Persistence overcomes resistance : the journey of women to full professors in STEM
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Women currently earn half of the doctorates awarded in the United States but hold 37 percent of the full professor positions (NCSES, 2019). Demographic inertia alone cannot explain this fact (Laursen & Austin, 2020). This qualitative, phenomenological study, through the critical theory framework, sought to understand the lived experiences of five women STEM full professors in professional doctorate-granting institutions (R3) and their perception of the impact of these experiences on their promotion to full professor. Data for the study included analysis of curriculum vitae, demographic surveys, and in-depth semi-structured interviews that were coded using the constant comparative method (Seidman, 2019). The commonalities of the participants included childhood STEM empowerment, exploration, expectation (E3), communal spirit, alliances, philanthropic investment, the Lily Hard effect, and institutional first aid. Critical theory provided an understanding of the participants' experiences through the themes of forced to comply, bias against women, heavier service loads, and challenging the status quo. The limitations of the study included no participants of color and only R3 institutions with ADVANCE grants were included. Although the findings are not generalizable (Patton, 2015), they may be transferable. Future research could consist of intersectional identities and maternal wall bias. The findings of this study offer a framework for institutional leaders to develop policies, procedures, and programs that increase women faculty and leadership in STEM disciplines. Increasing the number of women full professors in STEM is slow. Strategies that may help address inequities include reformatting women's socials to promote collaboration between disciplines, continuing early career funding opportunities, providing incentives for senior faculty to invest in junior faculty (i.e., course release), and investing in youth programs for early STEM E3.
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Ed. D.