A Career Award from the National Science Foundation is enabling Mathematics Education Assistant Professor Abbe Herzig to investigate the participation of women and Latinos, Chicanos, African Americans, and Native Americans in graduate study. She is conducting case studies of graduate mathematics programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; University of Maryland, College Park; Rice University (Computational and Applied Mathematics); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and the University of Iowa.

In these five programs, students of groups that traditionally have been underrepresented in mathematics have succeeded in unusually large numbers relative to national averages. The study involves in-depth interviews with faculty and graduate students; observations in classes, seminars, and other public activities in the departments; and collection of artifacts, such as reports and grant proposals. The result will be recommended guidelines for faculty and policymakers to use to increase student diversity in mathematics graduate programs.