Creating Paths to STEM Careers

Despite earning STEM degrees, women’s participation in India’s STEM workforce remains low, with many leaving careers early. Malini Nagulapalli’s IVLP Impact Award project aims to empower women to sustain and navigate their STEM careers. (Photograph by Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock.com)

India has the highest number of female STEM graduates globally. However, the participation of women in the STEM workforce remains low. Women who pursue STEM degrees are less likely to pursue careers in these fields and tend to leave these careers earlier than their male counterparts.

Malini Nagulapalli, who participated in an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on “Promoting Biomedical Innovation and Entrepreneurship” in 2022, is now working to enhance the retention of women in STEM careers and promote entrepreneurship among young women. The IVLP is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. By participating in short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging leaders from various fields experience the United States firsthand and build enduring relationships with their American counterparts.

A scientist and public policy researcher, Nagulapalli’s work spans from academia to public policy, where she addresses challenges in the medical device ecosystem. In 2023, she received an IVLP Impact Award to raise awareness among women about opportunities in science, technology and entrepreneurship.

The IVLP Impact Awards Initiative offers follow-on support to recent IVLP participants to help them leverage and share the knowledge and connections gained during their exchange experience. This support enables them to design and implement innovative solutions to the challenges facing their home communities.

The IVLP experience

During her IVLP in 2022, Nagulapalli explored various entrepreneurship and technology commercialization models within the U.S. health care industry. The cohort also analyzed organizational, legal and regulatory frameworks, along with management and marketing strategies, to evaluate and develop innovations in health care systems. Over a period of three weeks, the group traveled to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Akron, Kalamazoo and San Diego and met with key players in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. They interacted with individuals from organizations such as the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Patent and Trademark Office, Cleveland Clinic, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, various incubators, universities, companies like Stryker, and start-ups.

Nagulapalli got a chance to engage in peer-to-peer interactions, which provided a remarkable platform for sharing knowledge and exchanging experiences. “Additionally, the program offered opportunities to immerse ourselves in the local culture through activities like museum visits, dinners hosted by locals, live shows, and more,” she says. “It was truly an enriching and immersive journey.”

Encouraging women in STEM

Titled AWESOMES (Advancing Women in Entrepreneurship and STEM Through Opportunities and Mentor Showcasing), Nagulapalli’s IVLP Impact Award project informed participants about STEM career prospects and pathways to employment and entrepreneurship. The goal was to empower women to navigate their professional journeys despite other commitments. AWESOMES is a word Nagulapalli often uses with her daughters when they come up with a solution for a problem. “I was playing around with easy and catchy acronyms that would also define women’s potential in our society,” she says. “It felt right and was a great fit.”

The project is organized into three modules, featuring four workshops held across five colleges over six-month period. It is supported by seven mentors, following a a structured 3-4-5-6-7 plan. “Seven colleagues and friends, all women experts in their respective fields, collaborated with me to mentor students pursuing master’s and Ph.D. degrees in areas such as health technology assessment, intellectual property rights, science communication, policy, research management, project management and entrepreneurship,” says Nagulapalli. “Our efforts reached approximately 1400 individuals, including 600 women students in person and around 800 individuals through social media.” Additionally, three institutions and 10 students expressed interest in continued collaboration and mentorship, highlighting the significant impact on the community.

The project’s six-month milestone was celebrated at the American Center New Delhi in January 2024. The workshops saw enthusiastic participation, with attendees asking various questions about transitioning to careers in science, technology and entrepreneurship. They inquired about institutions or grants that support capacity-building or preparations for these careers; the availability of courses; and how mentors navigated or overcame resistance to their leadership in their fields.

Balancing career transitions

Nagulapalli, who has a Ph.D. in structural biology, says she has always been passionate about pursuing a profession that involves saving or enhancing lives. “While health care seemed like a natural choice at first, I soon realized that I might struggle to balance my academic pursuits with my other interests,” she says. “I also found myself drawn to computational programming for various applications.”

This led her to pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biotechnology and bioinformatics. She is currently focused on understanding the challenges associated with scaling medical devices in India. The findings will assist various stakeholders in aligning processes and appropriate resources to address challenges and gaps in the medical device innovation ecosystem.

Paromita Pain is an associate professor of Global Media Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.