Texas State University's researcher of the week is Shetay Ashford-Hanserd. An assistant professor in the Department of Organization, Workforce and Leadership Studies, Dr. Ashford-Hanserd is honored for winning a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grant.
The CAREER program is a National Science Foundation-wide activity that offers awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education, to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization, and to build a foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research.
"Dr. Shetay Ashford-Hanserd has been awarded the NSF's Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grant," tweeted TXST News, the official source for Texas State University news. "The five-year, $843,000 award, will support Black & Hispanic women entering #STEM fields of study."
.@DrShetay Ashford-Hanserd has been awarded the @NSF's Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grant. The five-year, $843,000 award, will support Black & Hispanic women entering #STEM fields of study. @TxStateOWLS https://t.co/W1FSDOvjow pic.twitter.com/jsM6xwtEUU
— TXST News (@txst_news) January 29, 2021
"I am committed to not only informing the academic community about my findings but also industry and community activists to equip them with tools and resources to aid in closing the STEM equity gap and diversifying the STEM workforce in our Texas Innovation Corridor," she said.
The Effects of Community Cultural Wealth on Persistence of Black and Hispanic Women in the P-20 Computing Workforce Pipeline in Texas
Few studies have considered the role of community cultural wealth on the persistence of Black and Hispanic women and girls in computing.
Not only will findings from this study contribute to research in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, but it will also develop professional development workshops, and an annual conference will build capacity for K-16 educators, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders in formal and informal settings to positively impact the persistence of Black and Hispanic youth in STEM and computing.
Participants in the study include a national cohort of students enrolled in computer science coursework and degree programs from eighth grade through undergraduate study. Project goals include contributions to the knowledge base on the influence of community cultural wealth on persistence in computing education and the workforce in the United States and a robust compilation of quantitative and qualitative data that can be used to study educational and career trajectories for women in computing.
Prior to joining Texas State, Dr. Ashford-Hanserd worked in the tech industry with Fortune 500 corporations such as General Electric, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Dell Computers. Additionally, she gained experience as continuing education and university instructor and a project manager of a longitudinal, mixed-methods research study, which was funded by the National Science Foundation.
