Understanding the Experiences of Undergraduate Students in STEM Research across Neurodiversity

In this poster, we explore the varying experiences of undergraduate students engaged in STEM research, with a focus on neurodivergent individuals. Neurodivergent individuals often face marginalization and stigma to the point of feeling compelled to "camouflage" or "mask" their behavior to fit in with their neurotypical peers. To gain a deeper understanding of these experiences across neurodiversity, we developed a quantitative student survey, which was refined using cognitive interviews before being distributed to STEM undergraduates. Our survey allowed us to begin to understand the experiences and perspectives of undergraduate students in STEM research across neurodiversity, focusing on areas of communication, compensation, and interest in graduate school education. We have been able to assess and compare the initial responses between neurodivergent students and their neurotypical peers on these topic areas, providing hypotheses behind any potential disparities. We plan to further investigate the reasonings behind these differences through qualitative interviews so that we may provide recommendations for faculty to improve equity within their research laboratories.