Webs of science: mentor networks influence women's integration into STEM fields

Abstract

Mentorship can be part of the solution to developing a more diverse global scientific workforce, but robust longitudinal evidence is limited. Developmental mentor network theory can advance our understanding of the impact of a wide range of mentors across social contexts by distinguishing between the content of mentorship support (eg career support) and the structural characteristics of an individual's mentor network (eg density of connections among mentors). We tested the influence of mentor network characteristics on longitudinal social integration into the Earth and environmental sciences, as indicated by science identity development (a key indicator of social integration) and graduate-school applications in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-related fields of study, based on a sample of 233 undergraduate women at nine universities in the US. Our findings indicated that belonging to close-knit, larger, and skill-focused mentorship networks creates a “sticky web” of social connections, providing information and resources that increase retention of college women in the Earth and environmental sciences.