The Missouri University of Science & Technology (S&T) ADVANCE Adaptation project aims to increase the representation of women, especially women from underrepresented racial-ethnic groups, across faculty ranks and leadership positions at Missouri S&T. The university’s considerable output of engineering graduates influences the diversity of the national engineering workforce. Increasing the representation of women faculty at Missouri S&T has the potential to transform what it means to become an engineer to citizens in the region and make Missouri S&T a true destination of choice for all. The specific goals of the project are to address underlying barriers to women’s recruitment and advancement identified in a self-study, namely:

1. Cultivate an inclusive climate
2. Interrupt and address gender bias
3. Facilitate equitable access to and distribution of resources and opportunities.

The project aims to achieve these goals by adapting evidence-based strategies from prior ADVANCE projects to the unique STEM-focused and rural context of Missouri S&T. It will apply an intersectional lens by adapting activities and measuring outcomes in ways that consider the gender, race-ethnicity, and rank of program participants and beneficiaries. These adaptions will allow tests of the generalizability of prior ADVANCE strategies to unique contexts and diverse identities.

Click here to see our 2023 Year in Review