2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

It’s No Mystery, So It Must Be Intentional: How Institutions Fail to Support Black STEM Doctoral Students’ Mental Health

Presented at Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Technical Session 11

Within a pseudo-post COVID-19 pandemic period of time, and juxtaposed within our current hyper-divisive socio-political landscape, members of the Black community in the United States face daily challenges including continuous, subtle, and overt expressions of racism that create disproportionate risk to physical, mental, and economic health and safety at the hands of the basic systems that undergird society (e.g., criminal justice, housing, political, educational) and that were designed to promote and sustain white supremacy At institutions of higher education, Black doctoral students in STEM additionally endure the impact of systemic anti-Black racism within their academic/professional environments, regularly navigating microaggressions, spirit injuries, and concurrent hyper and invisibility.

This paper reports on findings from interviews with 11 Black doctoral students in STEM from a variety of institutions (i.e., Traditionally White Institutions (TWIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Hispanic Serving Institutions (MSIs)) across the United States. Research participants (hereafter referred to as co-constructors, in recognition of their co-construction of the knowledge generated by the project) were recruited to the study through targeted social media outlets and professional networks, and inclusion criteria were identifying as a Black student enrolled in a STEM doctoral program at a US-based institution.

During 1-2 hour semi-structured zoom interviews conducted in pairs by members of our research team, co-constructors shared experiences related to their academic climate, institutional department / climate, doctoral program advisor, mental health and wellbeing, or career trajectory and aspirations. Reported in this paper are an analysis of their responses to the following prompts: “How has your STEM department/program supported Black doctoral students’ mental health? If not, how would you like your STEM department/program to support Black doctoral students' mental health?” Three categories of findings and related implications are presented: 1) mental health support that co-constructors indicated was provided to all students; 2) mental health support provided by institutions explicitly to support Black students, and 3)the types of support Black doctoral students in STEM wish their institutions had provided. The recommendations shared in this paper highlight the critical and unmet needs of Black graduate students across institutions and STEM disciplines

Authors

Dr. Brooke Charae Coley Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus [biography]

Dr. Brooke Coley, an Assistant Professor of Engineering at Arizona State University, is a pioneering force in disrupting the status quo of engineering to create a more equitable and inclusive field where all individuals can thrive. As the Founding Executive Director of the Center for Research Advancing Racial Equity, Justice, and Sociotechnical Innovation Centered in Engineering (RARE JUSTICE), Dr. Coley leads transformative efforts to challenge systemic barriers and promote equity in academia. Her research focuses on amplifying the lived experiences of racially minoritized scholars, dismantling anti-Blackness in STEM, graduate student education, and fostering awareness of, and ultimately, accountability for, the lived realities of individuals navigating STEM through immersive virtual reality experiences. Collaborating with mental health experts, she also is intentional to integrate a head-on focus on the implications for wellness and wholeness in academic environments. Dr. Coley's transparent and culturally responsive approaches, coupled with her dedication and fortitude, have positioned her as a recognized leader in the field. Since 2017, she has secured millions of dollars in grant funding from the National Science Foundation, employing critical qualitative and arts-based methodologies in her work. She received the Wickenden Award and Betty Vetter Award in 2024 and was named a Virtual Visiting Scholar by the ARC Network in 2023. Launching from the Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh oriented to the challenges of navigating STEM as an underrepresented and minoritized scholar, she continues to lead change and advocate for institutional transformation and accountability through novel applications and approaches.
Dr. Jennifer M. Bekki Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus [biography]

Jennifer M. Bekki is an Associate Professor in The Polytechnic School within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. Her research aims to understand and address inequities arising from racism and sexism within STEM graduate education.
Dr. Kerrie G. Wilkins-Yel University of Massachusetts, Boston [biography]

Kerrie Wilkins-Yel, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of Radical Investment in Strategic Solutions towards Equity (RISSE) Consulting LLC and an Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is an NSF Early CAREER award recipient whose research broadly focuses on advancing equity, access, and wellness in STEM.
Miss Fantasi Nicole Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus [biography]

Fantasi Nicole is a PhD Candidate who identifies as a Black feminist killjoy who stands for racial and gendered equity and justice. Her fantasy is that all scholars, both degreed and pursuing, will contribute new knowledge of interest in engineering scholarship with the full, uninhibited support of the academy.
Debalina Maitra Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus [biography]

Debalina Maitra is a Post-doctoral Research Associate at ASU. Prior to her current role, Debalina Maitra was employed by CAFECS (Chicago Alliance for Equity in Computer Science), a NSF-funded Research Practice Partnership, for almost two years. She compl
Juan David Gutierrez [biography]

Dr. Gutierrez is an emergent scholar and researcher in the field of applied linguistics, with a profound focus on educational transitions and the intricate dynamics of secondary, tertiary, and graduate levels of learning in the United States. His passion lies in exploring the complexities of multilingual racialized communities, addressing the challenges posed by the unequal distribution of educational resources and opportunities.
With a deep commitment to promoting inclusivity and empowerment, Dr. Gutierrez centers his research on amplifying student voices and valuing the significance of lived experience in shaping educational trajectories. His expertise in narrative and counter-storytelling methodologies has paved the way for a deeper understanding of the experiences and perspectives often marginalized in educational discourse. Dr. Gutierrez is committed to creating a more equitable educational landscape as a testament to his dedication to fostering transformative change.
Motahareh Darvishpour Ahandani Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus [biography]

Motahareh Darvishpour Ahandani is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Engineering Education Systems and Design at Arizona State University. Serving as a research assistant, she brings with her six years of industry experience as a woman engineer. Her research interests focus on the mental health of international engineering graduate students, with a particular emphasis on the experiences of international women of color. Darvishpour Ahandani is deeply committed to improving the well-being of underrepresented groups in STEM, a mission with which she personally identifies.
Michelle Campbell

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