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Racial and ethnic disparities in STEM achievement are associated with weaker economic growth, greater social inequalities, and narrower parameters of scientific inquiry. Extant research suggests that undergraduate research experiences (URE) can reduce those disparities by enhancing perceptions of belonging and scientific self-efficacy among students from underrepresented groups. However, to date, very few studies have examined the relationship between URE and post-baccalaureate educational achievement gains among such students and those that have tend to be limited in terms of causal leverage and generalizability. In this study, we aim to make progress by analyzing data from the California State University system’s longstanding Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CSU-LSAMP) program. Applying a quasi-experimental research design and drawing upon a large and representative sample of students whom we tracked over time, we observe that URE is strongly associated with post-baccalaureate enrollment and graduation in STEM disciplines among students from underrepresented backgrounds. 

The importance of trust in government amid health emergencies has become apparent, especially given its impact on health behavior. Yet scholars often treat trust simplistically, measuring it at one point in time and in a unidimensional way. We use a unique series of surveys carried out during the first year of the pandemic to examine changing trust in different government actors over time and then link relative trust to compliance with expert-recommended health behaviors. We find that trust in government declined during this period, with especially large declines for federal and state relative to local government. We find somewhat steeper declines among women, Black Americans, the less educated, and Republicans. Finally, we find that trust in state governments and local health officials was positively associated with protective health behaviors, especially among Republicans, and that trust in the federal government was associated with a lower likelihood of such behaviors.