What can be done to increase diversity in STEM fields?
It really comes down to traveling to the places where more diverse people are to make them aware of opportunities and options. Going to underrepresented communities, such as a community college to hit first-generation college students, or to historically black colleges and universities, can meet people exactly where they are instead of expecting them to find you. For example, my daughter, who is incredible at math, is at an all-girls school right now. Recruiting efforts could make a huge difference in often overlooked communities if you can reach out to the right people who are interested. I think it’s important to not assume these candidates will come to you, and that we need to make intentional efforts to be more inclusive. That ultimately will increase the diversity in STEM fields.
What barriers do you see to closing the gender gap in STEM?
Many of the barriers in STEM are systemic, including basing promotion and defining “success” on factors that do not necessarily motivate women and other underrepresented populations. These factors don’t accommodate the diversity that we would like to see. Often it leads to people believing a career in STEM won’t work for them and dropping out before they even get there. Of course, there are biases too, but the biggest barriers are systemic. To make progress, we need to see intentional changes, where we find the pieces that aren’t working for everyone in STEM and begin changing these aspects to be more inclusive instead of expecting individuals to change.
How is the world changing with respect to STEM?
You can see the change coming as a result of the rise of AI evolving, with concerns that white-collar jobs like coding and design will be obsolete some day. But it is also making the jobs that are more hands-on and mechanical, like the people who are doing the chemistry in the labs or on the ground in facilities, even more indispensable. You may think of the person designing your next computer chip when you think of STEM, but it is so much more than that. STEM really is for everyone!
