Working Paper: NBER ID: w26822
Authors: Hani Mansour; Daniel I. Rees; Bryson M. Rintala; Nathan N. Wozny
Abstract: Although women earn approximately 50 percent of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) bachelor’s degrees, more than 70 percent of scientists and engineers are men. We explore a potential determinant of this STEM gender gap using newly collected data on the career trajectories of United States Air Force Academy students. Specifically, we examine the effects of being assigned female math and science professors on occupation choice and postgraduate education. We find that, among high-ability female students, being assigned a female professor leads to substantial increases in the probability of working in a STEM occupation and the probability of receiving a STEM master’s degree.
Keywords: STEM; Gender Gap; Professor Gender; Postgraduation Outcomes
JEL Codes: J16; J24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| being assigned a female professor (J16) | probability of graduating from the USAFA with a STEM degree (C15) |
| assignment to female professors (J16) | likelihood of entering STEM occupations post-graduation (I23) |
| assignment to female professors (J16) | probability of obtaining a professional degree within 4 to 6 years after graduation (C00) |