Diagnosing Intersectional Challenges for Equity in STEM

When our academic units were realigned as part of UMKC Forward, it presented us with a unique opportunity to enact evidence-based change in STEM faculty recruitment and retention practices. As a result, we are participating in a two-year self study to assess the systemic barriers that affect the recruitment, retention and success of women faculty in STEM disciplines at UMKC. The Diagnosing Intersectional Challenges for Equity in STEM (DICES) project is supported with a $299,999 award by the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program, which is a program designed to foster gender equity through the dissolution of organizational barriers. 

The Research Team

The DICES project, led by principal investigator (PI) Alexis Petri and co-PIs Diane Filion, Viviana Grieco, Michelle Maher, Sirisha Naidu and Brent Never will receive valuable input throughout the project by a joint advisory committee led by Provost Jennifer Lundgren and Marlene Nagel, director of community development at Mid-America Regional Council.

Goals for the Project

Our goals for the DICES project:

  • Conduct a self-study to identify systemic barriers that affect the recruitment, retention, and success of women faculty in STEM disciplines at UMKC.
  • Use an intersectionality framework for the self-study.
  • Engage best practices on the frontiers of institutional transformation related to STEM gender equity and intersectionality through research, site visits, and consultations.
  • Apply what is learned from the self-study with an innovative pilot study to improve or replace current policies or procedures contributing to inequities and draft a five-year strategic plan for their implementation and assessment.

Findings

As part of the self-study, we will build a comprehensive dataset to clarify the reasons for existing inequities and increase knowledge about them. It will include:

  • The distribution of STEM faculty by gender, title, and department
  • The career pathways and recognition for STEM faculty and how those pathways differ by gender and other intersectional identities
  • The distribution of resource allocation to STEM faculty by gender, title, and department, including salary, start-up packages, research space, graduate assistants, advising, workload assignments and distribution
  • The changes to policy, procedure, and other strategies UMKC can implement to promote gender equity

The Project Team

Alexis Petri | principal investigator | Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence
Diane Filion | co-principal investigator | Faculty Affairs
Viviana Grieco | co-principal investigator | School of Humanities and Social Sciences 
Michelle Maher | co-principal investigator | School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences
Sirisha Naidu | co-principal investigator | School of Humanities and Social Sciences 
Brent Never | co-principal investigator | Henry W. Bloch School of Management
Chris Popoola | staff | Faculty Affairs
Nichole Stahly | staff | Institute for Human Development
Jeff Traiger | evaluator | Institute for Human Development