Women earn 59 percent of undergraduate degrees in the United States but only 10 percent of women’s degrees are in a STEM field. This pattern follows women into the workplace, where they represent about 47 percent of the workforce, but hold only 27 percent of STEM jobs.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded more than $5 million in grants to seven women’s colleges and universities to research and develop strategies that increase the retention of women in STEM degree programs and careers. The awards seek to address the significant national gender gap and disparate experiences of women in STEM in the United States, both in higher education and the workforce. At NASA, 26 percent of the agency’s scientists and engineers are women.
“We’re making strides to close the pervasive gender gap in STEM, and women’s colleges and universities are well-positioned to help drive that positive change,” said NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy, a graduate of Wellesley College, a woman’s college in Massachusetts. “It’s more important than ever we have brilliant, enthusiastic people entering the workforce and ready to take on the ambitious plans and challenges ahead.”
The seven women’s college and their research projects are listed below.
* Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia
Alumnae Network & Career Resources Program – STEM Support Anchored at Agnes Scott College
* Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Alverno College “Launching the Future”: An Intersectional Approach to Boosting Recruitment and Retention of Women in STEM Undergraduate Education
* Cedar Crest College, Allentown, Pennsylvania
TOWERS – Tackling Obstacles for Women’s Engagement & Retention in STEM at Cedar Crest College
* College of Saint Mary, Omaha, Nebraska
Project BLOOM for Women in STEM – Bolstering Learning, Opportunities, Outreach, and Mindfulness
* Salem Academy and College, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Soar With Salem: A Comprehensive Program to Inspire Women and Girls to Become the Next Generation of STEM Professionals
* Simmons University, Boston, Massachuetts
DREAM-WSTEM (Dynamic Research Education Academy for Mentoring Women in STEM)
* Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts
Developing a Pathway to MaRS (Math Resilient Students) in STEM: A Cascading Mentorship Model