Presentation delivered by Prof. Emily Pentzer, PhD, at Northwestern University through a student invited NUBonD seminar in March 2018. The presentation discusses challenges and opportunities for first generation (first gen) college students majoring in STEM fields, drawing from published literature and personal experiences of Prof. Pentzer. Prof. Pentzer is the Frank Hovorka Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH.

1. Diversity and Inclusion in
STEM: First Generation
College Students (FGCSs)
Emily Pentzer
Frank Hovorka Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH, USA

2. First Generation College Students (FGCSs)
• Students from families where neither
parent obtained a four-year college
degree
• Undeniable connection to groups
underrepresented in STEM
(race/ethnicity)
• Also called: Straddlers
• “Crossing-over from working class to
professional class”
• “Molting process” to shed old cultural
skins as they achieve social and economic
mobility Year
%StudentsFirstGeneration

3. A bit about me
• Grew up in Indiana
• Bedford, IN (~13,000 people)
• >96% white, 88% Christian
• Average annual family income of
~$40,000
• People good at math and science
become medical doctors!
• “Generation 1.5” (father has B. A.,
mother does not)
• Did well in high school-
scholastically and athletically
• No high school guidance (councilors
were concerned with getting kids
graduated)
• Applied to 3 colleges (Purdue Univ.,
Butler Univ., Texas Christian
University)

4. A bit about me
• Attended Butler University (PUI)
• Started in Pharmacy
• Switched to pre-med (chemistry
and biology)
• Spent a summer trapping
squirrels by day and serving
tables at Joe’s Crab Shack by
night
Carmen Salsbury
Anne Wilson
Stacy O’Reilly
• I was stressed about paying for
medical school (and not all that into
it) when a prof told me I should go
to graduate school- “What’s grad
school?”
• Participated in an REU program after
junior year at UMass Amherst

5. A bit about me
• Started at Northwestern Fall 2005,
organic chemistry track
• Joined STN’s lab, NSF GRF- part of
CCNE, IIN
• Worked on developing new polymers
for drug delivery
• Active in PLU and outreach in Chicago
Public Schools
• No clue what I wanted to do…
• Through a poster session at ACS
Chicago, I met Ezat Khosravi (Durham)
who invited me to a NATO conference
in Turkey, where I met someone who
used to work with my REU advisor, so
emailed my REU advisor and he
offered me a postdoc

6. A bit about me
• Started postdoc at UMass Amherst
July 2010 with Todd Emrick in
Department of Polymer Science and
Engineering
• Part of the DOE EFRC “Polymers for
Harvesting Solar Energy”
• Worked on the synthesis of
conjugated polymers and small
molecules, quantum dots, self
assembly, transient absorption
spectroscopy, and solar cell
fabrication
• In fall 2011, Todd told me I’d apply
for jobs the next year
• In fall 2012 submitted 67
applications, 8 interviews, 4 offers
At Brookhaven Nat’l Lab

7. A bit about me
Pentzer group January 2017
Pentzer group August 2017
• Started independent career at
Case Western Reserve
University (Cleveland, OH)
in July 2013
• To date mentored:
• 8 PhD (4 female, 2 URM)
• 6 MS (2 female)
• 24 UGs (14 female, 2 URM)
• 7 HSs (5 female, 4 URM)
• Semesterly lunch-and-learn
on “how to apply to grad
school”
• Mentor ACS SEED program
and NSF REU (Co-PI)
• Run a professional development
workshop for chemists at CWRU
(information is on website)
Pentzer group January 2016

8. Urban campus in Cleveland
~ 5,100 undergraduates
~6,200 graduate and
professional students
~3,300 faculty
91 Countries
Represented
Ranked 32nd Nationally
Top 25 LGBT-friendly
16 Nobel Laureates
Top 20 of private universities
based on federal R & D
expenditures
Ranked 12th of colleges
that contribute to the
national good
10:1 ratio of
faculty to student
Case Western Reserve University

9. Acknowledgements
CAREER
(DMR)
Brad Rodier:
Fellowship
DNI
Collaborators
Prof. Rigoberto Advincula (CWRU Macro)
Prof. Burcu Gurkan (CWRU Chem Eng)
Prof. Alp Sehirigluo (CWRU Mat Sci)
Prof. Daniel Lambrecht (UPitt Chem)
Dr. Ina Martin (CWRU MORE Center)
Dr. Brett Helms (Molecular Foundry)
Postdocs
Dr. Brendan McGrail (now Arkema)
Dr. Al de Leon (now CWRU BME)
PhD Students
Dr. Brad Rodier (Rochal)
Rachael Matthews (G5)
Peiran Wei (G4)
Yuanhui Xiang (G4)
Qinmo Luo (G2)
Sarah Mitchell (G2)
Bowen Li (G1)
Katelynn Edgehouse (G1)
Undergraduates
John Kwon
Paul Advincula
Michael Lu Diaz (REU)
Christina Hemmingsen
Laura Alonso (REU)
Michael Mellon (REU)
Eric Mosher (JHU Chem)
Spencer Burton (NU Chem)
Taylor Frey (UCI Chem)
Jordan Swisher (UPitt Chem)
Riki Drout (NUChem)
MS Students
Kevin Pachuta (PhD CWRU Mat Sci)
Nolan Kovach (PhD Colorado School
of Mines Chem)
Yifei Wang
Houming Leng
AFOSR
Pentzer Group Dec 2017

10. My Journey- Obstacles
• Not knowing if I was “smart enough” to be professor- if I could have
good ideas
• Not having role models who were “like me”- at the time 2 female
faculty NU chemistry, 1 female faculty UMass polymer science
• Unsure of what the process was (for ANYTHING)
• Unknown culture- nothing in my childhood prepared me
• Feeling disconnect from family and friends from childhood

11. My Journey- Unexpected Mentorship
• Karl Scheidt- non-committee member who helped with perspective on big things
• Nathan Gianneschi; Matt Becker (Akron); Brent Sumerlin (UF)- champion within the
field of soft materials, getting invites to the give talks, chair symposia, etc.
• Jill Millstone (UPitt, Mirkin alum)- a couple of years ahead of me and remembers what
I’m going through
• Tendai Gadzikwa (Kansas State, Nguyen/Hupp alum)- a couple of years behind me and
giving her my perspective makes me feel like I know what I’m doing
Scheidt Gianneschi Becker Sumerlin Millstone Gadzikwa

12. Purpose of this Presentation
• Why engage first generation
college students (FGCSs) in STEM
• Specific challenges facing FGCSs
• Factors for success
• Pipeline from undergraduate to
professor
• Programs and attitudes that can
help
American Youth Policy Forum
East Stroudsburg University (PA)

13. Why is STEM important?
• To maintain US competitiveness,
innovative researchers capable of
solving large, complex problems are
needed
• STEM jobs are fastest growing and
highest paying
• Jobs that result from degrees in STEM
fields align with the majors
• This results in higher earning, maintained
employment, and achievement of higher
levels of success
A diverse set of approaches can lead
to a better solution- the same
solution won’t necessarily work on
new problems

14. FGCSs by the Numbers
• Disproportionately Latinos
and African Americans
• Compose 20-25% of
undergrad population
• 50% FGCSs are low income
• 70% of FGCSs identify that
helping their families and/or
communities is a motivation
for attending college (vs.
40% of non-FGCSs)
Composition of high schools with majority FGCS vs. non-FGCS:
College Board

15. Preparedness: Standardized Exams
• ACT College Readiness Benchmarks
in English, math, reading, science
(2016):
• Only 18% FGCSs meet 3 of 4 the
benchmarks
• Over 50% of FGCSs meet not one
benchmark
• Six year completion rate for all
degrees in STEM (as of 2016):
• 46% White and Asian
• 30% Latino
• 20% African American
In 2004:

16. Preparedness: AP Courses and Test Scores
FGCSs typically have less preparation, lower standardized text scores, have
taken less math, and probably haven’t taken calculus
College Board

17. High School Experience
• Based on education of parents, FGCSs
have access to lower quality schools
and teachers based on where they
live
• More likely to be from cities and
attend public school
“If you look at where we admit students who
are going to have the most amazing careers
you can imagine, you can pretty much map
that against a map of the suburbs of regions
of the US which are rich enough to have
strong math and computer science
programs,”
Andrew Moore, Dean of the School of Computer
Science, CMU, 2017 STEM Solutions
College Board

18. Family Unpreparedness
“It is hard for first generation students to
complete applications and student aid forms
where parents don’t know how to fill them
out…my mother has another primary
language and I have to complete the forms
myself.”- former REU student
• Families not invested in science/math
• Parents don’t know how to help students
prepare (what classes to take, etc)
• Less likely to be encouraged by their teachers
• Interested in STEM for: passion for research,
future societal contributions, job prospects

19. Other Factors that
Impact Success
College Board
• More likely to live at home
and be commuters (can make
office hours/group work
challenging)
• More likely to have a job
and/or work longer hours
• Financially supporting their
families (parents, siblings,
children)
• Family less likely to
understand commitment of
going to school full time
• More likely to take breaks or
transfer schools

20. Culture Shock
• Adjusting to college can be difficult for all first year
students
• Added difficulty to FGCSs if culture is substantially
different than what they are accustomed to
• In theory: US education system is an engine of social mobility
that provides equal opportunity irrespective of student
background, upbringing, or life circumstances
• Sociologists argue: higher education creates “social
reproduction” that recreates inequalities amongst groups
based on access and limits participation of minority groups
• FGCSs likely face a cultural disconnect in higher education

21. Cultural Conflict
• Being “upwardly socially mobile” can
lead to feelings of being lost, isolated,
and imposter syndrome
• Survivors guilt for getting through
• Rejection from family members and
friends “so you think you’re too good for
us”
• Parents worried about being subordinate
to their child
• Sociocultural differences between
families with and without college
degrees
• Differences commonly around food-
can you drink beer out of a bottle?

22. Cabernet Sauvignon…
Petite Syrah…
Chillable Red….
No one understood I was serious…
A “family recipe” to me- I was mislead

23. Cultural Conflict
• Sociocultural differences between
where you came from and where
you are
• Can carry different values,
vocabulary, knowledge
• Prejudice of academics towards
working class culture can be
frustrating for FGCSs
• Current political climate likely very
impactful
Is the change in absorption
dramatic or drastic?
Dramatic: sudden and striking (related to performace)
Drastic: having a strong or far-reaching effect (radical
and extreme)
Each Labor Day my uncles host
“Critterfest” where they cook
everything they have caught over
the summer (including squirrel,
three ways)
I used to shy away from this
because people were confused,
but now use it is a topic of
conversation- point of
novelty/interest with academics

24. Factors of Success
What is known:
• First semester GPA: 3.5 GPA twice as
likely to persist than 2.5
• Faculty interactions (not advising!)
helps with success
• Aspirations for a graduate degree
correlate to better retention
• FGCSs less likely to self-regulate
homework, so online classes may not
be ideal
• Social integration can help- do they
have role models, know others who
have succeeded?
Approaches:
• No longer have the 4 year time clock
for graduation
• Help with degree mapping, so students
take meaningful courses that get them
to their goal
• Provide classes with co-requisite
remediation (e.g., algebra)
• Redesign first year classes so no longer
weed out
• Summer bridge programs to make sure
students are prepared
• Cohort scheduling, in blocks, to foster
community

25. Not Knowing Unwritten Rules
• What is a PhD degree and how do you
get one?
• Financial assistance available for
graduate school?
• How to network and ask for help
• Opportunities to gain confidence
through practice
”My biggest hurdles were not
knowing what opportunities were
available…’graduate school’ sounded
like spending thousands of dollars to
take classes and delay job entry.” –
former undergraduate
”The biggest challenge I face is finding a
way to feel confident within a scientific
environment and believing that my ideas
are ones that bring a huge contribution to
the research at hand.” –former ACS SEED
researcher

26. Social Capital
• The sum of resources, actual or virtual, that
accrue to an individual or group by virtue of
possessing a durable network of more or less
institutionalized relationships of mutual
acquaintance and recognition
• Provides trust, cooperation, and reciprocity
• Encompasses income and socioeconomic status,
as well as inequalities of resources in public
education system
• How to you know what jobs or internships are
available and how does someone introduce you
to a new circle?

27. Resources to Help FGCSs Build Social Capital
• According to Harvard Business Review: celebration/food, common
interest or hobby, doing a favor for another, discussion of community
issues, undertaking joint goal intentional relationship building (do
these one-on-one, small groups and large groups)
• Get to know a librarian- knowledgeable, want to be helpful, technical
and emotional, problem solvers and advocates
• Attend workshops and get contact info for people who run it
• Find a mentor- for example through an alumni program

28. Programs

29. Resources at Northwestern for FGCSs
Student Enrichment Services works with FGCSs to enhance their academic
success, personal development, and professional growth
• Purple Pantry: donations from NU community so students can shop for free groceries
• Peer mentor program: first year students connected to upperclass mentors, also
meets in large group
• Emergency and Essential Needs Funds: office visits, medical bills, food insecurity,
testing for disabilities, emergency travel
• Laptop and winter gear loans
• Resources for books and technology

30. Project SEED
• 50 year old program sponsored by
ACS
• In 2017, 130 schools participated
with 411 students
• 85% of participants nationwide
indicated they will pursue a career in
STEM
• All students come from families with
annual income less than $35,000
• Possibility of 2 summers, 8 weeks full
time research, with stipend
• Summer research experience for
socioeconomically disadvantaged
Clevelanders
• Since 2010, >35 students participated
at CWRU
Jaylen Williams, now freshman biology major at Miami (OH)
Rhayauna Dent, junior in high school at Cleveland
School of Science and Medicine

31. REU Program
• National Science Foundation sponsored
summer research program: Research
Experience for the Undergraduate (REU)
• 10 week full time summer research, with
stipend and travel allowance
• Our program focused on URMs and
FGCSs
2016 Cohort
2017 Cohort
Daphney Bonner (Howard) Michael Lu Diaz (UPR
Mayaguez)

32. Lunch and Learns
• How to Apply to Graduate School
• Held each semester and during
summer
• In three years, > 180 students have
attended
• Seek to demystify applying to grad
school
• Timeline for undergraduate career
• Choosing a degree
• Identifying schools to apply to
• How to interact with letter writers
and possible PhD advisors
• Panel of professors to answer
discipline specific questions
4
Sheila Pedigo, Director case.edu/source
Sears Library, Room 451 source@case.edu
www.facebook.com/cwrusource
Support of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors
How to Apply to Graduate School
in the Physical Sciencesand Engineering
Friday, October 30
12:30 pm
Wickenden 322
Grad School Selection 101
Writing personal statements
Selecting references, and how to ask
for a reference
Presented by:
Prof. Ina Martin &
Prof. Emily Pentzer
Sponsored by
SOURCE & Career Center
Panel from fall 2017

33. Council for Opportunity Education
• Trio: federally-funded college opportunity programs that motivate
students from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Provide academic tutoring, personal counseling, mentoring, financial guidance,
and other support
• 2/3 of students must come from families with incomes 150% or less than the
federal poverty level and FGCSs
• 2,800 projects serve 790,000 Americans
• 35% African Americans, 19% Hispanics (also students with disabilities and
veterans)
• McNair Scholars Directory
• Provides names, contact info, undergrad majors, and grad field of interest
• Grad schools can directly recruit students

34. Facilitating Graduate School Applications
• Cost of application?
• How easily is this “waived”?
• McNair scholars are waived
• Cost associated with submitting GRE
scores?
• Is sending scores mandatory before
acceptance?
• Is the subject required?
• Cost associated with travel to/from
for visit and for moving
• Attitude of committee towards
breaks in school and/or more than 4
years to complete a degree
From ACS

35. From FGCS to Professor
• Preparing to major in STEM
degree starts before undergrad
admission
• FGCSs are more likely to see
themselves as a “math person”
than ”science person”
• More likely to choose
engineering over science
• Pipeline may not be the right
explanation of the system: it’s
cyclic
• Students knowing their options
and having role models can help

36. Future Faculty Workshop
FFW, CWRU 2017
Irene Abia (PharmD); Psaras McGrier (Ohio State); Lei Fang (Texas
A&M); Cole DeForest (U. Washington); Pelagie Favi (Intel); Emily
Pentzer (CWRU)
• NSF sponsored annual event at different
universities
• Focuses on soft materials
• 3 day event covers the “unwritten rules” of
applying for, interviewing, and getting started in a
faculty position
• Brings together mentors and mentees (upper level
grad students and post docs) from across the
country
LaShanda Korley (UDel), Emily Pentzer, Marilyn
Mobly (CWRU), Thomas Epps (UDel)
FFW, UDel 2016
FFW, UCSB 2012

37. GRC Power Hour
• New initiative from Gordon
Research Conference (2016 start)
• Informal session to discuss
challenges women face in science,
and best practices to overcome
them
• NOT a shot of beer per minute…
• 60% of attendees are female, 40%
are graduate students
• Not to be thought of as for
women only!
Polymers GRC 2017
Brent Sumerlin (FSU), Bekka Klausen (JHU), Emily Pentzer
(CWRU), Matt Becker (Akron)

38. Resources
• Dika, D’Amico, J. Res. in Sci. Ed., 2016, 53, 3, 368.
• Verdin, Godwin, 2015, IEEE Xplore, DOI: 10.1109/FIE.2015.7344359
• Kniffin, Am. Acad., 2007, 3, 49.
• Balemian and Feng, 2013, CollegeBoard presentation

39. Re-envisioning the FGCS Experience
• As science becomes more interdisciplinary
and collaborative, FGCSs may feel more
included (interdependence rather than
independence)
• Social capital is more important to FGCSs, and
they may go outside of school for this
• Checking our own biases towards time for
degree completion and school ranking can
open doors
• Sharing FGCS experiences can help
Is it a culture of competition or
collaboration?