The Academic and Professional Experiences of African American Women in STEM Careers: A Narrative Inquiry

Over the past decade, growth in STEM jobs has increased three times as fast as the increase in non-STEM; as a result STEM are some of the top emerging fields within the United States economy. There has been a considerable increase in the numbers of racial/ethnic minorities entering universities. If U.S. colleges and universities are to graduate the next generation of research scientists, they must make efforts to successfully recruit and retain racial/ethnic minorities. The problem is that African American females comprise a disproportionately lower population of the U.S. STEM industry in comparison to other populations. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how critical events within academic and professional experiences contributed to STEM career trajectories of African American women. The study utilized a narrative inquiry methodology approach to explore and gain a deeper understanding of academic and professional STEM career trajectories through lived experiences. The participants of this qualitative study were a purposeful sample of eight African American women in STEM careers employed by the U.S Civil Service. Overall, the despite challenges and barriers, narratives of critical events highlighted positive experiences related to academic and professional career trajectories which consisted of attending college as a non-traditional student, support/mentorship, STEM pre-college preparation, professional career development, and promotion potential. This study sets a foundation for educators, policy makers, stake holders, and Senior Executive Federal employees, to extend collaborated efforts with colleges, universities and the private sector to revitalize strategic plans and policies that increase STEM diversity within the U.S. Civil Service. Expansion of studies focused on investigating academic and professional experiences of African American women in STEM career fields, is recommended to confirm results and to ascertain factors that motivate and increase STEM career diversity.