Education Professor Authors Book on Careers and Education of African American Women Scientists

A thorough investigation into the reasons behind the dearth of African American female scientists is the subject of a newly published book by Kabba E. Colley, associate professor of secondary and middle school education.

In Resilience and Success: The Professional Journeys of African American Women Scientists, Colley, who co-authored the book with his wife Binta M. Colley, assistant professor, College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont, looks into the education and career choices of young black women?and investigates why so few choose careers in the sciences.

“By investigating the academic and professional trajectories of African American women scientists,?I thought I might be able to shed some light on why young African American women were lagging behind their counterparts despite the fact that they started out doing very well in middle school science,” Colley writes.

“We found a series of pathways or maps with exits and entrances that took our research participants on a complicated journey to their final destination to gaining their doctorates and entering the scientific professions,” he explains. “Their journeys were influenced by family, culture, race, gender, faith, geography, and most importantly, opportunities and serendipity.”