Due to long-term and systemic issues leading to the consistent exclusion of African-Americans in physics and astronomy, a task force is recommending sweeping changes and calling for awareness into the number and experiences of African-American students studying the fields, reports EurekaAlert.org.
The national Task Force to Elevate African-American representation in Undergraduate Physics & Astronomy, known as TEAM-UP, was chartered and funded by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) to examine the persistent underrepresentation of African-Americans in physics and astronomy in the U.S.
In its report, “The Time Is Now: Systemic Changes to Increase African-Americans with Bachelor’s Degrees in Physics and Astronomy,” the task force discusses the five factors it discovered as responsible for the success or failure of African-American students in physics and astronomy: belonging, physics identity, academic support, personal support and leadership and structures.
The report was released Jan. 5 at the 235th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“It was important for AIP to bring together experts from physics, astronomy and the social sciences to investigate and recommend solutions toward increasing the number of African-American students in our field,” said Michael Moloney, chief executive officer of AIP. “AIP and its member societies are committed to promoting increased diversity, equity and inclusion in the physical sciences. I hope the recommendations in this task force report are taken seriously and enthusiastically implemented to achieve our goals.”
TEAM-UP’s two-year investigation included student and faculty surveys, in-person interviews with African-American students and site visits to high-performing physics departments in colleges and universities.
The report is calling for a new way of thinking to solve this persistent problem, and it outlines research findings into each of the five factors with recommended changes to address issues within the factors. Recognizing that the underlying norms, values and culture of the profession need to be addressed before lasting changes can occur, the report provides a detailed guide for faculty, departments and professional societies to understand and manage the necessary change processes.
Some of the report’s highest priority recommendations concern change management. According to the TEAM-UP report, “The persistent underrepresentation of African-Americans in physics and astronomy is due to (1) the lack of a supportive environment for these students in many departments, and (2) the enormous financial challenges facing them and the programs that have consistently demonstrated the best practices in supporting their success. Solving these problems requires addressing systemic and cultural issues and creating a large-scale change management framework.”
While African-American physics and astronomy students have the same drive, motivation, intellect and capability as students of other races and ethnicities, the task force found many students are choosing other degree fields that are more supportive and financially rewarding. The TEAM-UP task force wants to at least double the number of bachelor’s degrees in physics and astronomy awarded to African-Americans by 2030 and calls on departments and professional societies, working with funding agencies, foundations and donors, to commit to achieving this goal.
