Angela Google

Postdoc, Science/Biology Education Research

[Angela Google @AngelaGoogle2]

Gave a talk at ECR PI Meeting on STEM Doctoral Pathways and Trainee Experiences. Thanks for the great turnout! - via #Whova event app

[Elizabeth Barnes @lizard_barnacle]

We talked to Black students because most are contending with at least two cultural identities that are stigmatized in science: Blackness & Christianity. Black graduate students identify as Christian at twice the rate (61%) of any other racial/ethnic group in academic biology.

[Elizabeth Barnes @lizard_barnacle]

In interviews, students described feeling isolated based on both their race and religion. They described concealing their religion around their mentors, peers, and colleagues in biology as a way to avoid negative impressions of their Christianity.

[Elizabeth Barnes @lizard_barnacle]

Despite these feelings of stigmatization, students reconciled their religious and science identities. They still saw their religion as a strength in their scientific pursuits, not a weakness.

[Elizabeth Barnes @lizard_barnacle]

They described drawing on their religious faith as a source of strength to persist through the difficulties of graduate school and doing science. They described religion as enhancing their awe of studying the natural world, not diminishing it.

[Elizabeth Barnes @lizard_barnacle]

These results suggest that conflict between religion and science may contribute to negative experiences of Black students even though they draw on their religion as a source of support and inspiration for doing and learning science.

[Elizabeth Barnes @lizard_barnacle]

Just like many of our participants, we suggest that the culture of biology could be more welcoming to religious students. While there are narrow areas of real conflict between religion & science, there are also many areas of potential compatibility.

[Elizabeth Barnes @lizard_barnacle]

We are incredibly grateful to our participants for being willing to share their vulnerabilities and experiences with us. A special shout out to lead author @AngelaGoogle2 who spear headed this in her last year of grad school and first year of her post-doc!

[Elizabeth Barnes @lizard_barnacle]

Recognizing that potential compatibility could make academic biology more inclusive for students and may ultimately help mitigate tension between science & society about religion.

[Elizabeth Barnes @lizard_barnacle]

Does conflict between religion & science negatively impact students’ experiences? In collab w/ @AngelaGoogle2 @brownell_sara, the SPS lab published a new study in JRST exploring the experiences of Black Christian graduate students studying biology... (1/x) https://t.co/65ZzqooGmj

[Angela Google @AngelaGoogle2]

@GrantGardner19 @BrockCouch1 Congratulations 🎉 Brock!!

[MTSU Biology @mtsu_biology]

Newly published lit review paper from the doctoral research of @AngelaGoogle2, co-chaired by @GrantGardner19 and @ASGrinath, focused on undergrad students' approaches to learning biology. Angela is currently a post-doc at @UofSouthAlabama. #mtsusciences
https://t.co/SfbKdNVP67

[Angela Google @AngelaGoogle2]

@stacijinsc Thank you Staci

[Elizabeth Barnes @lizard_barnacle]

To improve the experiences of Black Christian grad students in #Biology, our research group is conducting interviews with students who hold these identities.@AngelaGoogle2 will do 1hr interviews with a monetary incentive. Please sign up here and retweet! https://t.co/u01Lkc0SAb

[Angela Google @AngelaGoogle2]

@GrantGardner19 Thanks Grant

[Angela Google @AngelaGoogle2]

@GrantGardner19 Thanks