STEM Recruitment and Beyond: The Messenger is the Medium

Abstract

We comment on several major factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of specific groups in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educational programs, particularly at the advanced graduate levels. Recognition of the structural inequalities that create and reinforce these disparities leads to suggestions for immediate improvements that in many cases can lead to progress, particularly at the point of personal interaction with potential STEM recruits. A crucial factor in recruitment and retention is students’ perception of their own suitability and eligibility. We argue that STEM faculty members, regardless of their ethnic background, are the messengers of this eligibility.