Board 103: Work in Progress: NSF S-STEM Program: Recruitment, Engagement, and Retention: Energizing and Supporting Students with Diverse Backgrounds in Mechanical Engineering

Jamie R. Gurganus; Liang Zhu; Charles D. Eggleton; Shuyan Sun

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Conference: 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Tampa, Florida
Publication Date: June 15, 2019
Start Date: June 15, 2019
End Date: June 19, 2019
Conference Session: Minorities in Engineering Division Technical Session 1
Tagged Division: Minorities in Engineering
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--32172
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/32172
Download Count: 439

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Paper Authors

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Jamie R. Gurganus University of Maryland, Baltimore County

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Jamie Gurganus works in the Mechanical
Engineering Department at UMBC, focusing in the field of Engineering Education. She serves as the Associate Director of Engineering Education Initiatives for the College of Engineering and IT at UMBC and recently as Co-Director of Advancing Engineering Education Excellence (AEEE). Her research is focused on solving problems relating to educating engineers, teachers, and the community. She seeks to identify best practices and develop assessments methods that assist teachers with student engagement, helping them to be successful throughout the STEM pipeline.
A few of these key areas include enhancing student’s spatial abilities (k-12 and higher education), integrating service learning into the classroom, implementing new instructional methodologies, and design optimization using additive manufacturing.

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Liang Zhu University of Maryland, Baltimore County

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Liang Zhu received her B.S. in Engineering Thermophysics from the University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China, in 1988, and Ph.D. in Engineering from the City University of New York, New York, USA, in 1995. Currently, she is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). Her research fields include using nanotechnology to improve treatment outcomes of patients. She is also interested in Engineering Education research, and currently she serves as the Director of Mechanical Engineering S-STEM Scholarship Program at UMBC.

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Charles D. Eggleton University of Maryland, Baltimore County

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Shuyan Sun

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Abstract

NSF S-STEM Program : Recruitment, Engagement, and Retention: Energizing and Supporting Students with Diverse Backgrounds in Mechanical Engineering (work in progress)

Recognizing current and future needs for a diverse skilled workforce in mechanical engineering and the rising cost of higher education that acts as a barrier for many talented students with interests in engineering, the NSF funded S-STEM project at a state university focuses resources and research on financial support coupled with curricular and co-curricular activities designed to facilitate student degree attainment, career development, and employability in STEM-related jobs. This program has provided enhanced educational opportunities to more than 90 economically disadvantaged and academically talented undergraduate students in the Mechanical Engineering Department in the past eight years. It is expected that approximately 45 academically talented and financially needy students, including students transferring from community colleges to four-year engineering programs will receive scholarship support in the next 5 years, with an average amount of $6,000 per year for up to four years to earn degrees in mechanical engineering at UMBC. Through scholarships and supplemental support services, this program promotes full-time enrollment and will elevate the scholastic achievement of the S-STEM scholars, with a special emphasis on females and/or underrepresented minorities. It will provide a holistic and novel educational experience combining science, engineering, technology and medicine to improve student retention and future career prospects. The project builds on an established partnership between the state university and community colleges to improve and investigate the transfer experience of community college students to four-year programs, student retention at the university, and job placement and pathways to graduate school and employment. A mixed methods quantitative and qualitative research approach will examine the implementation and outcomes of proactive recruitment; selected high impact practices, such as orientation, one-to-one faculty mentoring, peer mentoring, and community building; participation by students in research-focused activities, such as research seminars and undergraduate experiences; and participation by students in career and professional development activities.

In this paper, preliminary data will be presented discussing the attitudes and perceptions of the s-stem scholars and comparing students in scholarly programs and non-programmed situations.

Citation
Format

Gurganus, J. R., & Zhu, L., & Eggleton, C. D., & Sun, S. (2019, June), Board 103: Work in Progress: NSF S-STEM Program: Recruitment, Engagement, and Retention: Energizing and Supporting Students with Diverse Backgrounds in Mechanical Engineering Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--32172

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - NSF S-STEM Program : Recruitment, Engagement, and Retention: Energizing and Supporting Students with Diverse Backgrounds in Mechanical Engineering (work in progress)


Recognizing current and future needs for a diverse skilled workforce in mechanical engineering and the rising cost of higher education that acts as a barrier for many talented students with interests in engineering, the NSF funded S-STEM project at a state university  focuses resources and research on financial support coupled with curricular and co-curricular activities designed to facilitate student degree attainment, career development, and employability in STEM-related jobs.  This program has provided enhanced educational opportunities to more than 90 economically disadvantaged and academically talented undergraduate students in the Mechanical Engineering Department in the past eight years.  It is expected that approximately 45 academically talented and financially needy students, including students transferring from community colleges to four-year engineering programs will receive scholarship support in the next 5 years, with an average amount of $6,000 per year for up to four years to earn degrees in mechanical engineering at UMBC.
 
Through scholarships and supplemental support services, this program promotes full-time enrollment and will elevate the scholastic achievement of the S-STEM scholars, with a special emphasis on females and/or underrepresented minorities. It will provide a holistic and novel educational experience combining science, engineering, technology and medicine to improve student retention and future career prospects. The project builds on an established partnership between the state university and community colleges to improve and investigate the transfer experience of community college students to four-year programs, student retention at the university, and job placement and pathways to graduate school and employment.  A mixed methods quantitative and qualitative research approach will examine the implementation and outcomes of proactive recruitment; selected high impact practices, such as orientation, one-to-one faculty mentoring, peer mentoring, and community building; participation by students in research-focused activities, such as research seminars and undergraduate experiences; and participation by students in career and professional development activities.

In this paper, preliminary data will be presented discussing the attitudes and perceptions of the s-stem scholars and comparing students in scholarly programs  and non-programmed situations. 

AU  - Jamie R. Gurganus
AU  - Liang Zhu
AU  - Charles D. Eggleton
AU  - Shuyan Sun
CY  - Tampa, Florida
DA  - 2019/06/15
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Board 103: Work in Progress: NSF S-STEM Program: Recruitment, Engagement, and Retention: Energizing and Supporting Students with Diverse Backgrounds in Mechanical Engineering
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/32172
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--32172
ER  -