Title: Late college career bridges: encouraging women to enter bioinformatics through a cross-discipline program (a series of case studies)

Authors: Sara Guenthner Cline

Addresses: Department of Mathematical, Computer, and Natural Sciences, Athens State University, Athens, AL, 36511, USA

Abstract: This paper presents the series of events that led three students to switch their degree plans from a Biology Bachelors of Science to our Bioinformatics Bachelors of Science Option in their junior year at Rural State University. They completed a series of open response questions and their experiences are presented as case studies. Their stories provide insight into potential pathways for encouraging students to enter the field of computer science late in their undergraduate careers. The factors they self-report as influencing them include career matching and a growing awareness of job opportunities and salary. Implications of their motivations for switching fields are discussed, including the impact their experiences may have in informing future educational research and undergraduate program design.

Keywords: underrepresentation; bioinformatics education; cross discipline programs; case studies; biology degree design; women; computer science education; diversity and inclusion; undergraduate education; degree bridges; USA.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTCS.2022.129942

International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies, 2022 Vol.13 No.3, pp.215 - 225

Received: 10 Nov 2022
Accepted: 21 Nov 2022
Published online: 03 Apr 2023 *

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