Abstract:

STEM fields and economics have a well-documented problem with diversity. Although Black, Hispanic, and Native American students collectively accounted for 32.5 percent of the US population in 2022, they earned only 21.3 percent and 17.8 percent of STEM and economics degrees across levels. Some of the reasons that explain the underrepresentation of minorities are the lack of diversity among instructors -which leaves minority and female students without role models who can positively impact students’ education-, lack of mentoring, and lack of information required to make good decisions during college. In economics and most disciplines, efforts to increase diversity are oriented to training, recruiting, and retaining underrepresented students attending graduate school and faculty members holding PhD degrees. The most successful programs have included mentoring, coursework, and research development components.

The data confirm that racial and ethnic diversity is still lacking in many professions and highlight the need for continued efforts to train, recruit, and retain underrepresented students. Participation in undergraduate research is a significant high-impact practice with academic and social implications for students. It is helpful to consider the multiple ways it is offered to students and how they promote participation and inclusivity. Three models of implementation or gateways into undergraduate research will be described along with features and challenges.

The first model is a traditional one that can develop without specific guidance at institutions. This model, built on conventional graduate student training, includes one-on-one mentorship with a singular researcher, typically a professor in a field. Students are matched according to interest area. This model is easy to understand and can be implemented without much institutional support- it relies on faculty and existing mechanisms. However, since it relies on student initiative, it typically rewards those students who already know about the importance of undergraduate research engagement and can further siloed disciplines.

The second example involves creating an intentional program with features of diverse disciplines, inclusive perspectives, and intentional recruitment. This program includes a residential research cohort to work on complex problems integrated across fields as a way to incorporate various aspects of inclusivity in undergraduate research. This funded summer program targets McNair scholars and recruits students from varied majors from multiple schools to work toward addressing a common, large research issue.

The third model is a newly developed Research Discovery Program to incentivize minority and female students to start engaging in research and creative discovery, learn about the available undergraduate research opportunities, and receive mentoring and prompt information to help them navigate college. This one is promoted early in college and involves course credit.

These three examples highlight various ways to address underrepresentation and suggestions for improving inclusivity in undergraduate research. Benefits, successes, and challenges in each model will be discussed.

Keywords:

Undergraduate research, interdisciplinary collaboration, mentorship.