280 - Science and engagement and motivation: How Latinx young adults experience their role as scientists during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Information: In this session, we report findings from focus groups that were conducted with Hispanic/Latinx college graduates who had been part of an undergraduate research program at a large Hispanic-serving institution. This study examines the critical transition to online learning of Hispanic/Latinx graduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The undergraduate research program aimed to broaden the participation of minorities in STEM. In particular, this program was geared towards students in STEM majors interested in biomedical research. The undergraduate research program was designed to highlight students’ assets with the goal of preparing and motivating students from the institution to apply to biomedical graduate programs and pursue a biomedical research career path. Students participating in this program are provided with financial support (tuition and stipend) and multiple professional development opportunities, including a research foundations course (during their freshmen year), research experiences on campus throughout the academic year, and at partner institutions each summer, peer mentoring training, and a series of workshops to promote students’ opportunities to enroll in graduate school (e.g., GRE preparation, applying to graduate school). Graduate students’ engagement and motivation in STEM careers is an important topic to examine, as Hispanic/Latinx young adults remain severely under-represented in STEM careers (NSF, 2019), and the changes these young adults experienced during the pandemic are likely to shape their career paths for years to come. In total, eight focus groups were conducted with 24 graduates as part of the program evaluation. Students completed the program described above and had transitioned to graduate school at least one semester prior to or during the COVID-19 pandemic. All focus groups were conducted online during the spring of 2021 and were analyzed using thematic analysis with the aid of the NVivo Qualitative software. The main purpose was to examine the way students coped with the pandemic and online learning. We explore how participants articulated and exercised their roles as scientists concerning family, community, and STEM research careers during the pandemic. Students revealed that their experiences in the program allowed them to take a more active role in explaining different science terms to their family and community members. Participants translated scientific research into a language that was easier to understand for family members who were not familiar with science. In addition, they talked about the importance of their research and the impact they had on their community. They also reported how they dealt with home responsibilities and school with online learning. In addition, students talked about their views of their fields and how the pandemic either solidified their interest in biomedical research or changed their interests. Finally, students also provided recommendations for future research training programs, focusing on the importance of creating an alumni network to stay connected with others.