Gonzalez, P., & Flores, B. C., & An, S., & Smith, K. H. (2025, June), BOARD # 350: Degree Attainment and Social Mobility of STEM Students at Two Hispanic Majority Institutions  Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/55720

\bibitem{asee_peer_55720}
  Gonzalez, P., \& Flores, B. C., \& An, S., \& Smith, K. H. (2025, June), \emph{BOARD \# 350: Degree Attainment and Social Mobility of STEM Students at Two Hispanic Majority Institutions}
  Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada .
  https://peer.asee.org/55720

Pilar Gonzalez, Benjamin C. Flores, Song An, and Karime H Smith.  "BOARD # 350: Degree Attainment and Social Mobility of STEM Students at Two Hispanic Majority Institutions".  2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada , 2025, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2025.  https://peer.asee.org/55720 Internet.  19 Aug, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_55720}
  Pilar Gonzalez, Benjamin C. Flores, Song An, and Karime H Smith.
  "BOARD \# 350: Degree Attainment and Social Mobility of STEM Students at Two Hispanic Majority Institutions".
  \emph{2025 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada , 2025, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2025.
  https://peer.asee.org/55720 Internet.  19 Aug, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_55720
author = "Pilar Gonzalez, Benjamin C. Flores, Song An, and Karime H Smith"
title = "BOARD \# 350: Degree Attainment and Social Mobility of STEM Students at Two Hispanic Majority Institutions"
booktitle = "2025 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition "
year = "2025"
month = "June"
address = "Montreal, Quebec, Canada "
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/55720}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Hispanic-serving institutions have a significant impact on the students and communities they serve. This study, which followed former students from Hispanic-majority institutions who participated in a summer undergraduate research experience between 2019 and 2023, is of utmost importance. As alumni graduated with a STEM degree and entered the workforce, they reported on their K-12 preparation, academic support, obstacles that extended their time to degree, transition to the workforce, and the impact higher education had on their intragenerational socio-economic status. The methodology for this study follows a mixed-methods approach that includes separate sets of online surveys and interviews on degree completion and social mobility. One of the goals of this research is to underscore the critical role of social mobility in the academic and professional success of Hispanic students in STEM disciplines. A second goal is to understand Hispanic students' challenges while they pursue their STEM degrees, particularly for students who transfer from community colleges who see extended time to degree. 

Currently, there is limited work on intragenerational social mobility as it applies to Hispanic STEM students. We hope to spark further research and broaden our understanding of social mobility in this context. In addition, by researching the challenges the students face while navigating their academic ecosystems, this project contributes to research that points to ways to build better STEM pathways for nontraditional students. The results of this work, which are crucial for advancing our understanding, should inform the research community how HSIs committed to access to education can increase graduation rates, reduce time to degree, promote the development of professional identities, and benefit from economic mobility.
AU  - Pilar Gonzalez
AU  - Benjamin C. Flores
AU  - Song An
AU  - Karime H Smith
CY  - Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
DA  - 2025/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - BOARD # 350: Degree Attainment and Social Mobility of STEM Students at Two Hispanic Majority Institutions
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/55720
ER  -