![Elvira Abrica, assistant professor of educational leadership and higher education, is examining institutional factors within community colleges that affect students from underrepresented and underserved populations who wish to transfer to four-year institutions in STEM fields.](http://cyfs.unl.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/1810xx-Elvira-Abrica-CYFS.jpg)
As demand increases for a growing workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, the nation’s colleges and universities strive to recruit and retain students from diverse backgrounds.
Open-access institutions, including community colleges, enroll the majority of U.S. college students and play a crucial role in increasing the number of graduates with STEM degrees.