1. Increasing Diversity in STEM through Professional Development Activities
Jonathan M. Holland, Debra A. Major,
Valerie J. Morganson, & Karin A. Orvis
Old Dominion University
This research was supported by a SEED grant from Old Dominion University.

2. Retention in STEM Difficult to retain women and minorities in STEM
Fewer of these underrepresented groups enter and persist (Varma, 2007)
Why? Differential preparation outside of classroom?
STEM fields have a “chilly” climate (Morganson et al., in press)
Particularly within computer science and engineering

3. Capitalization
Capitalization = Proactive participation in voluntary professional development activities
Builds professional identity in the workplace (Ibarra, 1999)
Influenced by environmental supports and barriers (Maurer et al., 2003)
Differences in these factors between men and women (Lent et al., 2008)
Capitalization has been relatively unexplored in an academic setting

4. Research Questions
How do engineering and computer science students capitalize?
Why do they capitalize?
What factors support or discourage capitalization?
What are the similarities and differences in capitalization, its supports, and its barriers, across gender, major, and university environment?

5. Method 8 focus groups consisted of: Men and women
Computer Science and Engineering students
Students from a primarily white institution (PWI) and a historically black institution (HBI)

6. (1) How do students capitalize?
Results
(1) How do students capitalize?
Formal Activities
Student organizations
Tutoring programs
Career-building services
Internships and work opportunities
Informal Activities
Networking with peers and alumni
Forming study groups with classmates
Seeking out mentoring from faculty
Independent research

7. (2) Why do students capitalize?
Intrinsic Incentives
Personal interest in the field
Peers provide emotional support and a “break” from coursework
Extrinsic Incentives
Resume building
Immediate payment
Enhancing skills to become more marketable
“You have to want it for yourself”, a passion for the material is necessary

8. (3a) What factors support capitalization?
Role models
Advisor and faculty encouragement
Active information about activities
(3b) What factors prevent capitalization?
Time
Lack of information about events
Underrepresentation in the activity

9. Gender Women preferred formal activities
Student organizations
Men preferred informal activities
Networking
Opportunities for applied experience
Women often expressed discomfort at participating in predominantly male activities

10. Major
Engineering majors prioritized forging professional contacts for career positioning
Peer and alumni networks
Participating in internships and work opportunities
Computer Science majors prioritized attaining technical skills
Keeping “ahead of the curve” by learning programming skills above and beyond their coursework
Strategies differed

11. University
The HBI seemed to offer a more supportive environment than the PWI
Advisors were more often described as proactive
Students were better informed about opportunities
Organizations targeting underrepresented groups had more presence
Gender was not discussed as often as a barrier

12. Implications STEM education is a pipeline for the workforce
Capitalization continues in the workplace (Maurer et al., 2003)
By increasing the STEM identification of women and minorities, we can expect to see a larger portion of these underrepresented individuals entering the STEM workforce with a strong commitment and identification to their field.
Further, capitalization continues in the workplace (Maurer et al., 2003);

13. Directions for Application
Programs should actively disseminate information about opportunities
Advisors should take a proactive role in encouraging capitalization
More experienced students who have capitalized should share their experiences with other students
Offer formal activities to attract/retain female talent

14. Future Research
Empirical research investigating antecedents and outcomes of capitalization in an academic context
Differences in university type
Our results provide implications for organizations seeking to attract and retain female and minority STEM talent by suggesting which types of capitalization activities women may prefer, how to support capitalization engagement, and how to remove barriers to capitalization.
Recall our finding that women preferred formal activities whereas males tended to engage in informal activities more often. Women also reported feeling uncomfortable when engaging in CAP activities. It’s likely that the “all boys network” impacts how women anchor themselves in their careers via CAP activities. Orgs may need to offer formal CAP activities such as formal optional training programs, mentoring programs, etc. to include women in CAP activities. The theory behind our research would suggest that doing so may anchor them in STEM careers, helping to narrow the gender divide.