Exploring Underrepresented STEM Undergraduates' STEM Identity Development: The Role of Social Partners

This dissertation employs a three-study qualitative design to investigate the role of mentorship and social interaction in the identity development of racial minority undergraduate students in STEM disciplines. Grounded in Communities of Practice theory, this research amplifies student narratives to elucidate the relational and contextual factors that inform science identity, belonging, competence, and persistence in higher education. Study One draws upon interview data from fifteen participants in the BUILD program to analyze the role of recognition, particularly from expert scientists--in students' science identity development. This study aims to understand how racial and ethnic identity intersections influence the processes and impact of mentor recognition. Study Two explores the mentor attributes and practices that shape the science identity trajectories of Latine STEM undergraduates. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with eleven students at an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution in the Pacific Northwest, this study examines how faculty mentorship facilitates or constrains students' engagement, felt competence, and sense of belonging within scientific communities. Study Three investigates the influence of peer interactions on the persistence of Latine students in STEM fields. Employing the same dataset as Study One, this study extends the Communities of Practice framework to examine how peer networks and practices function as affordances or barriers to identity development and academic continuity. Collectively, these studies aim to generate a student-informed "mentor manual" that offers empirically grounded recommendations for faculty and institutional programs to enhance mentoring practices. By centering the lived experiences of minority students, this dissertation contributes to a more nuanced understanding of identity development in STEM and advances equity-oriented strategies to support the success of underrepresented populations in higher education.