Rodica is a Sociologist with over 6 years of teaching and research experience. She currently teaches at the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Originally from Moldova, Rodica has found another home in Arkansas. Rodica has a bachelor’s in Law Studies from Romania, a master’s degree in Sociology and an interdisciplinary PhD degree in Public Policy from the University of Arkansas. Her research focus is on investigating gender and race inequality, institutional policies, and practices in the context of higher education institutions.
The purpose of this project is the explorative compilation of persistence strategies women of color in STEM use to navigate the tenure and promotion processes. This study focuses on intersectional, and inter-ethnic differences in persistence strategies by analyzing and interpreting findings from literature about how Black, Asian, Latina, and Indigenous women faculty persist despite systemic barriers in STEM fields. The findings will be interpreted through the prisms of gendered and racialized organizations, and intersectionality frameworks. Meta-ethnography will be used as a methodological tool to analyze 46 publications collected through the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) protocol covering 14 bibliographic databases representing various disciplines. The analytical interpretation of the findings will subsequently guide formulation of policy recommendations to assist higher education institutions in attracting and retaining women of color faculty in STEM fields.
