In her social studies class, she guided her students in analyzing hip-hop lyrics, took them to historical landmarks in the city to discuss their implications regarding slavery, and asked critical questions about Christopher Columbus - practicing what she called culturally engaged pedagogy. Starting in 2011, Riley taught social studies, environmental science, and physics. Her research drew on her own experiences as a K-12 science educator in Harlem.
DEFINE STEM WOMEN PROFESSIONAL
Riley pursued a doctorate at Columbia’s Teachers College, where her dissertation explored how sociopolitical factors - such as race, gender, class, and power - inform the pedagogical practices of Black women science teachers, as well as the experiences that Black women science teachers have had in their science education programs and their professional development programs. Research by Alexis Riley, an associate professor in Barnard’s Education Department, indicated that two big factors are that Black students don’t see themselves represented in science education, and Black STEM teachers - particularly women - don’t receive the support that they need as faculty. A running theme: Mentors matter.Īccording to a 2018 Pew study, which looked at white, Black, and Latinx women, the reasons women - Black and Latinx women, especially - don’t enter STEM fields are varied and often depend on the specific field. To delve deeper into what’s preventing Black women from pursuing STEM careers and what might be pushing them out of these professions even after they have secured a foothold, Barnard faculty, alumnae, and students shared their own personal experiences with research and activism, providing much-needed insights into the lack of diversity in STEM.
These disparities have wide-ranging implications, impacting everything from women’s median income to the quality of science itself, especially given that we know that diverse teams produce better outcomes across industries. Additionally, the NSF report indicates that the gap widened between 20. Another NSF report on the proportion of STEM bachelor’s degrees attained by Black women shows that they earn about 9% of psychology B.A.s and 7% of degrees in the social sciences, but only 1% of engineering degrees. USA Today reports that although Black and white students of all genders enter STEM majors at about the same rate (20%), Black students leave those majors at a rate of 40%, compared with 29% of white students. The numbers are striking: In 2013, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released data that show white women hold 20% of jobs in the science and engineering workforce, while Black women hold just 2% of these positions. Particularly during Black History Month (February), examining the factors that impact and exclude Black women in STEM is critical. Any conversation about advancing women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is incomplete without looking at the unique career barriers experienced by Black women in these fields.
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