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. 2025 Jun 1;24(2):es1.
doi: 10.1187/cbe.24-02-0082.

Highlighting Counterstereotypical Scientists in Undergraduate Life Science Courses

Robin A Costello  1   2 , Sharday N Ewell  3 , Paula E Adams  1 , Maurina L Aranda  4 , Aaron Curry  5 , Maria Mercedes De Jesus  1 , Ryan D P Dunk  1   6 , Marcos E García-Ojeda  7 , Stephanie J Gutzler  8 , Linda R A Habersham  9 , Melissa K Kjelvik  10   11 , Myesha Mateen  9 , Kelsey J Metzger  12 , Kimberly X Mulligan  1 , Melinda T Owens  13 , Rachel M Pigg  14 , Kim Quillin  15 , Mallory M Rice  16 , Selorm Sovi  9 , Elizabeth H Schultheis  11 , Jaidyn Schultz  9 , Elli J Theobald  17 , Erica Tracey  8 , Brie Tripp  18 , Suann Yang  19 , Ash Zemenick  20 , Cissy J Ballen  1 , Dax Ovid  9
Affiliations

Highlighting Counterstereotypical Scientists in Undergraduate Life Science Courses

Robin A Costello et al. CBE Life Sci Educ. .

Abstract

Increasingly, curricular materials for undergraduate life science courses are designed to highlight scientists with identities and backgrounds that counter historical and stereotypical representation in science. In this essay, we characterize the wide variation in the development and implementation of these curricular materials featuring counterstereotypical scientists. Applying the Social Ecological Model of Behavior Change as a framework, we examine both personal and social elements of the benefits and costs related to designing and implementing curricula featuring counterstereotypical scientists from the perspective of three groups: students, instructors, and the featured scientists. The benefits of these materials for students are well documented, and we consider how these materials may likewise benefit instructors and the featured scientists themselves. However, we emphasize that, if not developed and implemented with attention to the diversity of personal, social, and contextual factors, such well-intentioned efforts may be ineffective or impact groups in inadvertent ways. Finally, we offer recommendations for highlighting counterstereotypical scientists in curricula. We call for additional research to effectively develop and implement materials featuring counterstereotypical scientists in ways that maximize benefits and limit possible costs to students, instructors, and the featured scientists.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: M.K.K. and E.H.S. are co-creators of Data Nuggets, A.Z. is a co-creator of Project Biodiversify, and R.M.P. and S.Y. are co-creators of BioGraphI. D.O. previously supported the development of the Scientist Spotlights website. No promotion of a particular product to the exclusion of other similar products should be construed.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Adaptation of Bronfenbrenner's Social Ecological Model of Behavioral Change.
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
Framework of variables important to highlighting counterstereotypical scientists.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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