2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper shares the experiences of community engaged research (CER) among women holding doctoral degrees in STEM fields. The research included interviews with 12 women who conducted CER during their time as doctoral students, post doctoral researchers, various positions in academia (assistant, associate, and full professors; research faculty; lecturers and adjuncts), and/or while working for government agencies and non-profits. The majority of the women held various minoritized racial / ethnic identities. The narratives represent a range of successes in terms of personal value, professional value, and community outcomes. There were also situations where individuals’ CER was devalued and community outcomes were less optimal. The results draw attention to important issues in the hopes of inspiring interest, attention to best practices, and cautions.