Challenging systemic barriers to promote the inclusion, recruitment, and retention of URM faculty in STEM

Jose S Campos; E John Wherry; Sunny Shin; Jorge F Ortiz-Carpena

doi:10.1016/j.chom.2021.04.001

Challenging systemic barriers to promote the inclusion, recruitment, and retention of URM faculty in STEM

Cell Host Microbe. 2021 Jun 9;29(6):862-866. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.04.001. Epub 2021 May 4.

Authors

Jose S Campos¹, E John Wherry², Sunny Shin³, Jorge F Ortiz-Carpena⁴

Affiliations

¹ Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Penn Interdisciplinary Network for Scientists Promoting Inclusion, Retention, and Equity (Penn INSPIRE), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Immunology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: camposj@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
² Penn Interdisciplinary Network for Scientists Promoting Inclusion, Retention, and Equity (Penn INSPIRE), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
³ Penn Interdisciplinary Network for Scientists Promoting Inclusion, Retention, and Equity (Penn INSPIRE), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
⁴ Penn Interdisciplinary Network for Scientists Promoting Inclusion, Retention, and Equity (Penn INSPIRE), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Immunology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: jayortiz@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

PMID: 33951460
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.04.001

Abstract

Black/African Americans, Hispanic/Latinxs, and Native Americans remain chronically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Values misalignment, implicit/explicit bias, and hypercompetition in the funding climate disproportionately affect underrepresented minority (URM) postdoctoral fellows transitioning into faculty positions. URM scientists must increase and be given opportunities to establish independent research programs.

MeSH terms

Career Choice
Career Mobility*
Engineering
Faculty*
Humans
Mathematics
Minority Groups*
Research Personnel
Science
Technology
United States