Latinas/os in STEM: A Longitudinal Look at the Experiences that Lead to Persistence American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education Sixth Annual National Conference San Antonio, TX March 4, 2011 Sylvia Hurtado, UCLA Gina A. Garcia, UCLA

Background  National call to increase the participation of Latinas/os in STEM degrees and careers America COMPETES Act College Cost Reduction and Access Act Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act  Latinas/os 15% of the U.S. population in 2007 Earned 7.2% of all STEM bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2006 Made up 5.2% of STEM workforce in 2006

Sample  UCLA’s Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) The Freshman Survey (TFS) 2004 Your First College Year (YFCY) 2005 College Senior Survey (CSS) 2008 Graduate Student Focus Groups

BBS vs. STEM BBS Majors  Biology  Biochemistry  Biophyshics  Microbiology  Bacteriology  Zoology  Chemistry  Medicine  Dentistry  Veterinary Medicine  Pharmacy  Psychology STEM majors  BBS majors plus…  Aeronautical Engineering  Civil Engineering  Chemical Engineering  Computer Engineering  Electrical Engineering  Industrial Engineering  Mechanical Engineering  Astronomy  Mathematics  Physics  Nursing

Aspiring Scientists-Fall 2004 (n=5,425)  In comparison to White students, Latina/o aspiring scientists… Have higher financial concerns Are less prepared academically Have lower academic self-confidence Take fewer math & science courses in high school Have lower aspirations for pursuing a career as a scientific researcher

Aspiring Scientists-Fall 2004 (n=5,425)

 In comparison to White students, more Latina/o aspiring scientists… Attend institutions w/ NIH-sponsored programs Participate in summer research programs & health science research programs (prior to college) Aspire for a Ph.D. or Ed.D. Aspire to become a physician

Aspiring Scientists-Fall 2004 (n=5,425)

Emerging Scientists-Spring 2005 (n=674)  In comparison to White and Asian students, Latina/o emerging scientists… Have higher financial concerns Have lower academic performance (grades) Have lower academic self-confidence Experience higher rates of racial tension or discrimination on campus

Emerging Scientists-Spring 2005 (n=674)

 In comparison to White and Asian students, more Latina/o emerging scientists… Have a desire to improve the health of minority communities Took a first-year experience course Worked on a professor’s research project in their first year

4 th Year Latina/o STEM Students (n=594)  Decline in aspirations for Ph.D. or Ed.D. (from freshman year)  Increase in aspirations for M.A. or M.S. (from freshman year)  Higher debt accumulation than White and Asian STEM students  More likely than White and Asian students to help support family

4 th Year Latina/o STEM Students (n=594)

Science Identity

4 th Year Latina/o STEM Students (n=594)  Predictors of Persistence College generational status (-) Standardized test scores (+) Participation in a club/organization related to major (+) Participation in undergraduate research (+) Sense of belonging (+) Negative cross-racial interactions (-)

Latina/o Graduate STEM And like I said before, I always thought it was just gonna be med school – that’s what I envisioned. I took all the prerequisites, even the MCAT’s, but I participated in a research program and I really liked it. So as far as graduate school, once I took that program I started my last semester in research with the person that’s now my advisor. She’s the one that introduced me to several scholarship programs that were available in graduate school. (Lauren, Latina, Molecular Biology, HSI)

Latina/o Graduate STEM But this professor saw something else and gave me this opportunity to work in his lab. And that’s when I started doing more energy related research. And from there, I could start seeing there’s something else that I could do here. And he paid for [me to attend a] conference. I got accepted and we did this fellowship. So that gave me more information about more PhD programs. And then he helped me to apply for a PhD. So when I left school, I got accepted in two schools first for doing the Ph.D. (Tyler, Latino, Chemical/Biomolecular Engineering, PWI)

Latina/o Graduate STEM I didn't know about grad school or anything, when I [started undergrad]. But I was in a few of the undergraduate minority research programs, almost all throughout my undergraduate years, like three years. And they always did encourage me to go to graduate school. So, I knew that I definitely did want to go to grad school, eventually, and do research. (George, Latino, Molecular Biology, PWI)

Implications for Practice  Early attention and program interventions to encourage and sustain Latina/o science talent  Focus interventions on points of loss—1 st year, entrance to the major, transition to post grad  Greater institutional efforts are needed to position Latina/os for entering graduate programs

Implications for Practice  Financial concerns are a key barrier for STEM: Consider debt forgiveness for entering STEM or teaching in science  UG Programs should include stipends and book grants to cover the costs of expensive but necessary texts  Continue funding to institutions and support Latina/o faculty who are mentoring the next generation

Contact Information Faculty and Co-PIs: Sylvia Hurtado Mitchell Chang Postdoctoral Scholars: Kevin Eagan Josephine Gasiewski Administrative Staff: Aaron Pearl Graduate Research Assistants: Christopher Newman Minh Tran Jessica Sharkness Gina Garcia Felisha Herrera Cindy Mosqueda Juan Garibay Tanya Figueroa Papers and reports are available for download at: Project Acknowledgments: This study was made possible by the support of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH Grant Numbers 1 R01 GMO and R01 GMO as well as the National Science Foundation, NSF Grant Number This independent research and the views expressed here do not indicate endorsement by the sponsors.