Isolation, Resilience, and Faith: Experiences of Black Christian Students in Biology Graduate Programs

• In Event: Equity in Science Within Higher Education

Abstract

In efforts to increase participation of students of color in biology graduate programs, biology education research focuses on illuminating and improving student experiences. Black students are vastly underrepresented in biology. Further, Christianity is stigmatized in biology, and we found that Black students are the only racial/ethnic group that remain majority Christian in biology graduate school. Since graduate school is important for socialization into a discipline and Black students are likely to experience stigmatization of their racial and religious identity, we explored their experiences. Results from our thematic analysis help gain a deeper understanding of why Black Christian graduate students are more likely to leave or not pursue advanced degrees in biology and provide practical recommendations that help facilitate their success.

Authors

• Angela Google, University of Rhode Island

• Elizabeth Barnes, Middle Tennessee State University

• Chloe Bowen, Middle Tennessee State University