Like a Girl

Graduate student Becky Upton studies gender disparities in STEM fields

As a child, Becky Upton was told she was strong in math and science “for a girl.” Aspiring female scientists are familiar with the phrase, just one symptom of a society that pushes women out of STEM careers.

Upton is a second-year graduate student at the University of South Florida pursuing a Ph.D. in social psychology. Her focus and passion for studying equalityrelated topics started her path to pursue social psychology research. Her research delves into topics such as healthy relationships and violence against women.

Upton received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at California Polytechnic State University. Her interest in research piqued during a senior-year project on sexual assault and the psychological effects of sexism and racism.

Upton gained experience through an internship as a research assistant for a gender-focused developmental psychology lab at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Through this experience, she could delve into the scope of differences in parents’ communication with their children about science.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a gender gap in every aspect of STEM. Some careers have smaller workforce differences; 46% of biological scientists are women. However, less than 17% of engineers and architects are women. Upton studies these specific disparities between different STEM fields.

Her research focused on whether or not parents encouraged boys to pursue sciences such as physics or chemistry, while the girls were encouraged to go into the field of social work or psychology. These experiences got Upton hooked into the psychological research field.

“I really enjoy research, especially the research development process and finding the answers to your questions,” Upton said. “I also enjoy the overall environment of grad school. Everyone is passionate about what they’re doing and it fuels me to continue my passion, too.”

In her time, as a research assistant during her undergraduate studies and as a researcher now, Upton speaks about her own experiences with sexism in professional spheres. She mentions how she did not face too many roadblocks because of her gender.

“The field of social psychology tends to be more accepting, especially since there are a lot of women who pursue this line of work,” Upton said.

Even so, there are still some issues with reactions to published research. A student in Upton’s program received backlash for their published work.

“A lot of men were on Twitter and accusing them of phacking and fabricating the results,” Upton said.

Even though the researcher had carried out ethical, boardapproved, published research, many doubted their work because they disagreed with its implications.

Her advice for anyone who wishes to pursue research or psychology focuses on experience and time management.

“It is important to get research experience; it helps you get into grad school and figure out what you want to pursue,” Upton said.

Upton also emphasizes the importance of taking time to think and get experience before committing to a field.

“Don’t let societal norms push you into a field, but also have a firm idea of what you want to do when you get into grad school,” Upton said.

As for experience in graduate school itself, Upton recommends making connections.

“When I first started, I was able to make a good connection with my advisor who was doing similar research to the topic I wanted to explore,” Upton said. “It made it easier to gain support and understanding for my research.”

Upton still has many hopes for the psychology field.

“When you think about how the psychology field started, mostly men were researchers,” Upton said. “But now, a lot more women are getting into the field. The administrators and departments are also pretty supportive of women.”

Upton also mentions that the open science movement in academia is trying to encourage research to be publicly available and consumed by everyone, not just those in academia.

“I hope the general academia mindset gets better so that everyone in the general public can also have access to the findings,” Upton said.

Overall, Upton’s hopes for the field only build upon changes that are currently in motion in terms of acceptance, support, and accessibility. She believes more women should pursue social psychology.

“It’s important work, and we need more diverse opinions in science,” Upton said.