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CULTIVATING SCIENTISTS:THE ROLE OF A GATEKEEPER ON STEM TRAINING IN GEORGIA

Abstract

This study examines the practices of one STEM educator who shaped STEM pathways for underrepresented students in Georgia. Centering the career of Dr. X, a pioneering STEM educator and tenured Professor of Biological Sciences with 46 years at an HBCU in Georgia. Our research highlights his extensive influence as Dean of Faculty, Dean of the School of Education, international STEM consultant, and author of more than 50 externally funded grants. Across his career, Dr. X developed and led academic training programs that served thousands of underrepresented students in the state of Georgia from elementary school through graduate study, as well as pre-service and in-service teachers. Using storytelling as a critical race methodology, this research investigates how Dr. X identified systemic gaps and created transformative STEM learning experiences. Two signature programs anchor this analysis: the Program for Research Integration and Support for Matriculation to the Doctorate (PRISM-D) and the Saturday Science Academy. These initiatives illuminate the instructional practices, mentoring strategies, and institutional interventions that contributed to cultivating sustained interest, preparation, and persistence among underrepresented STEM learners. Further, this research aims to articulate the specific pedagogical and programmatic practices Dr. X employed to support underrepresented students’ STEM trajectories and to expand the literature on STEM education in Georgia. His narrative also provides broader insights into his role as a “compassionate gatekeeper” a faculty leader who intentionally creates supportive, equitable environments for historically underrepresented students in STEM fields. Collectively, this work offers research-informed insights, practitioner strategies, and a call for institutional leaders to recognize and support the efforts of HBCU STEM gatekeepers. Their longstanding commitment to cultivating talent across the K–20 continuum remains essential to advancing STEM education in Georgia.

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