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WIP: Investigation of Recruitment Communication Channels and Student Awareness of an Engineering Bridge Program via Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

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Conference

14th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) Conference

Location

University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee

Publication Date

July 30, 2023

Start Date

July 30, 2023

End Date

August 1, 2023

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

4

DOI

10.18260/1-2--44858

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/44858

Download Count

56

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Paper Authors

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Xinyu Zhang Ph.D, P.E. West Virginia University

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Dr. Xinyu Zhang is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Fundamentals of Engineering Program of Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resource at West Virginia University. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering in 2012 from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a licensed P.E. in North Carolina. Her research interests include STEM education such as broadening participation in engineering and advanced technologies for STEM education, engineering entrepreneurship, environmental engineering, and sustainable biomanufacturing. She started to lead a summer bridge program for incoming first-year engineering students called Academy of Engineering Success (AcES) in 2021.

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Li Wang

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Lynette Michaluk West Virginia University

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is a social sciences researcher at the West Virginia University Center for Excellence in STEM Education. Her research interests include broadening access to and participation in STEM. She is Co-PI of the National Science Foundation KY-WV Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation and Research Scientist for Secure and Upgrade Computer Science in Classrooms through an Ecosystem with Scalability & Sustainability. She is evaluator for RII Track 2 FEC: Enabling Factory to Factory (F2F) Networking for Future Manufacturing, and Department of Education Title III Strengthening Potomac State College, as well as several National Aeronautics and Space Administration STEM education initiatives.

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Robin A.M. Hensel West Virginia University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0003-1858-6452

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Robin A. M. Hensel, Ed.D., is a Teaching Professor in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University and an ASEE Fellow Member. As a mathematician and computer systems analyst, she collaborated in engineering teams to support energy research before entering higher education where she taught mathematics, statistics, computer science, and engineering courses, secured over $5.5M to support STEM education research, led program development efforts, and served in several administrative roles. She has been recognized for her teaching, advising, service, and research and as an Exemplary Faculty Member for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

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Isabel Perez West Virginia University

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Isabel Perez is an undergraduate student attending West Virginia University in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. She is majoring in Biomedical Engineering and minoring in Biology and Medical Humanities and Health Studies to pursue a career with a focus on research and development to improve human health. She is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and helps with the Academy of Engineering Success (AcES) summer bridge program.

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Clayton Scott Hammond West Virginia University

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Ian Bush

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Ryan George Cao

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Abstract

The Academy of Engineering Success (AcES), a summer bridge program for incoming first-time freshmen (FTF) engineering students at West Virginia University (WVU), faced challenges in recruiting underserved students for years. To address this issue, research was conducted via a collaboration among faculty in engineering and business, with support from an undergraduate researcher and faculty in the Center for Excellence in STEM Education. A mixed methods study using surveys and interviews was designed to assess recruitment communication channels and student awareness of AcES and another university-level trip-based summer program to explore any misalignment and propose suggestions to improve future recruitment of diverse students. Results from 91 survey responses and 2 interviews are discussed. This paper also describes how cross-disciplinary non-tenure track faculty collaborated on engineering education research.

Zhang, X., & Wang, L., & Michaluk, L., & Hensel, R. A., & Perez, I., & Hammond, C. S., & Bush, I., & Cao, R. G. (2023, July), WIP: Investigation of Recruitment Communication Channels and Student Awareness of an Engineering Bridge Program via Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration Paper presented at 14th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) Conference, University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--44858

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