The Baccalaureate Origins of Chicana and Chicano Doctorates in the Physical, Life, and Engineering Sciences: 1980-1990

This research represents a national examination of the doctorate production and baccalaureate origins of Chicana and Chicano doctorates in the physical, life, and engineering sciences. As the first national study of this doctorate population, two objectives were posited. First was to provide baseline information in the form of a national overview of Chicana and Chicano doctorate production from U.S. universities generally and specifically in these three science fields. Indeed, the research found that, when compared with African-American and White doctorates, Chicanas/os are the most underrepresented group overall and in the sciences. The second objective was to examine the baccalaureate origins of Chicana and Chicano doctorates generally and specifically in the sciences. The research found that certain small (mostly private) institutions, with significant percentages of Latino students, whose primary institutional mission is teaching, and who are located in the five Southwestern states of California, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, appear to be the major producers of the majority of Chicana/o students who continue on to the science doctorate. The study found some gender differences in doctorate production and baccalaureate origins.