Of the 1.8 million bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2015–16, about 331,000 (18 percent) were in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), according to the National Center for Education Statistics. However, the percentage of bachelor’s degrees awarded in STEM fields varied by race/ethnicity.
For example, the percentages of bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanic (15 percent), Pacific Islander (15 percent), American Indian/Alaska Native (14 percent), and Black students (12 percent) that were STEM degrees were lower than the overall percentage of bachelor’s degrees awarded in STEM fields. Of all STEM graduates in the country, only about 3% are Latinas.
Recently, Elsa Gonzalez, an assistant professor in the University of Houston College of Education, received a $1.3 million CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to identify factors that promote and hinder the success of Latina STEM majors at Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs).
Gonzalez has studied Latinas at various stages of education, from K-12 to postgraduate studies, exploring the barriers and challenges they face. The Faculty Early Career Development (or CAREER) program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) offers awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through research, education, and the integration of education and research.
“With the growing population of Hispanics in the country, we really need to be concerned about supporting those students who want to pursue a career in STEM,” said Gonzalez in a statement. “We need to help them become successful in the workforce because they are fundamental for the economic and social development of our country.”
The project led by Gonzalez’s research team will track the progress of Latina STEM majors over five years at the University of Houston, Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, all of which as HSIs with at least 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment.
“We need to understand what makes this 3% successful,” Gonzalez told UH. “In my work, I’ve found that resilience, culture, and family are key factors, but if we can identify what strategies those students put in place, we can replicate them and put them into practice systematically and integrate them into policies at higher education institutions around the country.”
Gonzales’s passion reportedly started eight years ago when her then 10-year-old daughter made a revealing comment while competing at an elementary math competition.
“She turned to me and said, ‘Mom, look around. I don’t see anyone who looks like me,’” recalled Gonzalez. “It really opened my eyes to the need of continuing this research.”
Gonzalez’s daughter is now a student at Texas A&M University pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering.
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