What is HBCUs

This research is about understanding and elevating the experienced voice of women in academic leadership positions at the mid-career point. Mid-career is a time characterized by various emotional and mental perspectives that fall along a continuum (or spectrum) from exhausted and confused to relieved and free. The study is about women holding leadership positions where they have facilitated the success of underrepresented students at HBCUs to broaden participation in STEM. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used in this study to understand the journey of four mid-career academic women leaders at four HBCUs. A semi-structured interview protocol was administered. An analysis of women's responses to challenges and successes revealed that they experienced more success than challenges. The findings of the study have implications for future leadership development for women in academe.