“I Don't Want to Be a Martyr”: Career Disruption for Space Sciences Graduate Students

• In Event: Access and Experiences in STEM

Abstract

This phenomenological study provides the first evidence of the effects on career planning of racially minoritized graduate students in space science following the 2025 rescission of federal research grants and dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion. The findings suggest that graduate students are experiencing career apprehension due to a loss of a sense of belonging in the field, forced career adaptability, and perceived shifts in the graduate education environment. These findings speak to the federal hostility towards graduate students of color and how advisors must adjust to the realities of advising students of color entering the field. The findings also suggest a reexamination of traditional frameworks of socialization and science identity to account for the federal context in science.

Authors

• Radomir Ray Mitic, College of William & Mary

• Bingqing Wu, College of William & Mary

• Maire Brandenburg, University of North Dakota