Cultural Diversity and the Persistence of the BIPOC Community in the Chemical Sciences

The representation of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) community decreases at higher levels of education/academia. This phenomenon is proverbially referred to as the ‘leaky pipeline’ and has been studied extensively with various populations in multiple disciplines. However, despite scholars identifying some key factors that contribute to the persistence of the BIPOC community in STEM fields in general (e.g., stereotype threat), there is a limited understanding of how the cultural composition of the learning and working environments in the chemical sciences contributes to this phenomenon. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand how the cultural composition of chemical science faculties at post-secondary institutions in Canada influences the persistence of BIPOC students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty members. The findings will be used to create webinars designed to maximize the retention of the BIPOC community in the chemical sciences and enhance the diversity of the CIC’s membership.

Faculty Supervisor:

Tricia Carmichael

Student:

Michael Godfrey

Partner:

Chemical Institute of Canada

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Windsor