LGBTQIA+ Students and STEM Majors - On Campus Podcast

On Campus - with CITI Program

Bryce Hughes is an associate professor of education at Montana State University. He holds a Ph.D. in education from UCLA, an MA in student development administration from Seattle University, and a BS in general engineering from Gonzaga University. His work highlights the disproportionate rates at which LGBTQ students leave STEM fields. His recent NSF CAREER award focuses on understanding the experiences of LGBTQ students in STEM majors, investigating students' social networks, degree completion rates, and science and engineering identity. His research has garnered recognition from the American Society for Engineering Education and the American Society for Engineering Management.

Data suggests that LGBTQIA+ undergraduate students are less likely to continue or finish a STEM major than their counterparts. A 2016 study from Queer in STEM identified that approximately less than 60% of queer scientists are openly out. Diverse perspectives and ideas are needed within STEM fields to ensure new ideas and perspectives can contribute to the next important discovery. More data and research is needed to truly understand the impact of LGBTQIA+ individuals studying STEM undergraduate majors.

Learn more about CITI Program: https://about.citiprogram.org/

Resources:

• https://www.stemwomen.com/lgbtq-plus-in-stem
• https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abe0933