Campus Location
Dallas Campus (Online)
Date of Award
3-2026
ORCID
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8193-1201
Document Type
Dissertation
Department
Organizational Leadership
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
John J. Kellmayer I
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Karmyn L. Downs
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Ana M. Gomez de Torres
Abstract
The use of social incongruence in the film Hidden Figures, which juxtaposed with STEM education as the most powerful in contrast with Black women as the least powerful, supported the argument for the specific problem of practice to examine the unmet need for socially and ethnically diverse student populations in U.S. STEM higher education and careers. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological research study was to identify and analyze the lived experiences of Black women regarding barriers they perceive in the STEM educational and career decision-making processes, while exploring transformational pathways to STEM academic success. The study specifically analyzed how Black women code-switched in engineering and computer science workspaces to dissociate themselves from negative stereotypes regarding their intersectional identities based on culture, gender, and race. The target population comprised 15–20 students from predominantly White institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, and 2-year community colleges. Twenty-two candidates signed the federally required consent forms. Purposive and snowball sampling identified 12 Black women enrolled as undergraduates or who graduated from an NSF STEM Core Expansion pathway. Open-ended questions guided the interviews, which were recorded via Zoom audio-only, transcribed, and member-checked for trustworthiness and validity. The participants’ words were transcribed verbatim to capture vivid feelings, thus discovering the participants’ voices. Data collection focused on the participants’ rich, thick descriptions. NVivo coding cycles and a thematic analysis resulted in six overarching themes. Also, a culturally responsive expert panel reviewed the semistructured interview guide to ensure credibility.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Evans Martinez Alvarez, Lizzie L., "Exploring the Lived Experiences of Black Women in Undergraduate STEM Core Expansion Pathways" (2026). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 992.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/992
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