Gender Matching: Increasing the Representation of Women in STEM Fields

• In Event: Roundtable Session 38
  In Roundtable Session: Gender and the Academy

Abstract

Despite the growing number of women completing doctorates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, women continue to be underrepresented as tenure-track faculty members at research institutions. Women also comprise a smaller percentage of STEM PhDs. I evaluate same gender mentorship as a method for increasing women’s representation in STEM fields using a social identity theory framework. I find that advisor gender match between female doctoral student and faculty advisor does not impact likelihood of completion or academic job placement. However, the proportion of female faculty in the department positively influences female doctoral students’ graduation probabilities suggesting that informal mentorship and higher visibility of demographically similar role models are important factors in improving student success.

Author

• Joyce Main, Purdue University