Minority women in academia: K-12 outreach programs to bridge the gap

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2051 the U.S. population will increase to 400 million, with more than half of the population belonging to a minority group (1). This change in demographics is accompanied by an increased number of ethnic and racial minorities entering the workforce. Nevertheless, occupations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in life and physical sciences in 2011 had a Black and Hispanic/Latino representation of only 5.9% and 6.4%, respectively (2). Minority students seek mentorship from faculty with whom they identify, and this is an important aspect of recruitment and retention. In view of this astonishing disparity, several organizations and institutions of higher education have focused on recruiting and retaining underrepresented scientists. However, minority women still are leaving their professions.