Increasing Female STEM Representation Via Environment

New research from Cornell University suggests that colleges and universities might be able to improve the representation of women in STEM fields by playing up the relation of those fields to the environment. This study suggests that new and emerging fields of study, when framed outside of existing gender divisions, may transcend established gender divisions and be characterized by greater gender integration in both STEM and non-STEM disciplines. The results imply that green programs are promoting greater gender equality across the higher education system, underscoring the effect of the organizational structure of higher education, such as the structure of fields of study available to students, on gender segregation in the academy.

Gelbgiser, D. & Albert, K. (2017). Green for all? Gender segregation and green fields of study in American higher education. Social Problems. https://dx.doi.org/ doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spx019