STEM Graduate Students Research Articles

International STEM Graduate Students: A Key to Strengthening the American Economy and Building Competitiveness

The United States (US) is renowned for offering world-class education to thousands of international students seeking advanced degrees in the STEM fields. However, the US is at risk of losing a significant portion of this talent due to limited visa options. While US funds and resources are invested in training international STEM graduate students, many students are compelled to leave the US for other countries with more favorable visa policies. This potential loss of talent is particularly concerning as China is poised to overtake the US in Research and Development (R&D) investment, while countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, along with China, are seeking to attract foreign high-skilled STEM talents with their visa programs. STEM jobs comprise 48% of the 100 fastest growing jobs in the US while STEM industries such as the semiconductor sector already struggle to meet their growing demand for high-skilled workers. These demands can be alleviated by international STEM graduate students. In order for Congress to leverage this economic opportunity before losing American-trained students to other countries, we propose the following: i) Exempt international STEM graduate students from the visa requirement of proving their intent to leave the US after graduation, ii) Increase or circumvent the annual numerical employment green card cap for international STEM graduate students, iii) Extend the unemployment grace period for H-1B and OPT visa holders to allow sufficient time to find a new job.

Navigating STEM careers with AI mentors: a new IDP journey.

Mentoring is crucial to the success of STEM higher education. The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a common career development tool in STEM graduate education that facilitates structured mentor-mentee interactions and goal setting. This study examined the integration of AI mentors into the myIDP framework to provide real-time support and career insights. Using Google Gemini as an AI mentor, this study developed and assessed AI prompts within the myIDP framework. Eighteen STEM graduate students, primarily from underrepresented groups, were trained to engage with the AI mentor. Their interactions, feedback, and comments were analyzed using sentiment and thematic analysis. Participants reported positive experiences with AI mentors, noting benefits, such as immediate responses, up-to-date information, access to multiple AI mentors, enhanced ownership of career development, and time savings. However, concerns about misinformation, bias, privacy, equity, and algorithmic influences have also been raised. The study identified two hybrid human-AI mentoring models-Sequential Integration and Concurrent Collaboration-that combine the unique strengths of human and AI mentors to enhance the mentoring process. This study underscores the potential of AI mentors to enhance IDP practices by providing timely feedback and career information, thereby empowering students in their STEM career development. The proposed human-AI mentoring models show promise in supporting underrepresented minorities, potentially broadening participation in STEM fields.

Understanding how socio-historical contexts inform approaches to improving racial climate in stem graduate education within the United States

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine how two socio-historical contexts within the United States, the Movement for Black Lives and the COVID-19 pandemic, informed approaches to improving racial climate in science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) graduate education. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a general qualitative inquiry research study design to conduct focus groups (n = 121) with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty members from across STEM disciplines as well as administrators whose work involves STEM graduate students. Participants were from two US institutions involved in a National Science Foundation networked improvement community seeking to create inclusive environments for STEM graduate students. Findings This study demonstrates how these socio-historical contexts illuminated and amplified on-going efforts to address racial climate for graduate students in US-based graduate education. In response to these events, STEM faculty devoted time that otherwise might have gone to purely technical or scientific endeavors to addressing racial climate. However, some faculty members remain hesitant to address racial climate and efforts appear to have further waned over time. While diversity, inclusion and equity efforts came to the forefront of the collective consciousness during this time, participants worry that these efforts are not sustainable, particularly without support from faculty and administrators. Practical implications The findings from this study will inform efforts to improve racial climate in STEM graduate programs. Originality/value This study fills an identified need to capture how socio-historical contexts, like the US Movement for Black Lives and the COVID-19 pandemic, have influenced approaches to improving racial climate in STEM graduate programs.

Emoting up, emoting down: status, authenticity and the emotional labour of STEM graduate students

Various studies have examined emotional labour’s positive and negative aspects, but the structural conditions under which people experience emotional labour as fulfilling vs. taxing are underexplored. In this study, I use interviews with graduate students – a group whose relative social status changes routinely – to illuminate the types of emotion work that occasion positive and negative feelings. I find that graduate students often felt positive when performing emotional labour down the academic hierarchy to undergraduate students but felt negative about their emotional labour when performing it up the academic hierarchy to professors. I also find that women, people of colour and international students find their emotional labour particularly distressing when they perceive it to be an expectation of their marginalised social identity. Using identity theory, I show how status dynamics underlie people's emotional reactions when their identities are at risk of being disconfirmed. This research study contributes to the field of the sociology of emotions by specifying that status matters for whether emotional labour is a positive or negative experience for workers.

The Classrooms of STEM Graduate Students Are Interactive After a Practice-Based Pedagogical Training Program

The Classrooms of STEM Graduate Students Are Interactive After a Practice-Based Pedagogical Training Program

Mixed reviews on diversity initiatives: toward an institutional change model for Black faculty in engineering and computing

IntroductionUniversities across the United States have implemented initiatives to enhance diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, focusing on improving outcomes for racially minoritized students. While many diversity initiatives target undergraduate programs, there is a gap in support for STEM graduate students. Recognizing the persistent underrepresentation of racially diverse populations in STEM, the Biden-Harris Administration launched the “Raise the Bar: STEM Excellence for All Students” initiative, aiming to bolster STEM education nationwide. Foundations like the Sloan Foundation have developed pathways programs for STEM students, extending support into graduate school and the professoriate. The success of diversity initiatives often hinges on the participation and endorsement of underrepresented STEM faculty.MethodsThis study investigates the perspectives of twenty-nine Black engineering and computing faculty regarding diversity initiatives within their respective departments. Grounded theory methodology guided the qualitative analysis, enabling a deeper understanding of the racialized diversity management framework. Drawing on institutional racism perspectives, the study aimed to develop a theoretical framework elucidating institutional engagement with and implementation of diversity initiatives in engineering education.ResultsThe participants’ perspectives on diversity initiatives reflected features of organizational change. Three types of organizational environments emerged: 1) stagnant, characterized by aspirational commitments to diversity; 2) moderate, where underrepresented populations are recruited but expected to assimilate into the dominant culture; and 3) transformational, representing organizations taking significant steps towards creating equitable environments. The narratives of the study participants shed light on the varying effectiveness of efforts to increase the representation of successful Black students and faculty in engineering academia.DiscussionThe findings underscore the importance of understanding organizational contexts and dynamics in shaping the outcomes of diversity initiatives. By delineating the racialized diversity management framework, this study provides insights into the complexities of institutional engagement with diversity in engineering education. Addressing the challenges identified, particularly in environments characterized as stagnant or moderate, is crucial for advancing equity and inclusion in STEM fields. Effective diversity initiatives must go beyond recruitment efforts to create transformative, equitable environments conducive to the success of racially minoritized students and faculty in engineering academia.

Development and assessment of the STEM storytellers program

ABSTRACT We developed and tested an NSF IGE-funded year-long program to improve the oral communication skills of STEM graduate students. By the end of the program, we organized our curricular materials into a 3C framework: connect, convey, and captivate. Within this framework, the Fellows learned rhetorical strategies, created podcasts, regularly practiced improvisation, and provided each other with extensive feedback about their work. The Fellows in cohorts one and three gave public presentations followed by a question-and-answer period. Formative and summative assessments were built into the curriculum, including the use of the Public Speaking Competency Rubric (PSCR), and a calculation of jargon. Fellows also longitudinally self-reported their anxiety levels and apprehension of public speaking. The Fellows performed well according to their PSCR scores, but they also reported a slight increase in anxiety levels; the project, as well as the study, were confounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Public audiences rated cohort three highly on all 3C items. Graduate students in STEM perform research that is of interest and significance to society, and the STEM Storytellers program helped them better translate their research to engage these broader audiences in meaningful conversation.

Enhancing Academic English Literacy for STEM Graduate Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

Enhancing Academic English Literacy for STEM Graduate Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

Examining Black and Latinx STEM graduate students’ laboratory rotation experiences and their impact on advisor selection

Despite being fundamental to graduate education in the sciences, lab rotations are largely unexplored in the academic literature. The purpose of this study is to understand how the laboratory rotation process impacts Black and Latinx STEM graduate students’ advisor selection process. Steeped in Critical Race Theory, this study employed a case study approach to explore the experiences of four Black and Latinx STEM graduate students enrolled at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). The article highlights that students who participated in lab rotations were able to gain more insights into their advisor’s advising style and lab environment before making their decision. Participants felt more comfortable in labs where the advisors provided a hands-on advising style over a hands-off advising style. Ultimately, results indicated that Black and Latinx STEM graduate students benefited from participating in lab rotations prior to selecting their research advisors. This study’s findings may help STEM departments, especially those within PWIs, understand the importance of consistently offering lab rotations for Black and Latinx STEM graduates prior to selecting their graduate advisor.

Longitudinal examination of the advisor–advisee relationship among Black and Latinx STEM graduate students.

Longitudinal examination of the advisor–advisee relationship among Black and Latinx STEM graduate students.

The Impact of Counseling Groups on STEM Graduate Student Well-Being: A Qualitative Investigation

ABSTRACT STEM graduate students have high rates of stress, burn-out, and depression fueled by the competitive nature of these programs, financial and job insecurities, and the isolation that often comes alongside graduate school. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of a brief counseling support group provided to STEM graduate students across two university campuses. Using a phenomenological framework, analysis of focus group and individual interviews revealed the unique challenges of STEM graduate school education, the therapeutic benefits of counseling groups, and the potential difficulties of providing mental health support to this population.

Preparing future STEM faculty through flexible teaching professional development.

We have prepared thousands of future STEM faculty around the world to adopt evidence-based instructional practices through their participation in two massive open online courses (MOOCs) and facilitated in-person learning communities. Our novel combination of asynchronous online and coordinated, structured face-to-face learning community experiences provides flexible options for STEM graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to pursue teaching professional development. A total of 14,977 participants enrolled in seven offerings of the introductory course held 2014-2018, with 1,725 participants (11.5% of enrolled) completing the course. Our results of high levels of engagement and learning suggest that leveraging the affordances of educational technologies and the geographically clustered nature of this learner demographic in combination with online flexible learning could be a sustainable model for large scale professional development in higher education. The preparation of future STEM faculty makes an important difference in establishing high-quality instruction that meets the diverse needs of all undergraduate students, and the initiative described here can serve as a model for increasing access to such preparation.

Black Lives Matter and other signs of solidarity: Perspectives from Black STEM graduate students

AbstractCreating inclusive and supportive environments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational settings are important tools for countering racially hostile academic spaces and attracting and retaining talented Black and African American students. STEM faculty and other university members may display Black Lives Matter and similar signs of solidarity to express their support for Black students. However, how Black students perceive such signs is unknown. On the one hand, the identity safety cue literature suggests such signs relate to increased comfort and a sense of belonging among individuals from minoritized groups. On the other hand, some contemporary perspectives toward Black Lives Matter and other signs of solidarity have been criticized for lacking substance and impact. Given the extant literature's omission of Black students' perspectives about signs of solidarity, the current study employed semi‐structured interviews and qualitative analytic methods to solicit and analyze the perspectives of 12 Black STEM graduate students. The findings revealed a general preference for some signs over others, as well as nuanced perspectives toward each sign of solidarity. Implications for STEM researchers and faculty who aspire to support Black students are discussed. Further, recommendations for adopting an informed ally approach are provided.

ComSciConCAN and the Positive Impacts on STEM Graduate Students’ Confidence and Sense of Belonging

Background: Although Science Communication (SciComm) is a growing field, there currently exist a large number of undergraduate- and graduate- level SciComm training programs worldwide. Two noted benefits of such programs are improvement in SciComm confidence and sense of belonging. ComSciConCAN is a graduate level SciComm conference; no studies have previously looked into the impacts of this conference, which encouraged us to initiate this study. 
 Purpose: To explore the impacts of ComSciConCAN on the participants’ confidence in communicating with other scientists and the general public, and their sense of belonging in their current STEM programs and SciComm activities 
 Methods: ComSciConCAN-2021 participants were asked to complete pre- and post- workshop surveys. Data analysis was done using Microsoft Excel, and unpaired t-test statistical analysis was conducted (when applicable) using Graphpad.
 Results: With regards to confidence, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the mean levels reported for all three cases pre- versus post- conference. Regarding sense of belonging, 65% and 83% of the participants reported at least “somewhat agreeing” that the workshops will help improve this in their current STEM program and SciComm activities, respectively. 
 Conclusion: The conference did have a positive impact on the participants’ SciComm confidence and senses of belonging.

International Research Experiences and Global Competency Development for Graduate Students in Engineering and Science

Challenges from globalization, population growth, and climate change require science, technology, and engineering (STEM) professionals to have global competency. However, the impact of international experiences on STEM students’ development of these abilities has not been well studied. We assessed the effects of international research experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Europe on the development of global competency for STEM graduate students from the United States. Research placements in LAC were generally field-based, involving interactions with community members, while placements in Europe were mostly lab-based. Surveys and interviews with participants before and after their trips revealed increases in intercultural abilities for students from all groups. Students who traveled to LAC had higher intercultural abilities before the trip but experienced smaller gains than their counterparts who traveled to Europe. Despite the value in community-based activities for students outside of university settings, more effort is needed to eliminate students’ barriers to understanding communication styles in their host communities.

Developing a Model for Interdisciplinary Collaboration for STEM Graduate Students

Developing a Model for Interdisciplinary Collaboration for STEM Graduate Students

Fostering Global Talent Through Virtual Study Abroad: A Comparative Case Study

Japanese universities often rely on overseas study to foster global talent. The COVID pandemic restricted travel, canceling many overseas programs. This paper examines the shift from a short-term study abroad program for Japanese STEM graduate students, to a ‘virtual study abroad’ experience with a partner institution in Australia. The real-world and virtual iterations of this program are considered in relation to the three official aims of fostering ‘global jinzai’ : developing communication ability in a foreign language (English) ; gaining an understanding and appreciation of other cultures; becoming active members of society. This study examines TOEIC results and exit surveys from real-world and virtual iterations of the program, to clarify how virtual study abroad supports the development of global talent in STEM.

The ethics of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in the earth system sciences

Institutions’ motivations for pursuing diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) often center on the benefits to the organization, an argument known as the business case for diversity in which diverse teams are more creative, set high bars for research, and produce ideas that are more innovative than those produced by homogeneous groups. As the sole motivation for DEIJ efforts, the business case is flawed and does not address the harmful workplaces many marginalized scholars encounter. Institutions can make more progress towards diversifying the STEM workforce by acknowledging the ethical responsibilities for doing so and transitioning to an equity-centered approach. Emphasizing personal motivations to actively engage in DEIJ work resonates with individuals more, rather than engaging with DEIJ to benefit an institution’s goals. Two recent studies support this argument. The first is an alumni survey and focus groups of postdoctoral fellows in the Advanced Studies Program at the National Center for Atmospheric Research to explore alumni efforts and motivations for engaging in DEIJ work. The second study surveyed attitudes towards DEIJ efforts among STEM graduate students at Colorado State University who took a course on social responsibility in science. Both studies show the motivations for scientists to support and get involved in these efforts and indicate that the business case is misaligned with the motivations of students and professionals in STEM. Understanding the attitudes and motivations that individuals have for DEIJ in STEM presents an opportunity for how institutions can best learn from and support these motivations for systemic change.

Guiding STEM graduate students to better speaking skills

Training to enhance the effectiveness of oral presentations is often neglected in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. In this article, we summarize our experience of teaching a semester-long class in speaking skills to STEM graduate students and advocate for the critical importance of these skills to professional success.

STEM Graduate Students’ Development at the Intersection of Research, Leadership, and Innovation

STEM Graduate Students’ Development at the Intersection of Research, Leadership, and Innovation