Sarah L. Rodriguez

College students who feel a sense of belonging and social connectedness on their college campus are more likely to stay enrolled, seek help from others, and be more engaged academically (Ahn & Davi...

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how STEM graduate students conceptualized problems that undergird a negative departmental racial climate and explore which policies and practices these students recognized as potential levers for change. Using a generic qualitative inquiry (GQI) approach, we conducted eight focus group meetings and one interview with graduate STEM students (n = 34) at two predominantly white institutions in the United States. Our findings suggest that STEM graduate students identified interpersonal interactions with faculty as a primary driver of negative departmental climate, highlighting a culture of discrimination and lack of accountability. Although students suggested institutionalizing DEI labor and making structural change, they often sought to first improve care for fellow graduate students, feeling ill-equipped to facilitate organizational change. Few research studies address the conceptualization of departmental racial climate from the student perspective and examine their proposed solutions. Using racialized organizations as a guiding theory, this study calls on scholars and practitioners to think more critically about efforts to improve departmental racial climate and address issues of entrenched whiteness. This study suggests that STEM practitioners examine their current departmental processes to enhance racial climate and involve STEM graduate students in valuable ways.

This phenomenological study examines how Latino men at 4-year institutions navigate racial microaggressions and hostile campus climates. Findings reveal that students experience exclusion from peers and institutional agents, impacting their academic and emotional well-being. Identity-based student organizations emerged as critical counter-spaces, fostering cultural affirmation, mentorship, and resilience. These findings underscore the need for institutions to cultivate inclusive environments that affirm Latino men’s identities and support their persistence in higher education.

Latino men continue to experience lower college completion rates compared to other demographic groups, highlighting the need to better understand factors contributing to their success. Grounded in Gloria and Rodriguez’s psychosociocultural theoretical framework, this phenomenological study highlights how Latino men experience and cultivate resilience during their higher education journey. Through 68 semi-structured interviews with 34 Latino men who transferred from community colleges to 4-year universities in California, Florida, and Texas, three interconnected themes emerged. First, Latino men transform skepticism from family members and society into psychological motivation, reframing doubts as catalysts for academic persistence. Second, multifaceted mentorship emerged as a critical social support mechanism, combining nurturing guidance with direct feedback while fostering career development and accountability. This mentorship extended beyond traditional academic support to include emotional and crisis intervention. Third, Latino men actively negotiate their cultural identities within higher education spaces, balancing their heritage with institutional norms while challenging stereotypes about their academic capabilities. These findings demonstrate how Latino men’s resilience manifests through their ability to convert challenges into motivation, build meaningful mentoring relationships, and navigate complex cultural dynamics. The study suggests that supporting Latino men in higher education requires a holistic approach that recognizes and leverages the interconnected nature of psychological, social, and cultural factors. Implications highlight the importance of developing comprehensive support systems that address these dimensions simultaneously rather than treating them as separate entities.

This 80-minute special session introduces the FIE community to a new book by author Dr. Sarah L. Rodriguez entitled, Supporting Latina Students in Engineering and Computing: A Chicana Feminist Approach (Harvard Education Press, 2025). Together, the author and audience members work towards understanding more about the experiences of Latina students in engineering and computing then evaluating and creating plans for concrete actions that can be taken to address the needs of these students. Overall, this session also aims to build community and capacity among scholars, practitioners, and other educational stakeholders who would like to support Latina engineering and computing students.)