Below is a brief overview of my recent grant-funded projects. Click on the title of the project for additional information, including details about the study design, research team, and project findings.
Community College Pathways to PhDs (NSF ECR 2044858) This mixed-methods study examines pathways from community colleges to computing Ph.D. programs with the larger goal of diversifying the computing professoriate. Utilizing a sample of community college transfer students in computing majors across five research universities, we are empirically testing the efficacy of an intervention to transfer orientation and academic advising developed to foster graduate school intentions. See the project page for additional information about the project, research team, and updates on project findings.
Women’s STEM Transfer Pathways (NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship) This study explores the experiences and aspirations of women who transfer from community colleges to four-year universities in pursuit of a computer science bachelor’s degree. Using a mixed-methods design and feminist standpoint theory, I consider how women’s pathways intersect with larger structural barriers, relying on existing survey and interview data from upward transfer women, alongside new data from faculty, staff, and administrators across five participating research sites.
Gender Equity and Upward Transfer in Computing (Spencer Foundation 202000170) This project utilized existing survey data from the UCLA BRAID Research Project to explore the characteristics and experiences of upward transfer students in computing (i.e., those who transfer from 2- to 4-year colleges). As part of this study, I replicated recent studies of “best practices” to foster gender equity in computing to determine the extent to which recent research on gender and women in computing captures upward transfer student experiences. The larger overarching goal of this study was to explore the ways in which upward transfer can serve as a mechanism for advancing gender equity in computing and other STEM fields.