A collective narrative of Ball State women in STEM on incidents of gender discrimination during their career and/or education

Women in science, math, engineering, and technology (STEM) fields have long been a minority, especially Black women, Indigenous women, and Women of Color (BIPOC). Previous research shows that BIPOC women often have different experiences in STEM than compared to white women in STEM. A survey was sent to women in STEM fields of work, research, and study in the Ball State community. This survey was designed to collect quantitative data on the beliefs of discrimination in STEM fields from women-identifying individuals as well as offering a confidential space for these women to tell their incidents of discrimination. Data collected from 78 undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors show that white women are less likely to believe in racial/ethnic and gender-based discrimination than BIPOC women, showing the differences in experiences of women in STEM based on racial identity. This data also shows that respondents, regardless of race, found that Ball State was less likely to have gender-based discrimination in STEM fields compared o STEM fields overall.