MOTIVATION
Data collected by OXIDE show that the demographics of chemists in academia are not reflective of the diverse population in the United States. Furthermore, data collected by the American Chemical Society show that the population of students receiving a bachelor's degree in chemistry is more diverse than the staff and faculty in chemistry departments. This suggests that people who hold one or more marginalized identities have experiences in their chemistry journey that cause them to leave or prevent them from pursuing academic careers in chemistry.
This project is driven by both a moral and practical imperative. We (the research team) believe that everyone should have access to an education and career in chemistry. Chemistry is an exciting field that contributes meaningfully to everything around us; from materials to energy to health, chemistry plays a role (see Science Briefs posted by the American Chemical Society for updates on the most recent contributions from chemists). Everyone should have access to this knowledge and way of thinking, and we are interested in learning about and removing barriers that prohibit such access.
The field of chemistry can benefit from more chemists with varied perspectives and experiences (Thuo et al., 2024). It has been well established that novel ideas and solutions to complex problems benefit from greater diversity; to remain competitive in the scientific enterprise, the United States must support increased diversity in scientific teams, including in chemistry.
UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURE OF CHEMISTRY
It is essential to learn more about current experiences in chemistry to understand why people stay and thrive or leave. To that end, we are interested in studying the culture of chemistry. We define culture as the implicit values, assumptions, and beliefs that give rise to more explicit practices, behaviors, and structures (Schein, 2010). Culture shapes how we think and what we do in more ways than we realize.
The culture of chemistry project involves interviewing people who have been historically excluded due to ethnicity or race (PEERs) to learn more about their experiences with chemistry culture. From these interviews, the research team is learning more about what is valued and practiced in chemistry.
If you identify as a PEER in chemistry, we would love to interview you! Please reach out to Courtney (courtney.ngai@colostate.edu) for more information. You will be compensated for your time.
HIGHLIGHTING CHEMISTS' STORIES
The initiative to highlight chemists' stories, particularly those from PEERs, represents an important step toward transforming chemistry education and professional environments. By documenting and sharing their journeys in chemistry, we illuminate the complex intersections of identity, academic experience, and professional development. These stories demonstrate how PEERs' unique perspectives, knowledge, and distinct journeys enrich the field of chemistry while highlighting the vital role of supportive networks in fostering success. Most importantly, they challenge stereotypes about who can succeed in chemistry, provide crucial insights for institutional reform, and speak to the often-overlooked challenges faced by PEER chemists.
Acknowledgments
First, we would like to thank the participants and supporters of this project. The project’s direction and content has benefited immensely from a large group of people - whether you consented to an interview or asked reflective questions over coffee, we couldn’t do this without you.
We also gratefully acknowledge funding from National Science Foundation CAREER award 2146363 that enabled us to spend time on this work. This grant funding was unfortunately terminated in May 2025, midway through the project. This work has been approved by the Colorado State University IRB 4797, and we acknowledge and thank our CSU colleagues at TILT and beyond who have helped us compensate our participants, hire our student researchers, and given us resources and encouragement along the way.