Forsythe Lab

Welcome to the Forsythe Lab! In this lab we look to expose the ways systems of oppression operate within STEM higher education and work with our communities to mitigate these oppressions. Our work aims to highlight the beauty of science while working towards building a science culture that embodies a diversity of perspectives, understandings, and centers on community well-being and agency.

Research

The Forsythe Lab focuses on understanding the culture(s) of science. We work to uncover, and reform, oppressive systems in science to (re)imagine science that is created by, and works for, all identities. We primarily focus on three areas: 1) Science Culture(s), 2) Participatory Science, 3) Equity and Justice within Science. Below are a list of some projects but we are always open to new ideas and collabs!

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Lab News and Events

Starting at Santa Clara, Fall 2024!

Latest Publications

Exploring Variations in STEM Instructors’ Approaches to Office Hours

Office hours are an integral component of (STEM) courses. Here, we conduct a phenomenographic study to investigate how instructors of STEM courses experience office hours and how these experiences may impact their approaches to promoting and managing office hours. We identified variations in how instructors promoted office hours, the modality of office hours, and how instructors facilitated learning during office hours. These variations spanned from student-centric (strategies instructors use with students’ interest in mind) to instructor-centric (strategies the instructors use with their own self-interest in mind).