STEM graduate students go through various stages in their development as researchers. Specifically, Ph.D. students are expected to complete coursework, work on their research, help with projects in the lab they are working in, maintain equipment, mentor other researchers, and fulfill departmental requirements. In this dissertation, I have explored…

In this dissertation, I present readers with three studies about the ways in which science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research experiences impact undergraduate learning, perspectives, and academic/career activities. In the first two studies I focus on this topic by investigating the ways in which undergraduates were impacted…

This study examined opportunities for enhancing transfer outcomes for community college students through summer research opportunities at a university. It emphasizes the significance of academic capital, derived from Bourdieu's cultural capital theory, in facilitating successful transfers. By offering ten-week paid summer research opportunities at…

Understanding factors contributing to the persistence and retention of women and underrepresented minorities within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is among the main issues of concern within STEM education. The available literature suggests that teacher self-disclosure, intrinsic motivation, and emotional and behavioral…

Undergraduate Research (UR) is a high-impact practice that results in positive outcomes for participants, such as improved academic skills and intellectual development as well as higher graduation rates and graduate school attendance. This research project compares the UR participation patterns of students with learning disabilities (LD) and their…

The implementation of course-based STEM research experiences in high school would greatly expand access to high-level research, thus providing more students with the type of integrated learning recommended by organizations such as the National Science Board and the National Academy of Science. While there is ample literature on the success of…

The purpose of this study is to investigate how a virtual mentored research program, the National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP), affects sense of belonging among underserved students in science fields. Examining the effects of virtual research programs can contribute to the body of research on ways to instill sense of belonging…

Integrating Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) into introductory STEM courses at the university level has been recognized as important in increasing persistence in STEM. A significant area of attrition from the STEM pathway, however, occurs during secondary school when student interest in STEM rapidly declines. In this study,…

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has become increasingly important in the US due to its influence on the nation's educational needs, the creation of a skilled labor force, and opportunities for more tech-savvy workers. However, the evaluation approaches and methodologies used in STEM education programs have come…

A novel intervention to introduce undergraduate students to bioinformatics, provide authentic research opportunities, and support student retention in science majors and careers is presented in the Characterizing Our DNA Exceptions (CODE) project. The need to increase the number of qualified STEM graduates, particularly in the fields of…

The 2010 and 2020 U.S. Census confirmed the overall U.S. population is growing and diversifying. These trends, however, are not matched in higher education enrollment. The disparities are even more pronounced for STEM doctoral education. In response to these inequalities, higher education institutions have responded with a variety of solutions,…

This qualitative study examined how university students learn to engage in the practices of scientific inquiry via research apprenticeships and how such experiences prepare them to be STEM literate. Surveys and interviews addressed two primary research questions: 1. What is the nature of interaction between student participant and faculty mentor?…

Although calls for a more diverse workforce in biomedical fields have been widespread, racial and ethnic gaps in biomedical degree attainment remain. Contextualist perspectives seek to understand persistent STEM inequities by examining person-in-context experiences and how systemic factors filter into students' proximal contexts shaping their…

Federal and state agencies in the United States have pressured institutions in higher education to increase the number of graduates in STEM disciplines and supply an educated workforce for the increasing shortages in the STEM economy. Undergraduate research experience is one potential mechanism for supporting retention and student success within…

There is growing interest to develop programs and pedagogies focused on increasing representation of underrepresented minority (URM) students within the scientific community. URM students face many pedagogical, societal, and institutional barriers that lead to disproportionately lower levels of entering and higher levels of attrition from Science,…