2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The benefits of a graduate education are well documented and have significant implications for economic growth, equality, and social mobility [1]. Still, women remain underrepresented in STEM graduate programs and occupations requiring graduate education, despite representing 50% of the U.S. population [2]. Some literature points to the importance of social networks in broadening participation in STEM fields and supporting student persistence [3], [4]. Within social capital theory are two subtypes, bonding and bridging social capital. Bonding capital entails relationships established between individuals with similar backgrounds who may provide emotional and instrumental support [5], [6]. On the other hand, bridging capital includes connections with individuals outside of one’s core groups of friends, family, and colleagues. These individuals extend one’s network, making it possible to “achieve one’s goals” [3, p. 205]. Drawing upon these concepts, the current study sought to understand how graduate women biology, environmental engineering, and geosciences mobilized bonding and bridging social capital to access academic and professional pathways. Specifically, this case study investigated 13 women in master’s programs participating in a National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM program and interdisciplinary community of practice, focused on a wicked problem [specific problem and title masked for review], incorporating a variety of strategies (e.g., mentoring, research opportunities, community engagement, coursework) to ease transitions into and through master’s programs. Data sources included semi-structured interview data, program documents (e.g., grant proposal, evaluation and annual reports), and participant observations at roundtable workshops used to examine this phenomenon.

Findings revealed that participants leveraged relationships with program faculty, as undergraduate students, to access graduate education. Though some participants reported being intentional about engaging in undergraduate research, as a means to build relationships with faculty and apply their disciplinary knowledge, their pathways to master’s programs were less directed. It often included chance encounters with faculty members, who served as institutional agents, explaining admissions processes, and helping participants identify practical and financial support to attend graduate school. Once participants became engaged in the S-STEM program, either during the admissions process or while in graduate school, participants noted benefiting from the financial, psychosocial, instrumental, academic, and professional support necessary to persist in majors related to and opportunities to learn more about careers in the wicked problem [masked for review]. The program contributed to the participants' bonding and bridging social capital by facilitating opportunities for mentorship, participation in community engaged work, and connections with professionals in the field. Through these activities, participants underscored the value of the S-STEM program in extending their networks as well as preparing them for academic and workforce demands. Furthermore, this study has implications for the importance of using graduate-level scholarship programs as a tool to recruit women into master’s programs. Additionally, this study highlights the need to advance intentional practices to ease pathways into STEM graduate education and the occupations.