Strengthening the computing research pipeline through minority participation: The case for undergraduate research experiences

Abstract

There is growing concern about the supply of computing graduates who intend to pursue research careers. A pool of talent from which future computing research professionals could be drawn are underrepresented racial-ethnic minority (REM) students (e.g., African Americans and Hispanics), who comprise a growing share of the college-age population but are disproportionately represented at higher levels of the computing research pipeline. This paper explores how undergraduate research experiences may improve the graduate degree intentions of computing undergraduates. Findings suggest that minority status is related to increased intentions to pursue graduate study in computing among all students, and this association is strongest for REM students. Further analyses reveal that psychosocial skills and behaviors that are attained through undergraduate research explain this relationship. These results contribute to the growing literature that seeks to identify which contexts and interventions are effective in improving REM students' intentions for graduate study and capacity for research careers.