2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

WIP Engaging Every Student: Understanding Faculty Perceptions of Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in a 2 Year Professional Development Series

Presented at Faculty Development: Round Table Discussions

This work in progress (WIP) describes a grant funded by the National Science Foundation to examine how a 2-year access, diversity, equity, and inclusion professional development series impacts inclusive pedagogical practices by faculty, both tenured and non-tenured, at a Hispanic Serving Institution, and at a community college. Faculty play a key role in cultivating cultures of inclusion in STEM, and must be provided with information, resources, and technological tools that advance equity and inclusion from a student-centered perspective. The aims of the series are to provide faculty with nine 3-hour sessions that explore access, diversity, equity, and inclusion (year one,) and classroom observations, and workshop co-facilitation (year two). This WIP is focused on a research question that investigates the impact of year one. Faculty that completed the first year of the professional development series were invited to participate in a 90-minute qualitative interview focused on answering the following research question, “What is the impact of participation in the professional development series on faculty conceptions of diversity and inclusion in the classroom?” 15 faculty, across 6 STEM disciplines, and two cohorts, were interviewed over the span of two years to discuss, a) their lived experience, b) the professional development curriculum, c) its impact on their pedagogical practices and, d) recommended programmatic enhancements. The anticipated research results will show that faculty professional development, focused on inclusion, creates more opportunities for meaningful engagement in STEM between faculty and minoritized students, cultivates a culture of inclusion, and gives faculty practical application and tools that ensures their curriculum is inclusive; thereby, increasing undergraduate degree completion. This project is significant because there is a need to diversify the professoriate, and the STEM workforce in general, which begins with increasing persistence and retention rates of minoritized students though inclusive academic environments. Minoritized students, as defined in this work, are Latinx and Black students. Faculty play a key role in establishing positive academic cultures through intentional and focused efforts. The WIP session presenters prefer seats in rows lecture style and will present a PowerPoint presentation.

Authors

Dr. Pheather R Harris University of California, Irvine [biography]

Dr. Harris has worked in postsecondary education for over two decades in various capacities. She began her career at Santa Monica College as a counseling aid at the Extended Opportunities Programs and Services office prior to her role as an Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of Southern California. She then moved to Cambridge, MA to pursue her Master’s Degree in Higher Education, with a focus on Risk and Prevention, and began working at Tenacity, a non-profit organization focused on social-emotional learning and literacy development for middle school youth, as a Prevention Specialist. Dr. Harris formally moved to the east coast when she began her work at the Gates Millennium Scholars Program as a Senior Program Manager – managing the Academic Empowerment Program across partner organizations: the United Negro College Fund, The Asian Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, The Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars. Dr. Harris received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Southern California, a Master of Arts degree in Education from Harvard University, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University. She is also an NSF IASPIRE Fellow and the Principal Investigator on a nearly $3-million dollar grant aimed at advancing access, diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM . Her research interest includes exploring the relationship between faculty mentor engagement and minoritized student STEM persistence. She is a critical methodologist who uses both post positivism and postmodernism to guide her inquiries.
Dr. Tayloria N.G. Adams http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4990-0611 University of California, Irvine [biography]

Dr. Tayloria N.G. Adams is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Her research group integrates electrokinetic techniques with microfluidic platforms to investigate the heterogeneity of human mesenchymal stem cells and prostate cancer cells. She holds patents for her discoveries and has received prestigious fellowships, including the NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship and the UCI Chancellor’s ADVANCE Postdoctoral Fellowship. Dr. Adams has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Faculty Innovation in Teaching–Early Career Award from UCI’s School of Engineering, the NSF CAREER Award, the University of California Cancer Research Coordinating Committee Award, and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Pilot Award funded by the Anti-Cancer Challenge. Her research interests also encompass culturally responsive teaching. Dr. Adams is committed to advancing inclusive excellence by creating pathways that promote the representation and success of minoritized students and women in STEM. She is dedicated to fostering an academic environment where students feel empowered, supported, and equipped to thrive in their academic and professional journeys.
Dr. Star Lee University of California, Irvine [biography]

Dr. Star Lee is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Developmental and Cell Biology Department at the University of California, Irvine. Her science education research focuses on creating inclusive STEM learning environments for students. She is particularly interested in investigating the effectiveness of teaching professional development programs for STEM graduate students and faculty, and receives support from the National Science Foundation.

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