Predicting PhD Interest Among Upward Transfer STEM Students: Gender, Campus Involvement, and Exposure to Industry

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Navigation the STEM Experience in Graduate Education (Table 4)

Abstract

Community college transfer students represent a high-achieving and diverse group. Unfortunately, efforts to expand access to STEM graduate school pathways have largely excluded transfer students. Using a longitudinal sample of N=82 transfer students in computer science majors across five universities, we examined factors that promote community college transfer students’ PhD interests, paying particular attention to the role of gender in our analyses. Findings document the importance of incoming beliefs and exposure to student groups in positively predicting PhD interest, as well as how internships may deter students from pursuing PhD pathways. Other findings reveal that upward transfer women—particularly Women of Color—disproportionately experience broader life stressors (e.g., food/housing insecurity) that may further constrain their access to academic career pathways.

Authors

• Jennifer M. Blaney, Northern Arizona University
  Presenting Author

• David F. Feldon, Utah State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kaylee Litson, University of Houston
  Non-Presenting Author