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Board 41: A Virtual Community of Practice to Promote LGBTQ Inclusion in STEM: Member Perceptions and Community Outcomes

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Conference

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Salt Lake City, Utah

Publication Date

June 23, 2018

Start Date

June 23, 2018

End Date

July 27, 2018

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Tagged Topics

Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session

Page Count

16

DOI

10.18260/1-2--30028

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/30028

Download Count

927

Paper Authors

biography

Stephanie Farrell Rowan University

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Dr. Stephanie Farrell is Professor and Founding Chair of Experiential Engineering Education at Rowan University (USA) and is looking forward to serving ASEE as President in 2018-19. From 1998-2016, Stephanie was a faculty member in Chemical Engineering at Rowan. Dr. Farrell has contributed to engineering education through her work in experiential learning, focusing on areas of pharmaceutical, biomedical and food engineering. She has been honored by the American Society of Engineering Education with several teaching awards such as the 2004 National Outstanding Teaching Medal and the 2005 Quinn Award for experiential learning. She was 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar in Engineering Education at Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland).

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biography

Rocio C. Chavela Guerra American Society for Engineering Education

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Rocio Chavela is Director of Education and Career Development at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). She holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University, a B.S. and a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Universidad de las Americas, Puebla in Mexico. Rocio’s current efforts focus on engineering faculty and graduate student development, with particular emphasis on the adoption of evidence-based instructional practices.

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biography

Alexandra Longo American Society for Engineering Education

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Please note I am submitting this paper on behalf of Dr. Rocio Chavela Guerra.

Alexandra Longo is Senior Program Manager of Education and Career Development at ASEE, where she leads ASEE webinars and manages stakeholder meetings and externally funded programs and projects. Prior to joining ASEE, Alexandra worked at the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). Alex has a passion for instructional design, informal education, and hands-on learning, and received her MA in Museum Education from Seton Hall University in 2013.

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Rossen Tsanov American Society for Engineering Education

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Abstract

The results discussed in this paper are part of a transformative project that links diversity research with a faculty development initiative to promote LGBTQ equality in engineering. The aims of the project are to (1) identify aspects of engineering culture that present barriers to LGBTQ equality, (2) build knowledge and skills to disrupt discrimination and promote LGBTQ equality in engineering departments on college campuses and (3) to identify best practices for promoting LGBTQ equality in engineering. This paper focuses on understanding the roles of a Virtual Community of Practice (VCP) in advancing the goals of LGBTQ equality in engineering. The VCP was established in fall 2015 consisting of 19 professionals from STEM academic departments in the initial cohort. During the first semester, the VCP members completed human relations facilitator training and developed content for Safe Zone LGBTQ inclusion training geared toward STEM academics. Since completion of the facilitator training, the VCP members have actively promoted LGBTQ inclusion in their own departments and conducted Safe Zone workshops at their own institutions, online and at professional society meetings. A survey was used to assess the VCP members’ perceptions of VCP design, benefits to individual members and to their departments, and individual and professional characteristics. Results and insights from the survey will be presented in this paper along with a description of the specific outcomes of the VCP.

Farrell, S., & Chavela Guerra, R. C., & Longo, A., & Tsanov, R. (2018, June), Board 41: A Virtual Community of Practice to Promote LGBTQ Inclusion in STEM: Member Perceptions and Community Outcomes Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--30028

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