Promoting Diversity: Access and Engagement in Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers

1
Promoting Diversity Access and Engagement in
Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers

• Sylvia Hurtado, Professor Director
• Mitchell Chang, Associate Professor
• Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA
• January, 2008

2
Freshmen Interest in Biomedical Fields, CIRP
Annual Survey

1. Underrepresented Racial Minorities (URMs) include
   African American/Black, Native American, Chicano,
   Puerto Rican, and Other Latino.
2. Biomedical Pre-Majors include biology,
   biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology, pharmacy,
   pre-med, and zoology.

3
Freshmen Interest in Biomedical Fields, CIRP
Annual Survey

1. Underrepresented Racial Minorities (URMs) include
   African American/Black, Native American, Chicano,
   Puerto Rican, and Other Latino.
2. Biomedical Pre-Majors include biology,
   biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology, pharmacy,
   pre-med, and zoology.

4
Research Plan Key Components

• What happens to individual students over time in
  terms of their access, engagement, retention, and
  commitment to biomedical research?
• CIRP Freshman Survey, administered at orientation
  at over 720 institutions (baseline sample), 644
  with URMs with initial intentions for
  biological/behavioral science majors
• YFCY End of First Year Survey--160 institutions
  in working sample
• Classroom-based surveys of introductory courses
  in 5-6 institutions, focus groups and site visits
• Four-year follow-up College Senior Survey at 160
  institutions with potential to follow into
  postgraduate careers and graduate school.

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Phase I CIRP Freshman Survey (SIF)

• Data collection completed Fall 2004, three papers
  and report, Aspiring Scientists, herinih_at_ucla.edu
  
• Key Findings
• Over two-thirds of URMs aspiring to major in BBS
  fields also aspire to achieve a graduate degree,
  but only 4.5 indicated a potential scientific
  research career (compared with 7.1 for white and
  5.3 of Asian students).
• URM aspirants take fewer years of math and
  science that White/Asian counterparts
• Self-efficacy and goal development supercedes
  effect of academic credentials and background
  characteristics on aspirations to become a
  scientist
• More URM students report concerns about financing
  their college career and this has a negative
  impact on their intention to contribute to
  scientific research

6
Phase II First-year follow-up (YFCY)

• Final longitudinal sample included 5,049 students
  from 160 institutions.
• Key Findings
• Only 11.8 of URMS report participating in a
  college level health science research program,
  21.8 participated in academic enrichment
  programs, 19.6 participated in a professors
  research
• Students articulate values associated with
  scientific research careers but are not specific
  about these career intentions
• Different support structures are available not
  only across institutions but within institutions,
  indicating where students get support has
  important implications for their success

7
Training future scientists Predicting first-year
minority student participation in health science
research. Research in Higher Education.
(available online)

• First-year experience courses and participation
  in departmental clubs significantly increase
  students likelihood of engaging in health
  science research
• Receiving advice from upper-division students and
  interacting with faculty more often increased
  students odds of participation in research
• Students were twice as likely to participate in
  research if institutions offered first-year
  students structured research opportunities, Black
  students were four-times more likely
• Black students social self-concept, participation
  in a learning community, and positive
  interactions across race/ethnicity were key in
  predicting research participation

8
Retaining Science Students After One Year in
College. Review of Higher Education (in press)

• Participating in a health science research
  program significantly increased students odds of
  persisting in their science major through the end
  of the first year of college.
• Attending more selective institutions has a
  significantly negative effect on all students
  likelihood to persist in their science major
  through the end of the first year.
• However, attending institutions with higher
  percentages of students attaining bachelors
  degrees in BBS fields significantly increases URM
  students likelihood of persisting in their
  science major through the end of the first year.

9
Lessons Learned

• A continued focus on preparation for URM students
  who have a disposition for scientific research
• More exposure to scientific research careers is
  needed early on in college for students to
  understand what it means to become a scientist
• Structured opportunities on campuses make a
  difference for students, particularly Black
  students
• Developing an institutional ethos of talent
  development in BBS fields significantly increases
  URM students persistence in the major to
  graduation
• Student quotes in focus groups
• We do science here
• This institution takes you to the next level.

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Academic Papers and Reports

• The pre-college characteristics and experiences
  of minority students committed to scientific
  research careers (2006). Journal of Women and
  Minorities in Science and Engineering, 12, 61-83.
• Predicting transition and adjustment to college
  Minority biomedical and behavioral science
  students first year of college. (2007) Research
  in Higher Education, 48(7), 841-887.
• Training future scientists Predicting first-year
  minority student participation in health science
  research. Research in Higher Education. (online
  now and in press, Spring 2008)
• Retaining Science Students After One Year in
  College. Review of Higher Education (in press)
• Examining the effect of stereotype threat on
  retention of first-year science students (in
  progress)

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Final Phase College Senior Survey

• Retention in the major, preparation for graduate
  school, post-college plans
• Program participation effects on a variety of
  aspirations and outcomes
• Plans to administer the follow-up survey to
  aspirants at 160 institutions
• Plans to obtain registrars data to confirm major
  and retention

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RESOURCES Project Staff

• Papers and reports are available for download
  from project website
• Project email herinih_at_ucla.edu

• RESEARCH STAFF
• Sylvia Hurtado, Co-PI
• Mitch Chang, Co-PI
• Graduate Research Assistants
• Lucy Arellano
• Kevin Eagan
• Lorelle Espinosa
• Monica Lin

• Project website
• http//www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/nih