NETWISE

Welcome to NETWISE

The NETWISE research group is a multi-institutional research group that conducts research on questions related to how social and professional networks matter in the careers of academic scientists, with special attention to women and underrepresented minorities.
The underrepresentation of women and the “invisibility” of minorities in academic science are recognized to be a significant national policy crisis and “waste” of human capital (NAS, 2007). A common thread in many of studies regarding the advancement of women and minorities in STEM fields is reference to the importance of professional networks. We hope to contribute to both the theoretical understanding of how networks matter in the career advancement of academic scientists, but also to provide findings that will be useful in improving practice.
Our research was funded through two major National Science Foundation grants. While the funding periods have concluded, research using the data from these projects is on-going.

Our research was initially funded through two major National Science Foundation grants. While the external funding periods have concluded, research using the data from these projects is on-going through support from CORD.

NETWISE I

Women in Science and Engineering: Network Access, Participation, and Career Outcomes (NSF Grant # REC-0529642)

NETWISE II

Empirical Research: Breaking through the Reputational Ceiling: Professional Networks as a Determinant of Advancement, Mobility, and Career Outcomes for Women and Minorities in STEM (NSF Grant # DRL-0910191)

NETWISE III

Advancing Academic Scientific Careers (in development) Supported through CORD funding.

Faculty and Postdoc Researchers

PIs

Julia Melkers, ASU
Eric Welch, ASU
Monica Gaughan, ASU

Postdocs

Mayra Morales Tirado, ASU
Nicolas Robinson-Garcia, University of Granada
Diogo Pinheiro, University of North Georgia

NETWISE Students

Over the years, the NETWISE projects have benefited from a team of excellent graduate and undergraduate students who were critical to the work, and who have gone on to do great things!
Our eternal thanks to the graduate and undergraduate students who developed our population inventory, tracked down and coded CVs, tested surveys, supported data cleaning and database construction and were always great team players!

Former Team Graduate Students

Dr. Kaspars Berzins
Dr. Meg Haller
Dr. Yamini Jha
Dr. Japera Johnson
Dr. Agrita Kiopa
Dr. Sunni Newton
Dr. Marla Parker
Ms. Heather Smith
Dr. Fang Xiao
Dr. Jian Wang
Dr. Isabel Ruthotto

Fox, Mary Frank, and Monica Gaughan. “Gender, Family and Caregiving Leave, and Advancement in Academic Science: Effects across the Life Course.” Sustainability 13, no. 12 (2021): 6820. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126820

Gaughan, Monica, Julia Melkers, and Eric Welch. “Differential social network effects on scholarly productivity: An intersectional analysis.” Science, Technology, & Human Values 43, no. 3 (2018): 570-599. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162243917735900

Van Holm, Eric Joseph, Yonghong Wu, and Eric W. Welch. “Comparing the collaboration networks and productivity of China-born and US-born academic scientists.” Science and Public Policy 46, no. 2 (2019): 310-320. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scy060

Siciliano, Michael D., Eric W. Welch, and Mary K. Feeney. “Network exploration and exploitation: Professional network churn and scientific production.” Social Networks 52 (2018): 167-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2017.07.003

Welch, Eric W., and Yamini Jha. “Network and perceptual determinants of satisfaction among science and engineering faculty in US research universities.” The Journal of Technology Transfer 41, no. 2 (2016): 290-328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-015-9393-z

Wang, Jian*, and Diana Hicks. “Scientific teams: Self-assembly, fluidness, and interdependence.” Journal of Informetrics 9, no. 1 (2015): 197-207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2014.12.006

Feeney, Mary K., Margarita Bernal*, and Lauren Bowman*. “Enabling work? Family-friendly policies and academic productivity for men and women scientists.” Science and Public Policy 41, no. 6 (2014): 750-764. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scu006

Haller, Megan K., and Eric W. Welch. “Entrepreneurial behavior of academic scientists: Network and cognitive determinants of commitment to grant submissions and award outcomes.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 38, no. 4 (2014): 807-831. https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fetap.12022

Feeney, Mary K., and Eric W. Welch. “Academic outcomes among principal investigators, co-principal investigators, and non-PI researchers.” The Journal of Technology Transfer 39, no. 1 (2014): 111-133.

Pinheiro, Diogo, Julia Melkers, and Jan Youtie. “Learning to play the game: Student publishing as an indicator of future scholarly success.” Technological Forecasting and Social Change 81 (2014): 56-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2012.09.008

Parker, Marla*, and Eric W. Welch. “Professional networks, science ability, and gender determinants of three types of leadership in academic science and engineering.” The leadership quarterly 24, no. 2 (2013): 332 348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.01.001

Feeney, Mary K., and Eric W. Welch. “Realized publicness at public and private research universities.” Public Administration Review 72, no. 2 (2012): 272-284. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2011.02521.x

Melkers, Julia, and Fang Xiao*. “Boundary-spanning in emerging technology research: Determinants of funding success for academic scientists.” The Journal of Technology Transfer 37, no. 3 (2012): 251-270. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-010-9173-8

Wang, Jian*, Kaspars Berzins*, Diana Hicks, Julia Melkers, Fang Xiao*, and Diogo Pinheiro. “A boosted-trees method for name disambiguation.” Scientometrics 93, no. 2 (2012): 391-411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-012-0681-1

Pinheiro, Diogo Lemieszek, and Julia E. Melkers. “The need to look elsewhere: The push and pull of underrepresented minority faculty professional networks.” In 2011 Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy, pp. 1-15. IEEE, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACSIP.2011.6064481

Feeney, Mary, and Margarita Bernal*. “Women in STEM networks: who seeks advice and support from women scientists?.” Scientometrics 85, no. 3 (2010): 767-790. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-010-0256-y

Jha, Yamini*, and Eric W. Welch. “Relational mechanisms governing multifaceted collaborative behavior of academic scientists in six fields of science and engineering.” Research Policy 39, no. 9 (2010): 1174-1184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2010.06.003

Melkers, Julia, and Agrita Kiopa. “The social capital of global ties in science: The added value of international collaboration.” Review of Policy Research 27, no. 4 (2010): 389-414. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-1338.2010.00448.x

Kiopa, Agrita, Julia Melkers, and Zeynep E. Tanyildiz. “Women in academic science: Mentors and career development.” Women in science and technology (2009): 55-84.

*student co-authors

The NETWISE projects have produced the following dissertations:

Camarena, Leonor. “Gendered Expectations: How Informal Networks Shape Psychosocial Outcomes for STEM Faculty in Gendered Institutions.” PhD diss., Arizona State University, 2020. Chair: Mary Feeney.

Lee, Sang Eun. Career Advancement Outcomes in Academic Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM): Gender, Mentoring Resources, and Homophily. Arizona State University, 2017. Chair Eric Welch.

Gehl, Sarah Beth. “Pay for Performance, Position, or Place: The Effect of Institutions on Salary Equity for Women and Minority Faculty in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.” (2016). Chair Julia Melkers

Parker, Marla A. “Social Network Determinants of Self-Perceived Influence among Minority and Non-Minority STEM Faculty.” PhD diss., University of Illinois at Chicago, 2014. Chair Eric Welch.
Xiao, Fang (2014). Interdisciplinarity among Academic Scientists: Individual and Organizational Factors. Georgia Institute of Technology/Georgia State University. Chair Julia Melkers

Wang, Jian (2013). Collaboration and creativity: effects of tie strength. Georgia Institute of Technology. Chair Diana Hicks.

Jha, Yamini (2013). Network and perceptual determinants of satisfaction among science and engineering faculty in US Research I universities. Arizona State University. Chair Eric Welch.

Meng, Yu (2013). Collaboration patterns and patenting in nanotechnology: Exploring gender distinctions. Georgia Institute of Technology. Chair Julia Melkers

Kiopa, Agrita (2013). The prevalence and productivity effects of close friendship in academic science. Georgia Institute of Technology. Chair Julia Melkers

Newton, Sunni Haag (2013). Gender differences in STEM academic career paths. Georgia Institute of Technology. Chair Ruth Kanfer

Haller, M. K. (2010).Rethinking collaborative entrepreneurship: The impact of networks and cognitions on research opportunities. University of Illinois @ Chicago. Chair Eric Welch.