Multiple Dimensions of Identity Development in Community College Transfer Students in STEM

• In Event: Identity in STEM: Managing Space, Place, and Pathways

Abstract

High-demand STEM-related fields such as Health and Information Technology need a more diverse and skilled workforce that can appropriately fulfill the needs of diverse communities. Given that community colleges enroll large volumes of students who are low-income, first-generation, racially minoritized, adult learners, and students with disabilities, these colleges represent a potential pipeline for a more diverse set of STEM bachelor’s degree earners; however, these students may encounter unique challenges as they transfer from a more to less diverse institution. This study explores the identity development of transfer students in STEM using the Reconceptualizing Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity (RMMDI) to provide a nuanced understanding of how students make meaning of their identities as they transition into a new institution.

Authors

• Igdalia Covarrubias, The Ohio State University
  Presenting Author

• Rebecca Cepeda, The Ohio State University
  Presenting Author

• Shanna Smith Jaggars, The Ohio State University
  Presenting Author

• Melissa T. Buelow, The Ohio State University - Newark
  Presenting Author