By Laurel White
Black women pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields often face unique challenges during professional experiences that are meant to complement their education, according to a new study led by a UW–Madison researcher.
The study, published in The Review of Higher Education, examined the experiences of 24 Black women who engaged in university-industry partnerships, such as internships, while pursuing a computer sciences degree at a Historically Black College/University (HBCU). It found those students often faced structural inequities, macroaggressions, and imposter syndrome during their industry experiences.
Krystal L. Williams, an associate professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, was the lead author of the study. She says while university-industry partnerships have increased in recent years, few studies have explored students’ experiences in industry settings.
“Students are encouraged to pursue these opportunities, so we should have a better understanding of their experiences,” Williams says. “The Black women in this study discussed mistreatment in industry settings that placed them on the margins in professional computing spaces.”
The qualitative study utilized one-on-one and small group interviews to gather data on study participants’ experiences.
One participant in the study, Ruth, said she struggled with not being taken seriously during her professional experience.
“There’s not a lot of women, specifically Black women in the computer science industry,” she said. “So I definitely think my gender does have something to do with it… I could definitely see [challenges] being race-related as well.”
Another study participant, Valerie, said she felt objectified during her internship.
“During my internship, I was invited for a photo shoot because I looked diverse,” she said. “I was literally told that I looked diverse.”
Others described to researchers their challenging experiences with feeling isolated, excluded, and experiencing imposter syndrome.
“I don’t want to say it’s inevitable, but it’s kind of inevitable when you’re almost an anomaly in a field… sometimes you feel like all the odds are against you and you’ve got something to prove,” said Carolyn.
Williams co-authored the study with Edward Dillon, an associate professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, County; Janelle Jones, an assistant professor at Agnes Scott College; Shelly Melchior, an assistant professor at The University of Western Alabama; and Shanice Carter and William Walker, former and current research associates for the Education Policy and Equity Research Collective (Ed_PERC) Computing Science Education Research Team (cSERT).
Williams and her co-authors hope the research can inform more supportive and mutually beneficial partnerships between industry and higher education institutions in the future – especially at HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions.
“To shape the development of future [university-industry partnerships] in more supportive ways, this study underscores the need to think about university-industry interactions in a manner informed by students’ backgrounds,” the co-authors wrote. “In other words, we advocate for disrupting the fallacy that these partnerships can be implemented in ways that lack consideration of race-gendered issues, and the degree to which industry environments are inclusive spaces that cater to all students’ educational development.”
The authors suggest this is especially important at HBCUs, which are known for fostering supportive educational environments for Black students in STEM.
Broadly, Williams’ research explores issues regarding race and public policy with an emphasis on HBCUs and broadening participation in STEM for marginalized groups. She is the director and principal investigator of the Education Policy and Equity Research Collective (Ed_PERC) and an affiliate in Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory (Wei LAB). Her research has been recognized with numerous awards, including accolades from the American Educational Research Association and Association for the Study of Higher Education.
Read the full article, “Proving Our Worth: HBCUs, STEM Partnerships and the Marginalization of Black Women in Industry Settings,” online.