Promoting Equal Access to Research
In 2019, I designed and taught an undergraduate professional skills course on how to get into research. Over the past three years, I have presented these program materials to over 200 undergraduate students across the US and Canada and offered the program as a 10-week course three times across two different institutions.
I hope to uncover the “hidden curriculum” that often prevents students from pursuing academic research. I understand that these barriers are even more prevalent to students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, or who are not born into families in academia. According to preliminary survey results, students who have participated in the program report significant increases in their sense of scientific belonging, scientific identity, and intended persistence in STEM. Armed with this knowledge, students can feel confident pursuing their academic journies, and help create a more diverse, equitable research climate for all future scientists.
Website with free materials coming soon!