We describe programs developed and implemented at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Chemistry aimed at increasing representation and improving outcomes for graduate students from underrepresented minority groups. We briefly describe our Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU), Chemistry Opportunities (CHOPS), Catalyst, and…

Many academic institutions have looked at various ways to make their faculty a more diverse and inclusive group of people that better reflect the demographic swath of their current and future student bodies. This is even more so important in chemistry departments, where there has long been a discussion on the "leaky pipeline" for women…

The following methodological research article offers a case for using narrative inquiry to understand qualitatively the experiences of historically minoritized (HM) graduate students in chemistry. The research article utilizes empirical data aimed at understanding how a chemistry graduate program professionally develops graduate students into…

Graduate training is a key element in producing a scientific workforce that reflects the nation's diversity. This paper examines data from a 2013 American Chemical Society (ACS) survey of 2,544 chemistry masters and doctoral students and reveals barriers to reaching this goal. Multivariate statistical analyses indicate that women reported…

This study examines the representation of people of color in 10 US general chemistry textbooks published between 2016 and 2020. On average, people of color appear every 320 pages of text, while white figures are observed every 24 pages. The average percentage of people of color in the textbooks (12%) is well below the percentage in the US general…

The minoritization of women among the ranks of faculty is well-documented in STEM fields. Prompted by the underrepresentation of women in the ranks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Chemistry faculty and postdoctoral researchers, faculty and graduate student leadership wished to explore the factors that influence the career choices of women…

The overall goal of our work is to disrupt pervasive narratives and misplaced assessments of what defines scientific brilliance, specifically in the introductory chemistry classroom. The traditional design of science, technology, education, and math (STEM) courses perpetuates the narrow view that intelligence is characterized by innate talent,…

Women, ethnic minority, and less affluent groups are widely underrepresented in chemistry, a problem that is observed at all levels but begins before college matriculation takes place. The importance of representation and humanization of scientists is crucial. Despite limited progress over recent decades, poor visibility of role models from…

There is widespread interest in diversifying and decolonizing the chemistry curricula in higher education. However, this is not reflected in the curricula taught to students prior to coming to university. We describe the results of an online survey of 185 secondary school/college teachers and students (>18 years) and, separately, 79 members of…

In chemistry, women are still underrepresented in the postbaccalaureate stages. However, there has been limited discussion in STEM education that treats chemistry as a singular discipline and explores doctoral students' experiences from a mentoring perspective. This qualitative research study investigated how contextual factors (i.e., social…

Equal access to an instructor's time and attention can be a barrier experienced by many underrepresented minorities. An instructor's own biases will determine the nature of their interaction with students, and even well-meaning instructors can interact with students in differential ways, which might prevent certain students from having access to…

This study examines gender representation in 10 current (2016-2020) US college-level general chemistry textbooks. On average, females were found to constitute 30% of images and 3% of the named science, technology, engineering, math, and medical (STEMM) professionals in the index. A male name appears on average every four pages of text, while a…

Second-term general chemistry is a key gateway course at our institution for a variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors. Herein, we examine data on DFW% (i.e., % of D and F grades and withdrawals) in our general chemistry courses over roughly a quarter-century period, focusing on sections taught by the authors.…

STEM graduate education is vitally important in producing the talent needed to fuel our economy and provide solutions for the challenges we face in emerging diseases and climate change. Yet recent research indicates that women and students who identify as members of minority groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM face extraordinary…

Diversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields has become a prominent issue as it becomes clearer that many groups remain underrepresented in STEM careers. This work primarily has focused on women and underrepresented racial minorities in STEM communities. However, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans* (LGBTQ+)…