility, Sustainability, and Knowledge-Generation (ASK) framework to broaden minority participation in occupational safety and health (OSH) education. Method: The ASK framework integrates insights from learned experiences, research literature, accreditation knowledge, and community feedback to identify strategies for dismantling barriers to workforce diversity and promoting equitable participation and access to opportunities in OSH education. We conducted a US based survey to gain insights into the minority experience and the role of students, faculty, and academia in mitigating disparities and creating pathways of opportunities. Results: The survey results highlight the need for pedagogic improvements in OSH academic programs to attract more minorities. The appreciation of cultural competence across universities and changes to current systemic funding mechanisms are identified as crucial factors. We acknowledge that existing interventions have been less effective due to a lack of tangible actions. However, we emphasize that solutions exist, and meaningful support is required to drive change. Conclusions: The study underscores the importance of addressing occupational safety and health inequities and the underrepresentation of minority groups in OSH education. The ASK framework provides a comprehensive approach to broaden minority participation and promote diversity in the field. Pedagogic improvements, cultural competence, and changes to funding mechanisms are necessary steps to attract and retain underrepresented minorities in OSH academic programs. Practical Applications: The findings of this study have practical implications for institutions and stakeholders involved in occupational safety and health education. It emphasizes the need for proactive strategies to attract and support underrepresented minority students and faculty. Promoting cultural competence and making changes to funding mechanisms can contribute to creating more equitable and inclusive pathways for diverse groups in OSH education. Tangible actions and meaningful support are essential for driving change and achieving workforce diversity and equity.

What a Genuine Value-Based Leadership Commitment to Hiring African-American Faculty in Business, Technology, and Public Health Requires at the Highest Ranked and Most Prestigious U.S. Universities

Abstract There is a significant shortage of minority faculty at U.S. colleges and universities (Davis & Fry, 2019). The U.K. is even worse than the U.S., where just 160 out of 22,855 professors in 2020/21 are Black, essentially less than 1% (White, 2022). Black, Hispanic, Native American, and multi-racial faculty members are underrepresented in the faculty ranks, compared to not only their share of the U.S. population (Gasman, 2022; Davis & Fry, 2019). The U.K. is even worse than the U.S., where just 160 out of 22,855 professors in 2020/21 are Black, essentially less than 1% (White, 2022). Minority students with educators of the same race or ethnicity are more likely to see those teachers as role models and report more significant effort in school and higher college goals (Davis & Fry, 2019). Academic performance gaps of minority students can close by as high as 50% if faculty more closely resemble students (Davis & Fry, 2019). Research shows a significant strong positive relationship exists between graduation, transfer, and drop-out rates for minority students when there are increases in faculty diversity (Cross & Carman, 2022). This paper explores the value-based leadership best practices to recruit more African-American faculty in 2022 and beyond.

Quality of Life After Critical Illness.

1 Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA. 2 Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. 3 Ariadne Labs, Boston, MA. *See also p. 632. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of others. Support was provided solely from institutional sources. Dr. Arriaga is the recipient of: 1) a mentored research training grant from the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) and the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) and 2) a Career Development Award from the Center for Diversity and Inclusion of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is also a member of the Patient Safety Editorial Board for the American Society of Anesthesiologists and Question Editor/Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology, where he receives a stipend for work that is otherwise done in a volunteer capacity. He received funding from the American Society of Anesthesiologists Patient Safety Editorial Board, the American Board of Anesthesiology, the Minority Faculty Career Development Award from the Center for Diversity and Inclusion of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the APSF, and the FAER. Dr. Allen has disclosed that he does not have any potential conflicts of interest.

Representation of Women and Minority Faculty and Fellows in Academic Pediatric Cardiology Training Programs

BackgroundStudies have shown that diverse care teams optimize patient outcomes. Describing the current representation of women and minorities has been a critical step in improving diversity across several fields. ObjectivesTo address the lack of data specific to pediatric cardiology, the authors conducted a national survey. MethodsU.S. academic pediatric cardiology programs with fellowship training programs were surveyed. Division directors were invited (July 2021 to September 2021) to complete an e-survey of program composition. Underrepresented minorities in medicine (URMM) were characterized using standard definitions. Descriptive analyses at the hospital, faculty, and fellow level were performed. ResultsAltogether, 52 of 61 programs (85%) completed the survey, representing 1,570 total faculty and 438 fellows, with a wide range in program size (7-109 faculty, 1-32 fellows). Although women comprise approximately 60% of faculty in pediatrics overall, they made up 55% of fellows and 45% of faculty in pediatric cardiology. Representation of women in leadership roles was notably less, including 39% of clinical subspecialty directors, 25% of endowed chairs, and 16% of division directors. URMM comprise approximately 35% of the U.S. population; however, they made up only 14% of pediatric cardiology fellows and 10% of faculty, with very few in leadership roles. ConclusionsThese national data suggest a “leaky pipeline” for women in pediatric cardiology and very limited presence of URRM overall. Our findings can inform efforts to elucidate underlying mechanisms for persistent disparity and reduce barriers to improving diversity in the field.

Asserting Accountability to Address Diversity: Report Card as a System of Measurement.

To the best of our knowledge, there are no standard accountability measures for diversity efforts at the departmental level. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate a multiprong report card as a structure for evaluation, tracking, and reporting as well as to examine any relationships between expenditures and outcomes. We instituted an intervention that offered leadership a report card of metrics related to diversity efforts. Included are diversity expenditures, benchmark demographic and departmental data, applications to support faculty salaries, participation in clerkship programs focused on attracting diverse candidates, and requests for candidate lists. The purpose of this analysis is to demonstrate the impact of the intervention. A significant relationship was found between faculty funding applications and under-represented minority (URM) representation in a department (0.19; confidence interval [95% CI] 0.17-0.21; p<0.001). An association was also found between total expenditures and URM representation in a department (0.002; 95% CI 0.002-0.003; p<0.001). Other outcomes include the following: (1) women, URM, and minority faculty have all increased in representation since tracking began; (2) diversity expenditures and faculty opportunity fund and presidential professorship applications have increased over time; and (3) a steady decline in departments with zero URM representation after the tracking of diversity expenditures in both clinical and basic science departments. Our findings suggest that standardized metrics for inclusion and diversity initiatives promote accountability and buy-in from executive leadership. Departmental detail enables tracking of progress longitudinally. Future work will continue to evaluate the downstream effects of diversity expenditures.

“Careful with your ‘We’”: Worldview minority faculty at sectarian institutions.

“Careful with your ‘We’”: Worldview minority faculty at sectarian institutions.