The education system in the United States produces and advances substantially fewer women than men in most Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) fields. Under representation of women in the sciences resists explanation in part because the social networks that provide access to resources and direct participation are complex and opaque. This project seeks to open the “black box” of how social and professional networks mediate the conversion of women’s qualifications to career outcomes. The primary project objective is to address the question:

How and why do networks matter for women’s career outcomes in science and engineering?