Cultivating the next generation of
Plant Biologists:
opportunities and challenges
Muriel Poston, Ph.D.
Dean of Faculty and
Professor, Environmental Analysis
Pitzer College
Recent STEM Reports:
U. S. Scientific Workforce


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Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and
employing America for a brighter economic future,
(2007) National Academies Press
Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators:
Identifying and Developing our Nation’s Human
Capital (2010) National Science Board
Expanding underrepresented minority preparation:
America’s science and technology talent at the
crossroads, (2011) National Academies Press
The Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) education portfolio: A report
from the federal inventory STEM education, (2011)
National Science and Technology Council
STEM, (2011) Georgetown University Center on
Education and the Workforce
Recruiting the Next Generation of
Plant Biologist: changing populations

Demographics of student populations
are changing



Increasing Female student populations
Increasing Students of Color
What are the implications for
academic practice in the discipline?
Resident population of the United States, by sex and
race/ethnicity: 2010
Women,
and Persons
with With
Disabilities
in Science
Engineering: 2013
SOURCE:Minorities,
Women, Minorities
and Persons
Disabilities
in Scienceand
and Engineering-2004
www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/
U.S. population 18–24 years old, by race/ethnicity:
July 1990–99 and projections to 2050
SOURCE: Women, Minorities and Persons With Disabilities in Science and Engineering-2004
Freshman Intention to major
in STEM and Biology/Ag





Whites
Asian/P.I.
Blacks
Hispanics
Am.In./A.N.
STEM
Bio/Ag
37%
49%
36.5%
40%
27.6%
10.8%
18.3%
10.9%
11.7%
8.9%
Source: NSF/NCSES, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in S&E (2013)
STEM Degrees
for Underrepresented Groups







The number of S&E bachelor’s degrees for
all racial/ethnic groups except whites have
been stable or increased since 2001
2001
2010
Asians/Pacific Islander:
9.5%
Blacks
8.7%
Hispanics
7.4%
Amer. Indians/Alaska Nat. 0.7%
White
69.6%
9.9%
8.6%
9.1%
0.7%
64.4%
STEM Bachelor degrees are 31.5% of all BA
degrees
Source: NSF/NCSES, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in S&E (2013)
STEM Degrees
for Underrepresented Groups
 Blacks,
Hispanics, and American
Indians/Alaska Natives are
underrepresented in STEM disciplines
 URM women are a smaller percentage of
STEM graduates than Whites or Asians
and less likely to be employed in STEM
fields
 Asian and White women earn a higher
percentage of degrees in STEM than
URM women, BUT at a lower percentage
than Asian or White men
Science and engineering bachelor’s degrees earned by
underrepresented minorities, by field: 1991–2010
Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2013
www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/
BA degrees in Biological Sciences
2001
% of all science








2010

18.2%
19.9%

59.7%
59%

68%
62%(57.6% female)

12.4%
16.5%(58.1% female)

7.7%
7.4%(70% female)

7.5%
8.2%(61.1% female)
0.7%
0.6%(58.7% female)
Female
White
Asian/PI
Black
Hispanic
AmIn/NA

Source: NSF/NCSES, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in S&E (2013)
Science and engineering bachelor's degrees earned by
underrepresented minority women, by field: 1991–2010
Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2013
www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/
Minority Serving Institutions:
Opportunities for cultivation

Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI)




Historically Black Colleges/Universities



Federally designated
105 HBCUs (18 are 1890 land grant univ.)
Predominantly Black Institutions



25% FT Latino undergraduate enrollment
356 HSI (represent 11% of all IHE)
54% Latinos enrolled in HSIs
40% FT Black undergraduate enrollment
<35 institutions (primarily two-year colleges)
Tribal Colleges


Federally designated
<30 institutions (primarily two-year institutions
STEM Degrees
for Underrepresented Groups

Within each racial/ethnic group, the
top baccalaureate granting schools
for men and women are mostly the
same schools



For Hispanic men and women, the top degree
granting schools are largely in Puerto Rico,
California, Texas, and Florida—states with large
populations of Hispanics
For Black men and women, the top degree
granting schools are HBCUs and PBIs
For American Indians/Alaska natives, the top
degree granting schools are largely in Oklahoma,
Arizona and other states with large American
Indian/Alaska Native population. One is a tribal
college
STEM Degrees
for Underrepresented Groups



Women are over 60% of all students
enrolled in higher education
Since 2002 women have earned 58% of all
bachelor degrees
In STEM disciplines women have earned the
higher proportion of bachelor degrees in:





Psychology: 77%
Social Sciences: 54%
Biological Sciences: 60%
Chemistry: 50%
Agriculture: 50%
Medium participation fields for women: Biosciences and social sciences,
1991–2010
Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2013
www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/
Strategies for enhancing
undergraduate URG in STEM

Factors that influence selection and
persistence in STEM majors by URG:







Precollege programs that connect students to
campuses
Prior academic preparation
Emphasis on undergraduate education and
student engagement
Emphasis on academic advising/support
Campus/classroom climate impact on student
engagement
Adequate financial aid
Institutional commitment
Cole and Espinoza (2009), J. of Women and Minorities in S&E, 15:263-277
Strategies in STEM Education
for Underrepresented Groups

Characteristics of successful programs
that increase recruitment and
retention:







Curriculum reflects real world problems
Academic support and social integration
 Peer2Peer; study groups; social activities
Mentoring
Perceived respect of instructors
Summer programs: motivation and access
Research experiences: engagement
Professional development opportunities
President’s Council of Advisors on
Science and Technology Report:
Engage to Excel (2011)



Close the gap in mathematics
preparation for entering
undergraduates
Emphasize discovery based
research courses in the
undergraduate science curriculum
Diversify pathways to science
careers in order to broaden
participation of all students in STEM
fields
Scientists and engineers working in science and engineering
occupations: 2010
STEM Degrees
for Underrepresented Groups
In the 21st century women have a higher
participation rate in higher education than
men
 Women doctoral degree recipients in nonS&E fields have exceed men over the last two
decades
 Women doctoral degree recipients in S&E
fields have continued to increase over the
same period but have yet to reach parity with
men

Doctorates awarded in science and engineering fields of study: 1991–2011
Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities 2011; www.nsf.gov/statistics/sed/
Doctorates awarded to minority U.S. citizens and permanent residents, by
race/ethnicity and field of study: 2011
Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities 2011; www.nsf.gov/statistics/sed/
Ph.D. degrees all fields

1980-81






2010-11
White: 90.9%
Black:
4.2%
Hispanic: 2.1%
Asian/PI: 2.4%
AmIn/NA: 0.3%
70.7%
9.2%
6.1%
12.4%
0.6%
Doctoral Degrees in Biological Sciences

Female:

28%
52.6%
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Digest of Educational Statistics (2012)
NSF: Survey of Earned Doctorates
6.00%
5.00%
4.00%
3.00%
2.00%
1.00%
0.00%
TOTAL % Black PHDs BIO SCIENCES
TOTAL % Hispanic PHDs BIO SCIENCES
NSF: Survey of Earned Doctorates
NSF: Survey of Earned Doctorates
NSF: Survey of Earned Doctorates
Number of Ph.D. degrees in
Biological Sciences


2001
Total:


3759
399
650
101
206
Hispanic:


2689
Black:


5447
Asian:


3579
White:


2010
155
326
AmIn/NA

14
21
Source: NSF/NCSES, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in S&E (2013)
Science and engineering degrees earned by underrepresented minorities:
1991–2010
Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2013
www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/
Science and engineering degrees earned by underrepresented minority
women: 1991–2010
Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2013
www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/
STEM Faculty
from Underrepresented Groups



Concurrent with the changes in
doctoral degree recipients have
been changes in faculty composition
Increasing number of female faculty
Differential representation in
institutional types by gender
AAUP: Trends in Faculty Status,
1975-2011 (all institutions, national totals)
FT T/TT:
1975
1995
2003
2011
45.1%
34.8%
26.0%
24.0%
65.6%
74.0%
75.9%
Contingent*: 54.9%
*(FT NTT, PT, Grad)
Total Instructional staff:
783,370
1,147,615
1,591,644
1,846,895
Source: US Department of Education, NCES, Digest of Educational Statistics (2012),
Compiled by AAUP Research Office, Washington, DC; John W. Curtis, Director Of Research (7/13)
Proportion of FT Faculty at all Degree
granting institutions

Gender:


56.1% men
43.9% women
Race/ethnicity:

White: 74%
Black: 5.5%
Am. Indian: 0.5%

Hispanic: 4.1% Asian/P.I: 8.8%
NR alien:
4.2%
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES, Digest of Educational Statistics (2012); compiled
by John Curtis, Director of Research, AAUP, 7/2013)
Proportion of FT Faculty by
Institutional Type

Doctoral:




FT T/TT:
53.3%
FT NTT:
10.9%
Total (203,048)
Women
20.6%
13.2%
Masters:




Men
FT T/TT
43.5%
NTT
9.7%
Total (118,542)
33.4%
13.4%
Baccalaureate:



FT/TT
42.5%
NTT
11.6%
Total (52,789)
33.1%
12.7%
Source: AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey (1060 institutions, 2012-13); John W. Curtis, Director of
Research (7/2013)
Women and underrepresented minorities as a percentage of full-time,
full professors with science and engineering doctorates: 1979–2008
Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2011
www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/
Cultivating the next generation of
faculty in Biological Sciences

Factors that influence career choice

Values influence
Academic Freedom
 Impact on community/issues relevant to
individual


Structural Realities
Training environment
 Job market
 Faculty work
 Grant funding opportunities

Gibbs, K. and K. Griffin, (2013), Ph.D. Career Choice, submitted CBE Life Science
STEM Faculty
from Underrepresented Groups

URG Faculty composition has impact
on URG student participation and
success in STEM



Campus/classroom climate
Role Model
Mentoring
Price, J. (2010) Economics of Education Review 29:901-10
STEM Faculty
from Underrepresented Groups

Structural Barriers that affect
faculty at all institutions including
MSIs




Mentoring/Role Models
Balancing Faculty Roles:
 Teaching, Research, Service
Institutional Infrastructure
Work/Family
Thank you!
Questions?
Contact: muriel_poston@pitzer.edu
NSF: Survey of Earned Doctorates
9.00%
8.00%
7.00%
6.00%
5.00%
4.00%
3.00%
2.00%
1.00%
0.00%
TOTAL % Black PHDs AG SCIENCES
TOTAL % Black PHDs BIO SCIENCES