Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Mehrnaz Ahrar Social Science

Where Are All the Women? Exploring the STEM Gender Gap via Social Psychology Methodology

The gender gap in STEM fields in the U.S. continues to be a detriment to women’s advancement. While women represent almost half of the US workforce, only 25% of STEM-related jobs are held by women. Research suggests several sociocultural factors that may account for this gap; however, there is no current research exploring the impact of the traditionally male-dominated environment in higher education within STEM departments and female students’ academic self-efficacy. Mehrnaz’s proposed research will investigate whether or not there is a connection between a graduate student instructor (GSI)’s gender and the level of self-efficacy reported by that GSI’s undergraduate students.It aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of specific social factors within the university setting and its contribution to the prevailing gender gap in STEM.

Profile image of Mehrnaz Ahrar
Major: Psychology and Integrative Biology
Mentor: Tom Carlson and Gemma Niermann, Integrative Biology
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