2021/02/10 by Serena Canaan, Pierre Mouganie · 62 citations
Engineering · Psychology · #Computer science #Education, Achievement, and Giftedness #Engineering #Library science #Persistence (discontinuity) #Psychology #Sociology
paper · doi:10.3368/jhr.58.4.0320-10796r2
published in The Journal of Human Resources 58(2), 593-632 (University of Wisconsin Press)
openalex publication_date 2021/02/10 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
To reduce the gender gap in science fields, policymakers often propose providing women with mentoring by female scientists. However, there is no clear evidence on whether one-on-one mentor gender influences women's STEM participation. We exploit a unique setting where students are randomly assigned to academic advisors—who are also faculty members—in their freshman year of college. Advisors help students select courses and decide on a major. We find that having a female rather than a male science advisor substantially increases the likelihood that women enroll and graduate with STEM degrees. A nonscience advisor's gender has no impact on students' major choice.