Women of color in the United States—women who are African American, Asian American, Latina, Native American, and mixed race/ethnicity—have long been considered valuable sources of talent to fill US workforce needs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, they are an understudied group, and they are severely underrepresented in most STEM disciplines in America. Dr. Ong will discuss her research on intersectionality for women of color, identifying common sources of isolation and microaggressions that contribute to their underrepresentation. She will also describe individual and institutional strategies to increase their participation, retention, and advancement in STEM higher education and careers.  

About Dr. Ong
Maria (Mia) Ong, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Scientist and Evaluator at the Technical Education Research Centers, Inc. (TERC), a STEM education research organization in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is also the Founder and Director of Project SEED (Science and Engineering Equity and Diversity), a social justice collaborative affiliated with The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. For twenty years, she has conducted empirical research focusing on minority women in higher education and careers in STEM and has led evaluations of several STEM diversity and inclusion programs. Dr. Ong’s work has appeared in reports to U.S. Congress and to the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as in journals such as Social Problems and Harvard Educational Review. She has given over 75 keynote addresses and invited talks worldwide. Between 1996 and 2000, she directed an undergraduate physics program for minorities and women at the University of California at Berkeley; for this work, she was a co-recipient of a U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. Dr. Ong has served on a number of national advisory committees, including the Center for Gender Equity in Science and Engineering and the National Science Foundation’s Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering. She holds a Ph.D. in Social and Cultural Studies in Education from U.C. Berkeley. 

Free and open to the public. Reception to follow.

Presented in collaboration with the Annenberg Institute for School Reform.