An Undergraduate Research Conference as Counter-Space for Students of Color in STEM

• In Event: An Undergraduate Research Conference as Counter-Space for Students of Color in STEM

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to look at an undergraduate research conference and how it provides a counterspace to support the emerging STEM identity of minoritized students. Previous research has described the importance of counterspaces for students from minoritized backgrounds in STEM (Lane, 2016; Ong, Smith, & Ko, 2018; Solórzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2000). Using observations and student interviews, this study explores how this conference space disrupted the whiteness of students’ campus-based experiences in order to provide professional development and to retain them in STEM majors through empowerment and undergraduate research experiences.

Authors

• Erin Doran, Iowa State University

• Paul S Hengesteg, Iowa State University