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IRVINE, Calif. — Even though California is known for its diversity, minorities are severely underrepresented in specific college fields. 
The number of minority students in science, technology, education and mathematics is less than state averages. 
“You have a lack of sense of belonging within these spaces,” said Tré Willingham, an African American doctoral student in UC Irvine’s physics and astronomy program. “Not having a Black physics professor the whole way from community college up until my graduate program, also having very sparse peers that look like me inside these spaces, that has been tough.”
A report done by Cal Matters finds that at UC and Cal State schools, 24% of students in STEM fields identify as Latino or Hispanic, while just 4% are African American. 
A statewide program is aiming to bring those numbers up. 
Cal-Bridge’s objective is to support underrepresented students further their education and getting involved in STEM careers, like teaching and higher education. 
Willingham said he became aware of the program through another minority student, and has felt more of a sense of community through the program while he pursues his academic goals. 
“Cal-Bridge offered a community where you have this sense of belonging,” he said. “It has been a big help for me.”
The program was launched in 2014 by Professor Alexander Rudolph. He said he noticed the gap when it came to minorities in STEM and wanted to bridge the divide for students from underrepresented communities. 
“The CSU was similar to the California demographics, large number of those types of students,” Rudolph said. “But they weren’t going into these disciplines: physics, astronomy, math, computer science, other sciences.”
Cal-Bridge received state funding, but has been hit hard by recent federal budget cuts that have impacted higher education across the country. Data from Cal-Bridge shows that 90% of Bachelor of Science students in the program successfully get into graduate school. 
“We just entered our newest cohort of 68 students, so our total over the 13 years, and now 468-470 or so,” Rudolph said. “We started with only five in the first year, and then we grew slowly, but now we’re taking between 60 and 70 a year.”
Willingham said his family has continued to motivate him to grow and further his education and career goals. He wants to eventually be a professor and help pay it forward to future generations. 
“I like to serve as a representation for what can be accomplished, and what they can achieve,” he said. “And that they do belong inside these spaces, and they can thrive and achieve and strive for excellence within these types of programs.”