Although women earn approximately 50% of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) bachelor’s degrees, more than 70% of scientists and engineers are men. The authors explore a potential determinant of this STEM gender gap using newly collected data on the career trajectories of United States Air Force Academy students. Specifically, they examine the effects of being assigned female math and science professors on occupation choice and postgraduate education. The results indicate that, among high-ability female students, being assigned a female professor leads to substantial increases in the probability of working in a STEM occupation and the probability of receiving a STEM master’s degree.

尽管女性大约拥有科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）学士学位的50％，但超过70％的科学家和工程师是男性。作者使用最新收集的美国空军学院学生职业轨迹数据，探索了这一STEM性别差距的潜在决定因素。具体来说，他们研究了指派女性数学和自然科学教授对职业选择和研究生教育的影响。结果表明，在高能力的女学生中，被指派为女教授会导致从事STEM职业的可能性和获得STEM硕士学位的可能性大大增加。