Lead a NAVIGATE Training
9/16/21

Case study training materials developed through The NAVIGATE Project are now available for use at your institution or organization. 

A Case Study Approach to Navigating Gender Bias
9/16/21

The NAVIGATE Project applies the case study method for training women graduate students on recognizing and navigating complex gender issues in STEM disciplines.

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Overcoming barriers

to advance women in STEM careers nationwide

Equipping women

with the skills needed to navigate bias, inequity or discrimination in the workforce

Applying a case study approach

proven to develop analytical and problem-solving skills

Addressing a national priority

to grow and diversify the STEM workforce

About NAVIGATE

The NAVIGATE Project, supported by a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship award in the Innovations of Graduate Education Track, is a past program that aims to increase women STEM graduates who persist in their chosen disciplines, and achieve leadership roles.

Learn more about NAVIGATE>

Meet the Research Team

  • Laurene M. Tumiel Berhalter.
    4/15/24

    Laurene M. Tumiel Berhalter, Co-Principal Investigator

    Specialty/Research Interests: Chronic Disease and Multimorbidity, Health Disparities, Patient Self-management, Translational Research in Communities, Translational Research in Practice

  • Coleen Carrigan.
    4/10/24

    Coleen M. Carrigan, Principal Investigator

    Specialty/Research interests: Critical race feminist theory, Cultural anthropology, Science and technology studies, Medical anthropology, Ethnography, Action research, Class theory, Intersectionality, Engineering education, Critical methodologies, Broadening participation, Diversity

  • Nancy Schiller.
    4/15/24

    Nancy A. Schiller, Co-Principal Investigator

    Specialty/Research Interests: Academic science librarianship; scientific scholarly communication; case based pedagogy; science education

  • Glenna Bett.
    11/15/17

    Glenna Bett, Co-Principal Investigator

    Specialty/Research Interests: Ion channel biophysics; drug-channel interactions; cellular electrophysiology; mathematical modelling; Biotech Startups

  • Liesl Folks.
    4/15/24

    Liesl Folks, Principal Investigator

    Specialty/Research Interests: Materials design and innovation, technology transfer cycle optimization, nanostructured magnetic materials and spin-electronic devices, data storage, random access memories, access and participation in STEM.

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NAVIGATE Project in the News

Case Studies

  • Pei Wu - Running Out of Time
    3/21/23
    A graduate student is assigned to work in the lab with a male PhD student from a different cultural background who seems to lack respect for her and her career path and may be actively working against her.
  • Michelle and the Grant Proposal
    3/21/23
    An early-career faculty member tries to obtain a letter of support for a grant application from her department chair, but senses that he is reluctant to provide it.
  • April and the Promotion Committee
    3/21/23
    The only female member of Physics promotion committee struggles to prove that a fellow female faculty member in the department is worthy of the promotion to a full professorship.
  • Anitta - Based on My Own Merit
    3/21/23
    Five female friends with diverse backgrounds - three engineering students, and two practicing electrical engineers - discuss intersectional challenges arising from biases they currently face in school and the workplace.
  • Brenna McGee - A Balancing Act
    3/21/23
    A mid-career female academic researcher receives personal advice from an older female faculty member on how to better prepare herself for promotion to full professor that doesn’t take into account her work-life balance choices.
  • Claire King - Overlooked for Promotion?
    3/21/23
    A mid-career engineer finds her path to promotion to partner at the small, private company where she has worked for 10 years blocked by the existing partners, all of whom are male.
  • Rachel Frank - Conflicted at Work
    3/21/23
    An early-career engineer is first befriended by, and then becomes romantically entangled with, a more senior and more powerful colleague at work, leading to a number of conflicts of interest.
  • Kaira and the Big Pitch
    3/21/23
    An early-career engineer is passed over by the CEO of her firm for the lead role in delivering a pitch to a valuable external potential client.
  • Nadia Spencer - A Confidence Challenge
    3/21/23
    A PhD civil engineering student contemplates quitting the degree program as her confidence is shaken while working as a TA for a male professor who has created a hostile work environment.
  • Ayesha and the Trade Show
    3/21/23
    A junior engineer who has just returned from representing her company at her first trade show is excited to present her report, but she leaves the meeting confused by her senior director’s muted reaction.
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