Exciting Announcement: Publication in the International Journal of Exact Sciences
I am thrilled to announce the publication of our paper, Minorities, and the AI Revolution: An Expanded Study of Equity, Workforce Preparedness, and the Digital Divide in STEM Education (Lipuma & León, 2025), in the International Journal of Exact Sciences (Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 1-16, 2025). This collaborative work with my esteemed colleague, James Lipuma, Ph.D., addresses pressing challenges at the intersection of artificial intelligence and higher education.
Paper Abstract:
The digital divide in higher education, particularly regarding artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies, poses significant challenges for minority and first-generation college students in the United States. Our study examines disparities in access and preparedness for AI-related education and explores the broader implications for STEM workforce development. Through a bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review, we reveal pronounced differences between dominant cultural groups and minority students in accessing AI tools and resources. Although current curricular reforms are integrating AI and advanced technologies, our findings indicate that these initiatives frequently overlook the unique barriers minority students face. We conclude by discussing the transformative potential of transdisciplinary approaches and community-based, inclusive policy reforms, which can bridge the digital divide and foster equitable opportunities in AI education and STEM workforce preparation.
Conference Presentation
The findings from this study were also presented and discussed at the Avances en Educación, Salud y Tecnología a través de la Inclusión y la Ética – Ciencias de la Educación conference in Puebla, 2024 (Lipuma & León, 2024)
Read Our Paper
You can access our paper in the International Journal of Exact Sciences via the following link: Read here.
Database
You can download the Excel database with 612 sources collected for this study at the Open Science Framework repository (Leon, 2025).
Figures
Acknowledgments
Disclosure statement
We affirm that no conflicts of interest are related to the research presented.
ORCID
To review additional scholarly production, please refer to our ORCID profiles:
Cristo Leon https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0930-0179
James Lipuma https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9778-3843
Copyright
All content in this magazine is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Attribution- Non-Commercial-Non- Derivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Sources
Leon, C. (2025). Zotero Database with 612 items for Minorities and the AI Revolution (Version 1.0.0) [Zotero CSV; Excel]. OSF. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GKWRE
Lipuma, J., & León, C. (2024). Minorities and the AI Revolution: Examining the Literature on Equity and the Digital Divide [eBook section. PBA161]. In R. Moras, A. Alegre, Á. Esparza, D. Moras, C. Moras Sánchez, E. Mendoza Machain, P. López Eiroá, V. Mendoza, A. Rodríguez Díaz, & D. Agatón (Eds.), Avances en Educación, Salud y Tecnología a través de la Inclusión y la Ética – Ciencias de la Educación – Puebla 2024 (CLDM_Ds; Online, pp. 107–115). Academia Journals, PDHTech, LLC; /Research/Education. https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/stemresources/89/
Lipuma, J., & León, C. (2025). Minorities and the AI Revolution: An Expanded Study of Equity, Workforce Preparedness, and the Digital Divide in STEM Education [Peer-review journal]. International Journal of Exact Sciences, 1(3), 1–16. /Research/Education. https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.153132423102
Citation
When citing this paper, use this format:
León, C., & Lipuma, J. (2025). Minorities and the AI Revolution: An Expanded Study of Equity, Workforce Preparedness, and the Digital Divide in STEM Education. International Journal of Exact Sciences, 1(3), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.153132423102