tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/underrepresented-students-16313/articles
Underrepresented students – The Conversation
2024-03-19T19:55:36Z
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/223423
2024-03-19T19:55:36Z
2024-03-19T19:55:36Z
How ‘social financing’ could help fund higher education for under-represented students
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577169/original/file-20240221-26-m67kd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=43%2C34%2C5078%2C3794&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Of the 7.7 million job openings forecast from 2022 to 2031, more than two-thirds are expected to require post-secondary education.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Canada’s new <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2024/01/canada-to-stabilize-growth-and-decrease-number-of-new-international-student-permits-issued-to-approximately-360000-for-2024.html">international student cap</a> will likely have a significant impact on universities, which are already facing <a href="https://universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/the-rising-financial-precarity-of-universities/">financial pressures</a> and other challenges related to <a href="https://universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/artificial-intelligence-at-universities-a-pressing-issue/">artificial intelligence</a> and climate change — all while attending to calls for equity, diversity and inclusivity. </p>
<p>Among these issues, one priority is including under-represented learners in higher education. There is risk that the revenue loss from this cap will undermine <a href="https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.v49i3.188529">progress made in recent years towards the inclusion of under-represented and equity-seeking learners in higher education</a>.</p>
<p>This decline could worsen if universities compensate for this loss by reducing investment in <a href="https://hunt-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/final-A4A-brief-april-22.pdf">much-needed supports for under-represented learners</a>.</p>
<p>The participation rates of immigrants, rural youth, people with disabilities and Indigenous Peoples in higher education lag far behind <a href="https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/census/census-engagement/community-supporter/education">Canada’s overall rate</a>.</p>
<p>Of the 7.7 million job openings forecast from 2022 to 2031, <a href="https://occupations.esdc.gc.ca/sppc-cops/l.3bd.2t.1ilshtml@-eng.jsp?lid=113&fid=69&lang=en">more than two-thirds</a> are expected to require post-secondary education. Given these educational demands, we need to increase participation equity to address broader societal inequities.</p>
<h2>The social finance solution</h2>
<p><a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1234479">Research</a> and <a href="https://www.viu.ca/blog/lessons-learned-vius-elev-program">experience</a> both show that increasing the participation of under-represented learners requires more than offering waived tuition — it requires comprehensive, wrap-around supports.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12120888https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12120888">current funding model</a>, which relies on a mix of tuition, fees, grants and donations, is failing under-represented learners. </p>
<p>Beyond financial and non-financial supports, a systemic approach is needed to transform education. Publicly funded grants and corporate or charitable donations are poorly suited to this task on their own. Social finance presents an alternative approach. </p>
<p>Unlike philanthropic contributions or traditional scholarships where donors provide funds that programs can invest or disburse, social finance involves <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/social-finance.html">private money being used to finance programs that create positive social or environmental impacts</a>. </p>
<p>Social finance funding is repayable with interest, often at or below market terms. Lower returns are acceptable because of the positive impacts generated by these programs. Often, governments will cover the initial investment and financial return in hopes of reaping later benefits through things like future tax revenue from employed graduates.</p>
<p>Social finance is also unique because the invested money is repayable with interest based on outcomes of the program. Firms that supply this funding are motivated to work with organizations like universities to achieve these desired outcomes which, in turn, trigger the repayment and financial returns alongside positive social impacts.</p>
<p>The supply of possible social finance funds is estimated at over <a href="https://tiip.ca/the-state-of-social-finance-in-canada-2021/">$1 billion</a> in Canada. To boost the social finance market even further, the Canadian Federal Government recently launched a <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/social-innovation-social-finance/social-finance-fund.html">$755 million Social Finance Fund</a>.</p>
<p>But social finance has faced slow uptake in sectors usually funded by governments like higher education, <a href="https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/news-release/first-social-impact-bond-pilot-has-positive-impact-on-unemployed-canadians/">with the exception of a few pilots</a>.</p>
<h2>Barriers to social finance</h2>
<p>To find out why social finance isn’t widely used to fund higher education in Canada, Shelley Legin, the lead author of this article, conducted research involving 25 in-depth interviews with leaders in the higher education and social finance sectors.</p>
<p>The data showed two key barriers to the use of social finance in higher education. First, leaders in higher education expressed a lack of familiarity with social finance. Secondly, there has been limited pressure to explore innovative financing approaches.</p>
<p>On the social finance side, there is a lack of exposure to the issue of participation inequity. This is in part from the myth that opportunity exists for all with the delivery of a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ellen-Hazelkorn/publication/328889414_Public_goods_and_public_policy_what_is_public_good_and_who_and_what_decides/links/5d0a6089299bf1f539d00d99/Public-goods-and-public-policy-what-is-public-good-and-who-and-what-decides.pdf">public good</a>. </p>
<p>Adding to the challenge is that, until recently, public funding of higher education has not been a household topic. During interviews, one university president said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The university sector is not well understood, particularly the funding model. And that is why you do not see a lot of impact investment.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In addition to creating awareness and providing education about the opportunity among the sectors, there is a need to connect the vast supply of capital with demand. </p>
<p>But this first requires growing demand for social finance in higher education. Colleges and universities do not have the capacity or expertise to do it on their own and existing social finance experts do not understand the complexities of higher education.</p>
<p>It is clear that a specialized intermediary is needed who knows both higher education and social finance. As one interviewee said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“You have a supply and demand thing here, but there’s no one in the middle. And in the absence of that, there’s no one to bridge these worlds.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>A scalable opportunity</h2>
<p>To substantially increase investment activity social finance interviewees believed that this would require creating new investable products. These products would be designed to specifically address the lower participation rates of under-represented learners.</p>
<p>One example could be a program designed to financially support under-represented students in pursuing in-demand degrees. This investment could be backed by philanthropy or governments to repay the principal and provide a financial return. The return would be outcomes-based, such as the number of degrees awarded or time to employment. </p>
<p>However, there is a risk that such prescribed programs would stream under-represented populations into strictly defined occupations and reduce the chance for them to explore education more. </p>
<p>With this risk in mind, the success of any such programs would hinge on funders and educational institutions working together. This collaboration would serve to meet the needs of beneficiaries and help achieve positive outcomes.</p>
<p>There is a real opportunity for institutions to create products that could be offered at many institutions and at scale to investors. This would solve a significant problem facing <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/impact-investing.asp">impact investors</a> by having a deal size large enough to cover transaction costs.</p>
<p>With social finance, hundreds of millions of dollars could be deployed to intentionally increase participation equity. Higher education institutions and social finance leaders need to work together. When they do, they will open doors to a promising future for the under-represented.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223423/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Canada’s international student cap threatens inclusion in higher education, but social financing — a way for private capital to address social issues — can address this issue.
Shelley Legin, Doctoral Candidate - School of Business and Associate Faculty, Royal Roads University
Heather M Hachigian, Assistant Professor of Business, Royal Roads University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/173184
2022-02-11T13:32:04Z
2022-02-11T13:32:04Z
4 ways to help STEM majors stay the course
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445158/original/file-20220208-21-4rqivc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C0%2C7335%2C5507&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Minority STEM majors are more likely than their white peers to switch fields.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/student-wearing-a-facemask-in-a-science-class-at-royalty-free-image/1297281097?adppopup=true">andresr/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Black and Latino students who start out majoring in STEM – or science, technology, engineering or mathematics – <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X19831006">are more likely than their white peers</a> to switch fields or leave without a degree.</p>
<p>Some students leave because they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2020508118">feel isolated</a> on campus. Others may lack the type of technical skills, such as effective communication in science, needed to persist in these subjects. When students from underrepresented groups <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X19831006">leave STEM majors</a>, it affects all of society, hampering the overall potential for <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02020">critical thinking, creativity and innovation</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-071312-145659">Scientific innovation and progress</a> require the talents of people from diverse backgrounds. </p>
<p>As Ph.D. biology candidates at <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-historically-black-colleges-and-universities-united-states">one of the nation’s top historically Black universities</a>, we joined a group of scientists in 2021 to <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.10.030">discover and recommend</a> a few things to help underrepresented students build their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0150-3">scientific identity</a> and stick with STEM. What follows are four of those recommendations.</p>
<h2>1. Take a freshman seminar class</h2>
<p><a href="https://freshmanseminars.college.harvard.edu/faq/what-freshman-seminar">Freshman seminars</a>, located at large and small colleges alike, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315584955">are designed</a> to assist students as they adjust to the new college environment. Freshman seminars help students cope with the stress of academic pressures as well as everyday college life.</p>
<p>Students who earned poor grades in introductory STEM classes are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2021.1907169">more likely</a> to leave STEM than those who earned higher scores. Participation in freshman seminars <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-005-8153-6">can help students increase</a> their overall GPA within their first year. This can in turn encourage them to persist in their given major.</p>
<p>Although it may take awhile for freshman students to get used to college work, a 2021 article notes that minority students may have an even more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.10.030">difficult transition</a> than their white counterparts. Researchers who surveyed students in first-year seminars at 45 four-year col1eges and universities concluded that the seminars <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-005-8153-6">should cover topics</a> like the benefits of mentorship, the power of networking and how to secure employment after graduation.</p>
<h2>2. Take a research course for undergraduates</h2>
<p>STEM students need <a href="https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.14-06-0099">research experience</a> prior to graduating to be more attractive for future employers or graduate school. One format for these experiences is known as “CURE,” an acronym for course-based undergraduate research experiences. These CUREs, if you will, provide opportunities for undergraduates to participate in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/ed500793q">real-life science</a> from design to execution. Research shows that these undergraduate research experiences are effective. At Montana State University, for instance, a study found that students who took these courses <a href="https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00102-21">gained a better understanding</a> of environmental microbiology and thermal biology.</p>
<p>CUREs allow professors to interact with undergraduates on a more personal level. One article shows that having faculty with a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X17726535">similar identity to minority students</a> provides students with role models with whom they can relate. Students who see themselves <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biu076">reflected in their professors</a> are more successful in their majors, research has shown.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of diverse science students conduct an experiment on a lab bench." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445157/original/file-20220208-12-b8h89n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=46%2C0%2C5150%2C3407&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445157/original/file-20220208-12-b8h89n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445157/original/file-20220208-12-b8h89n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445157/original/file-20220208-12-b8h89n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445157/original/file-20220208-12-b8h89n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445157/original/file-20220208-12-b8h89n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445157/original/file-20220208-12-b8h89n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Course-based undergraduate research experiences have been shown to help students gain a better understanding of science.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/students-and-teacher-performing-experiment-in-royalty-free-image/84527707?adppopup=true">Hill Street Studios/DivisionVision via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If colleges lack the resources to establish CUREs, they can collaborate with better-resourced colleges that are nearby. One study found that when a small, predominantly white college collaborated with a larger historically Black college, student test scores <a href="https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v21i1.1939">increased significantly</a> – from a grade range of 35%-60% to a range of 65%-86%. Students also saw great benefit in being able to engage with students from different backgrounds.</p>
<h2>3. Join a journal club</h2>
<p>Aspiring STEM professionals must be able to interpret scientific articles to stay informed about their field’s scientific activity. As essential as this skill is, it is generally taught in extracurricular spaces like lab-based journal clubs, not classrooms. Universities with <a href="https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/classification_descriptions/basic.php">“very high” research activity</a> usually have these journal clubs in place, but at universities with less research activity or institutions that serve minorities, research-related activities may take a back seat <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.734426">due to high teaching loads</a> among professors. </p>
<p>For that reason, some underrepresented STEM majors are in for a rude awakening when they enter graduate school. They may become overwhelmed when suddenly asked to comprehend many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189753">dense, jargon-filled articles</a> on their own. </p>
<p>[<em>You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-youresmart">You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>That is why participating in journal clubs in college is so important. These free <a href="http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008032">journal clubs</a> give students a chance to learn how to read articles with the help of their peers and mentors. Journal clubs, like <a href="http://doi.org/10.2505/4/jcst16_045_04_52">the CASL Club at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke</a>, also <a href="https://www.nap.edu/resource/25568/McGee%20-%20STEMM%20Mentoring%20Identity.pdf">help STEM majors get the confidence they need</a> to critique articles and conduct their own scientific research. Frequent participation in journal clubs also helps STEM majors meet the standards of academic journals for their own publications.</p>
<h2>4. Attend a grant-writing academy</h2>
<p><a href="https://report.nih.gov/fundingfacts/fundingfacts.aspx">It’s tough</a> but essential for STEM professionals to secure grants to fund their research long term. Most grant funding goes to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0155876">cluster of large</a> or <a href="https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf21314#data-tables">predominantly white institutions</a>. Reasons for this include <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.011">bias in the awarding of grants</a>, as well as lower rates of grant submission and <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1126/science.1196783">resubmission</a> among underrepresented researchers. Collectively, these issues translate to less funding over time for underrepresented STEM students and professionals.</p>
<p>In grant writing, early patterns of success or failure <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.65697">tend to influence</a> later patterns of success. Hence, the earlier any STEM major learns to successfully write and secure grants to support their research, the better their chances of completing their research. Grant-writing academies can provide some of the much-needed technical guidance for students to increase their ability to secure funding. For example, student participation in Stanford’s Biosciences Grant Writing Academy made it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243973">almost twice as likely</a> for participants to win funding.</p>
<p>As biologists who study complex phenomena, we know that the subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics are hard. However, we believe these four strategies can better equip underrepresented STEM majors with the tools to excel in their fields.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173184/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Colleges don’t have to sit by and watch STEM majors leave for other fields. Two Ph.D. biology students share tips for encouraging students to stick with STEM despite the difficulty involved.
Esohe G. Irabor, Ph.D. Candidate in Biology, Howard University
Brandyn White, Ph.D. Candidate in Biology, Howard University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/145799
2020-09-29T17:29:51Z
2020-09-29T17:29:51Z
Nobel Prizes have a diversity problem even worse than the scientific fields they honor
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360384/original/file-20200928-20-7mjeh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=255%2C166%2C2523%2C1823&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mostly male, white faces up on stage at the Nobel Prize award ceremony.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nobelprize.org/press#/image-details/5df22f2814ad00100009440f/552bd85dccc8e20c00e7f979">© Nobel Media/Alexander Mahmoud</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In 2007, I served as a consultant for the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences’ deliberations about the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. As a result, I was invited to attend the Nobel ceremonies. Staying at the Grand Hotel with all the awardees, I got to see how scientists – excellent but largely unknown outside their fields – suddenly became superstars.</p>
<p>As soon as they’re announced annually in early October, Nobel laureates become role models who are invited to give seminars all around the world. In Stockholm for the awards, these scientists were interviewed on radio and television and hobnobbed with Swedish royalty. Swedish television aired the events of Nobel week live.</p>
<p>As a chemist who has also <a href="http://prometheusbooks.com/books/9781633886407">investigated how science is done</a>, seeing scientists and their research jump to the top of the public’s consciousness thanks to all the Nobel hoopla is gratifying. But in the 119 years since the Nobel Prizes were first given out, only 3% of the science awardees have been women and <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-black-scientist-has-ever-won-a-nobel-thats-bad-for-science-and-bad-for-society-104456">zero of the 617 science laureates have been Black</a>. The vast majority of those now-famous role model scientists are white men.</p>
<p>This is a problem much larger than simply bias on the part of the Nobel selection committees – it’s systemic.</p>
<h2>Nobels still reflect another time</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360587/original/file-20200929-14-o0tngt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="seated portrait of Nobel" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360587/original/file-20200929-14-o0tngt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360587/original/file-20200929-14-o0tngt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=806&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360587/original/file-20200929-14-o0tngt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=806&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360587/original/file-20200929-14-o0tngt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=806&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360587/original/file-20200929-14-o0tngt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1013&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360587/original/file-20200929-14-o0tngt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1013&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360587/original/file-20200929-14-o0tngt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1013&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Alfred Nobel established the prizes to honor those who ‘have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlfredNobel_adjusted.jpg">Gösta Florman/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Five Nobel Prizes were established according to inventor <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/">Alfred Nobel’s will</a>. The first prizes in chemistry, literature, physics and medicine were awarded in 1901. Each prize can be awarded to <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-fair-is-it-for-just-three-people-to-receive-the-nobel-prize-in-physics-85161">no more than three people</a>, and prizes may not be awarded posthumously.</p>
<p>Just as with the Oscars for the movie industry, there is pre-Nobel buzz. Scientists try to predict who will be awarded the year’s chemistry, physics and medicine prizes. In the days and weeks following the announcement of the awards, there is a thorough analysis of the winners and their research, as well as sympathizing with those who were overlooked.</p>
<p>It doesn’t take a very detailed investigation to see that women and Black scientists are not proportionally represented among the laureates, that the United States is home to more winners than most countries and that China has surprisingly few science Nobel laureates.</p>
<p>Nomination to receive a Nobel Prize in science or medicine is by invitation only, and information about the nomination and selection process cannot be revealed until 50 years have passed. Despite this confidentiality, based on the list of laureates it’s clear that nominations tend to favor scientists <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_laureates_by_university_affiliation#Top_20_universities_worldwide_since_2000">working at elite research institutions</a>, famous scientists who are good at self-promotion and those well known to their peers. Predictably, these tend to be older, established white men.</p>
<p>The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute are in charge of selecting the Nobel winners for chemistry and physics, and for medicine, respectively. They’re aware that they have a “white male problem,” and starting with the 2019 nominations have asked <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-02988-5">nominators to consider diversity in gender, geography and topic</a>. One year in, it hasn’t yet been reflected on the dais. There were no Black or female award recipients in physics, chemistry or medicine at the December 2019 Nobel ceremonies.</p>
<p>So what’s going on? Why does the list of Nobel laureates seem to mirror the scientists of Alfred Nobel’s day more than the world in 2020?</p>
<h2>STEM is more diverse than Nobels, but….</h2>
<p>A 2017 National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics report shows that while white men make up only one-third of the U.S. population, they constitute <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d16/tables/dt16_303.70.asp">at least half of all scientists</a>.</p>
<p>There’s no good reason students from underrepresented groups wouldn’t start out aspiring to careers in science, technology, engineering and math fields at the same rates as their nonminority peers. But minorities, who comprise 30% of the U.S. population, make up <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2017/nsf17310/static/downloads/%20nsf17310-digest.pdf">only 14% of master’s students and just 6% of all Ph.D. candidates</a>. In 2017, there were more than a dozen areas in which not a single Ph.D. was awarded to a Black person, and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/04/lack-of-black-doctoral-students/587413/">these are primarily within the STEM fields</a>. Only 1.6% of chemistry professors at the top 50 U.S. schools are Black. This gap hasn’t changed much in the <a href="https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf19304/">last 15 years</a>. There are not enough Black full professors in the sciences at elite universities where the networks and reputations critical for winning a Nobel are made.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360625/original/file-20200929-22-1bsku98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="three tweens work together in a robotics competition" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360625/original/file-20200929-22-1bsku98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360625/original/file-20200929-22-1bsku98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360625/original/file-20200929-22-1bsku98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360625/original/file-20200929-22-1bsku98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360625/original/file-20200929-22-1bsku98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360625/original/file-20200929-22-1bsku98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360625/original/file-20200929-22-1bsku98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Supporting the STEM interests of students from all demographics will help plug the ‘leaky pipeline’ from school to science career.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/aurora-frontier-p-8-team-members-order-of-the-silver-wings-news-photo/614903410">Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are many reasons for these dismal numbers: <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781633886407/The-State-of-Science-What-the-Future-Holds-and-the-Scientists-Making-It-Happen">poverty, sub-par preparation in largely minority-serving schools of all levels</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1353/cpr.2012.0055">scarcity of role models and mentors</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0146487">Stereotype threat</a>, in which negative stereotypes lead to academic underperformance, can kick in, as can impostor syndrome, when a person feels inadequate despite evident success. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02175-y">Blatant discrimination</a> and numerous <a href="https://theconversation.com/microaggressions-arent-just-innocent-blunders-new-research-links-them-with-racial-bias-145894">microaggressions</a> can also prevent scientists from minority groups from performing to their potential.</p>
<p>Though women make up more than half of the general population, they too count as an <a href="https://www.nationalacademies.org/cwsem/women-in-science-and-engineering-statistics">underrepresented group in many STEM disciplines</a>. Just three women out of 213 physics Nobel laureates is obviously a disproportionately low number. Only five women have won in chemistry, and 12 in medicine. It’s hard not to think that many distinguished and immensely qualified female scientists must have been overlooked over more than a century of prizes.</p>
<p>The list of STEM Nobel laureates since 1901 sends the wrong message to young people, funding agencies, editorial boards and others about who does noteworthy science. Perhaps much more important, it is indicative of many biases and inequities that plague women and minorities in science. Colleges and universities host <a href="https://www.insightintodiversity.com/heres-the-full-list-of-2019-inspiring-programs-in-stem-award-winners/">programs to support underrepresented groups in the sciences</a>, but they are just Band-Aids on much bigger systemic issues in society. Without economic equity and educational parity, it will be hard to achieve Nobel diversity.</p>
<p>[<em>Understand new developments in science, health and technology, each week.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/science-editors-picks-71/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=science-understand">Subscribe to The Conversation’s science newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145799/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marc Zimmer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
With 3% of science Nobels going to women and zero going to Black people, these awards are an extreme example of how certain demographics are underrepresented in STEM fields.
Marc Zimmer, Professor of Chemistry, Connecticut College
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/112268
2019-02-21T19:01:31Z
2019-02-21T19:01:31Z
‘Black Panther’ and its science role models inspire more than just movie awards
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260249/original/file-20190221-195873-1czfcxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=122%2C77%2C1252%2C694&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">King of a technologically advanced country, Black Panther is a scientific genius.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/mediaviewer/rm2447322112">© 2017 – Disney/Marvel Studios</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It has been said many times that the Marvel movie “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/">Black Panther</a>” is an important landmark. I’m not referring to its deserved critical and box office success worldwide, the many awards it has won, or the fact that it is the first film in the superhero genre to be <a href="https://oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2019">nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards</a>.</p>
<p>Instead, I’m focusing on a key aspect of its cultural impact that is less frequently discussed. Finally a feature film starring a black superhero character became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – a successful run of intertwined movies that began with “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371746/">Iron Man</a>” in 2008. While there have been other superhero movies with a black lead character – “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448157/">Hancock</a>” (2008), “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120611/">Blade</a>” (1998), “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120177/">Spawn</a>” (1997) or even “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107563/">The Meteor Man</a>” (1993) – this film is significant because of the <a href="https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/the-rise-of-superhero-films/">recent remarkable rise of the superhero film</a> from the nerdish fringe to part of mainstream culture.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=marvel2017b.htm">Huge audiences</a> saw a black lead character – not a sidekick or part of a team – in a superhero movie by a major studio, with a black director (Ryan Coogler), black writers and a majority black cast. This is a significant step toward diversifying our culture by improving the <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/sites/default/files/Dr_Stacy_L_Smith-Inequality_in_900_Popular_Films.pdf">lackluster representation</a> of minorities in our major media. It’s also a <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/research/aii/research/raceethnicity">filmmaking landmark because black creators</a> have been given access to the resources and platforms needed to bring different storytelling perspectives into our mainstream culture.</p>
<p>2017’s “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279/">Wonder Woman</a>” forged a similar path. In that case, a major studio finally decided to commit resources to a superhero film headlined by a female character and directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins. Female directors are <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/inclusion-directors-chair">a minority in the movie industry</a>. Jenkins brought a new perspective to this kind of action movie, and there was a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/05/31/why-women-are-crying-when-they-watch-wonder-woman-fight/102328772/">huge positive response from audiences</a> in theaters worldwide.</p>
<p>And beyond all this, “Black Panther” also broke additional ground in a way most people may not realize: In the comics, the character is actually a scientist and engineer. Moreover, in the inevitable (and somewhat ridiculous) ranking of scientific prowess that happens in the comic book world, he’s been portrayed as at least the equal of the two most famous “top scientists” in the Marvel universe: Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic). A black headlining superhero character written and directed by black artists is rare enough from a major studio. But making him – and his sister Shuri – successful scientists and engineers as well is another level of rarity.</p>
<h2>Scientists on screen</h2>
<p>I’m a scientist who cares about increased engagement with science by the general public. I’ve worked as <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/film/physicist-dr-clifford-v-johnson-is-a-consultant-on-superhero-movies-8232890">a science adviser on many film and TV projects</a> (though not “Black Panther”). When the opportunity arises, I’ve <a href="https://creativefuture.org/science-advisor-conversation-dr-clifford-johnson/">helped broaden the diversity of scientist characters</a> portrayed onscreen.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jason Wilkes is a black scientist on ‘Agent Carter,’ whose character emerged from the author’s talks with the show’s writers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">ABC Television</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Panels from ‘The Dialogues,’ including a black female scientist.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">'The Dialogues,' by Clifford V. Johnson (MIT Press 2017)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I’ve also recently published a <a href="http://thedialoguesbook.com/">nonfiction graphic book</a> for general audiences called “<a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/dialogues-0">The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe</a>.” Its characters include male and female black scientists, discussing aspects of my own field of theoretical physics – where black scientists are <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2017/nsf17310/data.cfm">unfortunately very rare</a>. So the opportunity that the “Black Panther” movie presents to inform and inspire vast audiences is of great interest to me.</p>
<p>The history and evolution of the Black Panther character and his scientific back story is a fascinating example of turning a problematic past into a positive opportunity.</p>
<p>Created in 1966 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he’s the first black superhero character in mainstream comics, <a href="https://comicvine.gamespot.com/fantastic-four-52-introducing-the-sensational-blac/4000-8666/">originally appearing as a guest</a> in a “Fantastic Four” Marvel comic. As a black character created and initially written by nonblack authors, guest-starring in the pages of a book headlined by white characters, he had many of the classic attributes of what is now sometimes controversially known as the “<a href="https://www.salon.com/2010/09/14/magical_negro_trope/">magical negro</a>” in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934707307831">American cultural criticism</a>: He ranked extremely highly in every sphere that mattered, to the point of being almost too unreal even for the comics of the time.</p>
<p>Black Panther is T’Challa, king of the fictional African country Wakanda, which is fathomlessly wealthy and remarkably advanced, scientifically and technologically. Even Marvel’s legendary master scientist – Reed Richards of the superhero team Fantastic Four – is befuddled by and full of admiration for Wakanda’s scientific capabilities. T’Challa himself is portrayed as an extraordinary “genius” in physics and other scientific fields, a peerless tactician, a remarkable athlete and a master of numerous forms of martial arts. And he is noble to a fault. Of course, he grows to become a powerful ally of the Fantastic Four and other Marvel superheroes over many adventures.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">While likening Black Panther to a ‘refugee from a Tarzan movie,’ the Fantastic Four marveled at his technological innovations in ‘Introducing the Sensational Black Panther.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966). [Marvel Comics]</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The key point here is that the superlative scientific ability of our hero, and that of his country, has its origins in the well-meaning, but problematic, practice of inventing near or beyond perfect black characters to support stories starring primarily white protagonists. But this is a lemons-to-lemonade story.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Fantastic Four were amazed by the scientific ingenuity of Wakanda in ‘Whosoever Finds The Evil Eye.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Fantastic Four #54 (September 1966). [Marvel Comics]</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Black Panther eventually got to star in his own series of comics. He was turned into a nuanced and complex character, moving well away from the tropes of his beginnings. Writer Don McGregor’s work started this development as early as 1973, but Black Panther’s journey to the multilayered character you see on screen was greatly advanced by the efforts of several writers with diverse perspectives. Perhaps most notably, in the context of the film, these include Christopher Priest (late 1990s) and Ta-Nehisi Coates (starting in 2016), along with Roxane Gay and Yona Harvey, writing in “World of Wakanda” (2016). Coates and Gay, already best-selling literary writers before coming to the character, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/23/books/black-panther-marvel-comics-roxane-gay-ta-nehisi-coates-wakanda.html?_r=0">helped bring him to wider attention</a> beyond normal comic book fandom, partly paving the way for the movie.</p>
<p>Through all of the improved writing of T'Challa and his world, his spectacular scientific ability has remained prominent. Wakanda continues to be a successful African nation with astonishing science and technology. Furthermore, and very importantly, T'Challa is not portrayed as an anomaly among his people in this regard. There are many great scientists and engineers in the Wakanda of the comics, including his sister Shuri. In some accounts, she (in the continued scientist-ranking business of comics) is an even greater intellect than he is. In the movie, T’Challa’s science and engineering abilities are referred to, but it is his sister Shuri who takes center stage in this role, having taken over to design the new tools and weapons he uses in the field. She also uses Wakandan science to heal wounds that would have been fatal elsewhere in the world.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Black Panther isn’t an isolated genius – his half-sister Shuri is a technological wiz herself.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://collider.com/black-panther-things-to-know/">Marvel Studios</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>If they can do it, then why not me?</h2>
<p>As a scientist who cares about inspiring more people – including underrepresented minorities and women – <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-ways-scientists-can-help-put-science-back-into-popular-culture-84955">to engage with science</a>, I think that showing a little of this scientific landscape in “Black Panther” potentially amplifies the movie’s cultural impact.</p>
<p>Vast audiences see black heroes – both men and women – using their scientific ability to solve problems and make their way in the world, at an unrivaled level. <a href="https://dornsife.usc.edu/daphna-oyserman/identity/">Research has shown</a> that such representation can have a positive effect on the interests, outlook and career trajectories of viewers.</p>
<p>Improving science education for all is a core endeavor in a nation’s competitiveness and overall health, but outcomes are limited if people aren’t inspired to take an interest in science in the first place. There simply are <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/research/aii/research/raceethnicity">not enough images of black scientists</a> – male or female – in our media and entertainment to help inspire. Many people from underrepresented groups end up genuinely believing that scientific investigation is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-8594.2002.tb18217.x">not a career path open to them</a>.</p>
<p>Moreover, many people still see the dedication and study needed to excel in science as “nerdy.” A cultural injection of Black Panther heroics helps continue to erode the crumbling tropes that science is <a href="https://theconversation.com/most-people-think-man-when-they-think-scientist-how-can-we-kill-the-stereotype-42393">only for white men</a> or reserved for <a href="https://theconversation.com/beliefs-about-innate-talent-may-dissuade-students-from-stem-42967">people with a special “science gene.”</a></p>
<p>The huge widespread success of the “Black Panther” movie, showcasing T'Challa, Shuri and other Wakandans as highly accomplished scientists, remains one of the most significant boosts for science engagement in recent times.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This is an updated version of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-superpower-of-black-panther-scientist-role-models-91042">an article originally published</a> on Feb. 8, 2018.</em></p>
<p>
<section class="inline-content">
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248895/original/file-20181204-133100-t34yqm.png?w=128&h=128">
<div>
<header>Clifford V. Johnson is the author of:</header>
<p><a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/dialogues-1">The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe</a></p>
<footer>MIT Press provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.</footer>
</div>
</section>
</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/112268/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>MIT Press provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.</span></em></p>
The film wowed critics and fans. But its hidden power may be black lead characters who are accomplished scientists – just the thing to help inspire future generations to follow in their footsteps.
Clifford Johnson, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/91042
2018-02-08T14:41:44Z
2018-02-08T14:41:44Z
The hidden superpower of ‘Black Panther’: Scientist role models
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205384/original/file-20180207-74473-zbs0ny.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=435%2C4%2C2290%2C1679&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">King of a technologically advanced country, Black Panther is a scientific genius.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://hdqwalls.com/download/3840x2400/black-panther-2018-4k">Marvel Studios</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I’m not the first to say that the upcoming Marvel movie “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/">Black Panther</a>” will be an important landmark. Finally a feature film starring a black superhero character will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – a successful run of intertwined movies that began with “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371746/">Iron Man</a>” in 2008. While there have been other superhero movies with a black lead character – “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448157/">Hancock</a>” (2008), “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120611/">Blade</a>” (1998), “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120177/">Spawn</a>” (1997) or even “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107563/">The Meteor Man</a>” (1993) – this film is significant because of the <a href="https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/the-rise-of-superhero-films/">recent remarkable rise of the superhero film</a> from the nerdish fringe to part of mainstream culture. </p>
<p>Huge audiences will see a black lead character – not a sidekick or part of a team – in a superhero movie by a major studio, with a black director (Ryan Coogler), black writers and a majority black cast. This is a significant step toward diversifying our culture by improving the <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/sites/default/files/Dr_Stacy_L_Smith-Inequality_in_900_Popular_Films.pdf">lackluster representation</a> of minorities in our major media. It’s also a <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/research/aii/research/raceethnicity">filmmaking landmark because black creators</a> have been given access to the resources and platforms needed to bring different storytelling perspectives into our mainstream culture.</p>
<p>Last year’s “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279/">Wonder Woman</a>” forged a similar path. In that case, a major studio finally decided to commit resources to a superhero film headlined by a female character and directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins. Female directors are <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/inclusion-directors-chair">a minority in the movie industry</a>. Jenkins brought a new perspective to this kind of action movie, and there was a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/05/31/why-women-are-crying-when-they-watch-wonder-woman-fight/102328772/">huge positive response from audiences</a> in theaters worldwide. </p>
<p>Above and beyond all this, “Black Panther” also has the potential to break additional ground in a way most people may not realize: In the comics, the character is actually a scientist. Moreover, in the inevitable (and somewhat ridiculous) ranking of scientific prowess that happens in the comic book world, he’s been portrayed as at least the equal of the two most famous “top scientists” in the Marvel universe: Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic). A black headlining superhero character written and directed by black artists is rare enough from a major studio, but having him be a successful scientist as well is another level of rarity.</p>
<h2>Scientists on screen</h2>
<p>I’m a scientist who cares about increased engagement with science by the general public. I’ve worked as <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/film/physicist-dr-clifford-v-johnson-is-a-consultant-on-superhero-movies-8232890">a science adviser on many film and TV projects</a> (though not “Black Panther”). When the opportunity arises, I’ve <a href="https://creativefuture.org/science-advisor-conversation-dr-clifford-johnson/">helped broaden the diversity of scientist characters</a> portrayed onscreen.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jason Wilkes is a black scientist on ‘Agent Carter,’ whose character emerged from the author’s talks with the show’s writers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">ABC Television</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Panels from ‘The Dialogues,’ including a black female scientist.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">'The Dialogues,' by Clifford V. Johnson (MIT Press 2017)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I’ve also recently published a <a href="http://thedialoguesbook.com">nonfiction graphic book</a> for general audiences called “<a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/dialogues-0">The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe</a>.” Its characters include male and female black scientists, discussing aspects of my own field of theoretical physics – where black scientists are <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2017/nsf17310/data.cfm">unfortunately very rare</a>. So the opportunity that the “Black Panther” movie presents to inform and inspire vast audiences is of great interest to me.</p>
<p>The history and evolution of the Black Panther character and his scientific back story is a fascinating example of turning a problematic past into a positive opportunity.</p>
<p>Created in 1966 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he’s the first black superhero character in mainstream comics, <a href="https://comicvine.gamespot.com/fantastic-four-52-introducing-the-sensational-blac/4000-8666/">originally appearing as a guest</a> in a “Fantastic Four” Marvel comic. As a black character created and initially written by nonblack authors, guest-starring in the pages of a book headlined by white characters, he had many of the classic attributes of what is now sometimes controversially known as the “<a href="https://www.salon.com/2010/09/14/magical_negro_trope/">magical negro</a>” in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934707307831">American cultural criticism</a>: He ranked extremely highly in every sphere that mattered, to the point of being almost too unreal even for the comics of the time.</p>
<p>Black Panther is T’Challa, king of the fictional African country Wakanda, which is fathomlessly wealthy and remarkably advanced, scientifically and technologically. Even Marvel’s legendary master scientist - Reed Richards of the superhero team Fantastic Four - is befuddled by and full of admiration for Wakanda’s scientific capabilities. T’Challa himself is portrayed as an extraordinary “genius” in physics and other scientific fields, a peerless tactician, a remarkable athlete and a master of numerous forms of martial arts. And he is noble to a fault. Of course, he grows to become a powerful ally of the Fantastic Four and other Marvel superheroes over many adventures.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">While likening Black Panther to a ‘refugee from a Tarzan movie,’ the Fantastic Four marveled at his technological innovations in ‘Introducing the Sensational Black Panther.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966). [Marvel Comics]</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The key point here is that the superlative scientific ability of our hero, and that of his country, has its origins in the well-meaning, but problematic, practice of inventing near or beyond perfect black characters to support stories starring primarily white protagonists. But this is a lemons-to-lemonade story.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Fantastic Four were amazed by the scientific ingenuity of Wakanda in ‘Whosoever Finds The Evil Eye.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Fantastic Four #54 (September 1966). [Marvel Comics]</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Black Panther (T’Challa) eventually gets to star in his own series of comics. He is turned into a nuanced and complex character, moving well away from the tropes of his beginnings. Writer Don McGregor’s work started this development as early as 1973, but Black Panther’s journey to the multilayered character we’ll see on screen was greatly advanced by the efforts of several writers with diverse perspectives. Perhaps most notably, in the context of the film, these include Christopher Priest (late 1990s) and Ta-Nehisi Coates (starting in 2016), along with Roxane Gay and Yona Harvey, writing in “World of Wakanda” (2016). Coates and Gay, already best-selling literary writers before coming to the character, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/23/books/black-panther-marvel-comics-roxane-gay-ta-nehisi-coates-wakanda.html?_r=0">helped bring him to wider attention</a> beyond normal comic book fandom, partly paving the way for the movie.</p>
<p>Through all of the improved writing of T'Challa and his world, his spectacular scientific ability has remained prominent. Wakanda continues to be a successful African nation with astonishing science and technology. Furthermore, and very importantly, T'Challa is not portrayed as an anomaly among his people in this regard. There are many great scientists and engineers in Wakanda, including his half-sister Shuri. In some accounts, she (in the continued scientist-ranking business of comics) is an even greater intellect than he is.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Black Panther isn’t an isolated genius – his half-sister Shuri is a technological wiz herself.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://collider.com/black-panther-things-to-know/">Marvel Studios</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>If they can do it, then why not me?</h2>
<p>As a scientist who cares about inspiring more people – including underrepresented minorities and women – <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-ways-scientists-can-help-put-science-back-into-popular-culture-84955">to engage with science</a>, I think that if a significant portion of this scientific landscape appears in “Black Panther” it could amplify the movie’s cultural impact.</p>
<p>Vast audiences will see black heroes of both genders using their scientific ability to solve problems and make their way in the world, at an unrivaled level. <a href="https://dornsife.usc.edu/daphna-oyserman/identity/">Research has shown</a> that such representation can have a positive effect on the interests, outlook and career trajectories of viewers.</p>
<p>Improving science education for all is a core endeavor in a nation’s competitiveness and overall health, but outcomes are limited if people aren’t inspired to take an interest in science in the first place. There simply are <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/research/aii/research/raceethnicity">not enough images of black scientists</a> – male or female – in our media and entertainment to help inspire. Many people from underrepresented groups end up genuinely believing that scientific investigation is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-8594.2002.tb18217.x">not a career path open to them</a>.</p>
<p>Moreover, many people still see the dedication and study needed to excel in science as “nerdy.” A cultural injection of Black Panther heroics could help continue to erode the crumbling tropes that science is <a href="https://theconversation.com/most-people-think-man-when-they-think-scientist-how-can-we-kill-the-stereotype-42393">only for white men</a> or reserved for <a href="https://theconversation.com/beliefs-about-innate-talent-may-dissuade-students-from-stem-42967">people with a special “science gene.”</a></p>
<p>Given the widespread anticipation for the upcoming “Black Panther” movie, if it showcases T'Challa and other Wakandans as highly accomplished scientists, it should give science engagement a significant boost worldwide.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91042/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Clifford Johnson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Seeing black lead characters who are accomplished scientists could be just the thing to help inspire future generations to follow in their footsteps.
Clifford Johnson, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/81143
2017-07-17T23:56:59Z
2017-07-17T23:56:59Z
Maryam Mirzakhani was a role model for more than just her mathematics
<p>On July 14, 2017, Maryam Mirzakhani, Stanford professor of mathematics and the only female winner of the prestigious Fields Medal in Mathematics, died at the age of 40. </p>
<p>In just a few hours, her name, both in her native Farsi (#مریم میرزاخانی) and English (#maryammirzakhani), was trending on Twitter and Facebook. <a href="http://ifpnews.com/exclusive/iran-newspaper-front-page-july-16-2017/">Most major news agencies</a> were <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40617094">covering the news</a> of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/16/us/maryam-mirzakhani-dead.html">her death</a> as well as recounting <a href="http://news.stanford.edu/2017/07/15/maryam-mirzakhani-stanford-mathematician-and-fields-medal-winner-dies/">her many achievements</a>.</p>
<p>The grief was especially hard-hitting for a generation of younger academics like me who have always held Maryam as a role model whose example is helping redefine women’s status in science and especially mathematics. </p>
<p>The irony was that Maryam always tried to avoid the media’s spotlight. Her modesty and simplicity despite being the only woman to gain such high status in the world of mathematics – winning what’s often called the “Nobel Prize of math” – stood out to those who knew her.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to meet Maryam personally. But like many of my Iranian peers in academia, I looked to her example as proof that the world would welcome us and our scientific contributions no matter our skin color, nationality or religion. </p>
<p>As people around the globe grieve the loss of this talented mathematician, Maryam’s life stands as an inspiration for young girls and boys from all walks of life the world over.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/swLWqlKMl5M?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Maryam Mirzakhani in her own words in a video by the Simons Foundation and the International Mathematical Union.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Steady advances of a hardworking genius</h2>
<p>Despite her calm expression and warm smile, Maryam was a warrior. She and her family, alongside many other Iranians, lived through the hard economic and social transformations after the Iran revolution in 1979 and also survived the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war a few years after that.</p>
<p>Maryam originally wanted to be a writer, a passion of hers that never faded away even during her postgraduate studies. However, she found an even greater joy in how rewarding it felt to solve mathematical problems. As a student, she was the first female member of Iran’s national team to participate in the International Math Olympiad, and she <a href="https://www.imo-official.org/participant_r.aspx?id=926">won two gold medals</a> in two consecutive years – still a record.</p>
<p>She received her bachelor’s degree from Sharif University of Technology in Iran and later a doctorate from Harvard. In 2014, Maryam was <a href="https://theconversation.com/meet-the-winners-of-the-fields-medal-the-nobel-prize-of-maths-30411">recognized with the Fields Medal</a>, the highest-ranking award in mathematics, for her efforts in what’s known as <a href="https://theconversation.com/corals-crochet-and-the-cosmos-how-hyperbolic-geometry-pervades-the-universe-53382">hyperbolic geometry</a>. Her work focused on curved surfaces – such as spheres or donut shapes – and how to understand their properties. Her achievements have applications in other fields of science including quantum field theory, engineering and material science, and could even influence theories around how our universe was born.</p>
<p>Maryam was a “hall of fame” all by herself. She modestly attributed her own success to her perseverance, hard work and patience. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/aug/13/interview-maryam-mirzakhani-fields-medal-winner-mathematician">As she put it</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The beauty of mathematics only shows itself to more patient followers.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Unfortunately, when she was honored with the Fields Medal, she was already tackling her last challenge, the breast cancer that eventually killed her.</p>
<h2>Who she was, not just what she did, matters</h2>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/maryam-mirzakhanis-success-showed-us-the-challenges-women-in-maths-still-face-81193">Maryam’s contributions</a> to the field of mathematics will long be remembered. But just as important is her legacy as a role model. </p>
<p>Maryam was an Iranian, a woman and an immigrant to the United States. Unfortunately, these three words together raise red flags for some in Western countries, particularly in the U.S., in the time of <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/trump-travel-ban-35583">Trump’s proposed travel ban</a>. </p>
<p>Against all odds, Maryam’s talent was nurtured in Iran and later flourished in the U.S. Her successes discredit the xenophobic stereotypes that are encouraged by a politics of fear. Maryam defied expectations and rose above all the labels that make it easy to judge others who are not like “us.”</p>
<p>Maryam’s legend may continue to grow after her early death. Still only 20 percent of full-time math faculty at U.S. universities are women, <a href="http://www.ams.org/profession/data/annual-survey/demographics">according to a 2015 demographic survey</a> of 213 departments by the American Mathematical Society. Research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684312459328">stereotyped role models can influence</a> whether people “see themselves” in certain STEM careers. The example of a woman who rose to the top of this still very male field may help inspire math’s next generation. </p>
<p>In the same way people think of Marie Curie or Jane Goodall as scientific pioneers, Maryam Mirzakhani will go down in history as a trailblazer as well as a mathematical genius.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81143/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mehrdokht (Medo) Pournader does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Mirzakhani blazed to the top of her field due to her talent. But who she was and where she came from also make her a role model for those from underrepresented demographics in the world of math.
Mehrdokht (Medo) Pournader, Senior lecturer at The University of Melbourne, The University of Melbourne
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/39904
2015-04-23T09:58:23Z
2015-04-23T09:58:23Z
Ban on affirmative action in medicine will hurt all
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/78986/original/image-20150422-1918-29yxbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A racially diverse medical workforce leads to better quality of care.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&language=en&ref_site=photo&search_source=search_form&version=llv1&anyorall=all&safesearch=1&use_local_boost=1&search_tracking_id=N9kJvb0zkULOw8e_FuhPbg&searchterm=doctors%20%20black&show_color_wheel=1&orient=&commercial_ok=&media_type=images&search_cat=&searchtermx=&photographer_name=&people_gender=&people_age=&people_ethnicity=&people_number=&color=&page=1&inline=151335629">Physician image via www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>With widely <a href="http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqrdr11/qrdr11.html">documented health disparities</a>, the US is facing a real crisis when it comes to the health of its racial and ethnic minorities. </p>
<p>Studies have shown that minority patients <a href="http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/diversityreviewevidence.pdf">receive better care</a> when physicians are from a similar racial or ethnic background. Medical schools have always <a href="http://escholarship.org/uc/item/0qt8d0j8?query=affirmative%20action;hitNum=1#page-9">defended affirmative action policies</a>, based on this compelling need for racial diversity.</p>
<p>However, with <a href="http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/affirmative-action-state-action.aspx">eight states</a> banning affirmative action, via ballot initiatives and other measures, a new trend is emerging across the nation which will have long-term consequences on racial and ethnic diversity in higher education. </p>
<p>More than that, it will have serious consequences on health care efforts as it hurts the ability to have more racially and ethnically diverse physicians that could better address the health disparities in the US. </p>
<p>A research project I led shows how these statewide bans have led to a drop in the already underrepresented students of color at medical schools. This research is a follow up to my earlier one showing an overall decline in the percentage of minority students coming to graduate schools, which also impacts the pipeline to medical schools. </p>
<h2>Impact of affirmative action bans</h2>
<p>In our <a href="http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/journal_of_higher_education/v086/86.2.garces.html">study of medical school enrollments</a>, we examined the impact of bans in six states: California, Washington, Michigan, Nebraska, Florida, and Texas (the <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/07/16/appeals-court-upholds-u-texas-affirmative-action-policy">ban in Texas is no longer in place</a>). </p>
<p>We don’t include bans in the states of Arizona, New Hampshire and Oklahoma, as they had been enacted only recently.</p>
<p>The bans were implemented either through voter initiatives, or executive orders, or court cases, as was the <a href="http://civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/research/college-access/affirmative-action/the-hopwood-decision-in-texas-as-an-attack-on-latino-access-to-selective-higher-education-programs/chapa-hopwood-decision-97.pdf">case in Texas</a>, known more famously as the Hopwood decision, in which Texas colleges
and universities were prohibited from taking race into consideration during admissions.</p>
<p>We analyzed data from 19 years – 1993-2011, allowing us to cover four years before the implementation of the first ban in Texas and three years since the most recent ban in Nebraska.</p>
<p>While these laws apply to public institutions in the states, in our analysis we looked at the potential impact on private schools as well. </p>
<p>We did this considering it was possible that students would choose to enroll at private schools instead of public ones in states with bans or at medical schools in states that still allowed for the consideration of race as a factor in admissions. </p>
<p>We found that following these bans, underrepresented students of color at public medical schools dropped by about 3.2 percentage points.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/78973/original/image-20150422-1837-4u2frt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/78973/original/image-20150422-1837-4u2frt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/78973/original/image-20150422-1837-4u2frt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/78973/original/image-20150422-1837-4u2frt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/78973/original/image-20150422-1837-4u2frt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/78973/original/image-20150422-1837-4u2frt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/78973/original/image-20150422-1837-4u2frt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Physicians develop more competence in environments of racial and ethnic diversity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&language=en&ref_site=photo&search_source=search_form&version=llv1&anyorall=all&safesearch=1&use_local_boost=1&search_tracking_id=vbHi_Dl7EwHJwpkeIL782Q&searchterm=doctor%20black&show_color_wheel=1&orient=&commercial_ok=&media_type=images&search_cat=&searchtermx=&photographer_name=&people_gender=&people_age=&people_ethnicity=&people_number=&color=&page=1&inline=102138118">Doctor image via www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So, if you took a four-year average across the states, as we did, the percentage of students of color who matriculated at public medical schools was about 18.5%. Our findings, showing a a 3.2 percentage-point decline, meant that this had dropped to about 15.3% during the period we looked at.</p>
<p>In other words, before bans on affirmative action, for every 100 students matriculated in medical schools in states with bans, there were 18 students of color, whereas after the ban, for every 100 students matriculated, about 15 were students of color.</p>
<p>You might think that this is not a very large difference. But in my view, it’s a very important decline that seriously hurts efforts in the field of medicine to become more racially and ethnically diverse.</p>
<p>I believe such a decline has negative consequences for the ability of medicine to address health disparities, improve quality of care, provide better treatment and to have healthier populations. </p>
<h2>Decline in diversity of graduate schools</h2>
<p>My previous research too showed a decline in the racial/ethnic diversity in <a href="http://cue.usc.edu/racial%20diversity.pdf">graduate</a> education and across different <a href="http://aer.sagepub.com/content/50/2/251.full.pdf+html?ijkey=Bzu6u6tV6z2xc&keytype=ref&siteid=spaer">fields of study</a>, including engineering, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. These bans have also led to <a href="http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/REST_a_00170#.VSXFQTvF-Os">declines in racial/ethnic diversity at selective colleges</a> that often form the pipeline to medical schools. </p>
<p>States with affirmative action bans host 35% of the nation’s research-ranked public medical schools and 29% of primary-care ranked public medical schools. Given this substantial proportion of medical schools, the action in these six states have national repercussions. </p>
<p>We also need to consider that despite gains over the last few decades, historically underrepresented students of color, like Africans Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans, are already underrepresented in medical schools, relative to their proportion of the US population. </p>
<p>While about 17% of the US population is Latino and 13% is African-American, these groups <a href="https://www.aamc.org/download/321540/data/factstable31.pdf">made up only 4% and 6%</a>, respectively, of the total US medical school enrollment in 2014. </p>
<p>All this has consequences for physician competence and health care. There is <a href="http://www.pubfacts.com/detail/25719675/Dimensions-of-Diversity-and-Perception-of-Having-Learned-From-Individuals-From-Different-Backgrounds">a strong association between racial diversity</a> of medical school students and their ability to handle cultural differences, attitudes towards access to care and plans to serve communities that are under-served. </p>
<p>For these reasons, a racially diverse medical workforce improves access and quality of care and in turn, health outcomes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/39904/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Liliana M. Garces received funding for this study from the W.E. Upjohn Institute Early Career Grant in 2012. </span></em></p>
Ban on affirmative action across eight states has led to a drop in minority students at medical schools.
Liliana M. Garces, Assistant Professor of Education , Penn State
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.