Conference Session

Perspectives for Women Faculty

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrienne Minerick, Mississippi State University; Mara Wasburn, Purdue University; Valarie young, Ohio University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

wives. All those withyoung children do.”The idea that academic life often assumes that a faculty member has a stay-at-home spousefrequently surfaced in the comments. “I am competing with men who have wives that stay athome. They can work late any night they want without consequence. I have to schedule latenights way in advance, or skip them altogether.” Similarly, “My lack of participation at nightevents or weekend events (recruiting, professional dinners) has been noted….I do not think thisis unique to my university, but an indication that the academic culture still revolves around malenorms and practices.” Several respondents noted that this was a concern for both members of adual-career couple, not just women. However, it impacts women

Conference Session

Issues of Diversity

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carol Burger, Virginia Tech; Soyoung Lee, Virginia Tech; Anne Laughlin, Virginia Tech; Peggy Meszaros; Elizabeth Creamer, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

. The questionnaire data we collected agreed with thosefindings and showed that parental support for students’ career choice increased slightly, but notsignificantly, as students moved from high school through college (Table 1). As a key source ofcareer advice, parents of high school and college women gave general advice and supportedcareer exploration.In a qualitative study about family influences on vocational exploration and career decision-making16, it was found that most of those interviewed felt that their parents and siblings had apositive influence. For those high school women who had the ability and interest in an IT career,at least one parent or sibling specifically encouraged IT as a career. We did find, however, thatwhen a family

Conference Session

The Impact of Curriculum on the Retention of Women Students

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa Romkey, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

science; historical, philosophical, cultural, sociological, political and ethical. The STSEeducational approach typically includes the following features: • An understanding of the environmental threats, including those of a global nature, to our quality of life • The economic and industrial aspects of technology • An understanding of the fallible nature of science • Discussion of personal opinion and values, as well as democratic action • The multi-cultural dimension of scienceThis paper, through an extensive literature review and qualitative data from interviews withseveral female engineering students and recent graduates, demonstrates why female studentsrespond well to this form of education, drawing from theories on

Conference Session

Recruitment and Retention Topics

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rose Mary Cordova-Wentling, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign; Steven Thomas, Lockheed Martin Corporation

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

AC 2007-355: WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENTS THAT HINDER AND ASSIST THECAREER PROGRESSION OF WOMEN IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYRose Mary Cordova-Wentling, University of Illinois-Urbana ChampaignSteven Thomas, Lockheed Martin Corporation Page 12.1616.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007 1 Workplace Environments that Assist and Hinder the Career Progression of Women in Information Technology AbstractThe purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the workplace environmentcharacteristics that hinder and

Conference Session

Issues of Diversity

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Fonda Swimmer, Northern Arizona University; Karen Jarratt-Ziemski, Ft. Lewis College

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

support; the STEP UP camp was a success. The majority of youngwomen in attendance were Native American, which presented an opportunity to positivelyinfluence their pre-college decisions and provide an access point to considering career pathstoward science, technology, engineering and math disciplines. Assessment, evaluation andtracking are a part of this initiative.This paper will discuss the successful dynamics used and pedagogical approach toward nurturingthe female participants’ interests in engineering and science through hands-on activities, personaland team dynamics, faculty and current engineering/science student instruction and industryparticipation; the creation of personal connection to the Multicultural Engineering Program andthe

Conference Session

The Impact of Curriculum on the Retention of Women Students

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Keathly, University of North Texas; Robert Akl, University of North Texas; Ryan Garlick, University of North Texas

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

– www.parallax.com ). The curriculumconsisted of open-ended projects that produce observable behaviors and allow students toexplore beyond the limits of defined exercises. Such activities included creatively programmingthe robots to draw different shapes and imagery – an unexpected activity initiated by a group ofstudents during an open exploration period. The design of the project activities encouraged teamexploration as well as independent operations. Working in a team environment encouraged thecamp attendees to make individual contributions to the overall success of their efforts, regardlessof whether their individual strengths lie in problem analysis, system design, construction orprogramming.The camps’ enrollment was limited to women in the ninth

Conference Session

The Impact of Curriculum on the Retention of Women Students

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patricia Backer, San Jose State University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

. ‚ To know what it means to be a member of a metropolitan university community.The MUSE seminars were not intended to replace introductory courses in several majorson campus such as Science 2, Engineering 10 or Business 10. Instead, the MUSEseminars “are intended to help a new student’s transition to becoming a college levelstudent/scholar. MUSE seminars emphasize how to view topics and issues from differentperspectives, how to gain an understanding of a subject matter, improvement of criticalthinking skills and information competencies, critical writing and reading skills,interaction among students, and strategies to help students assess their own learning andlearning styles.”4There are many steps in the process of creating a course for the

Conference Session

Climate Issues for Women Students

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yong Zeng, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign; John R. Duncan, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

AC 2007-2377: WOMEN: SUPPORT FACTORS AND PERSISTENCE INENGINEERINGYong Zeng, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign Yong Zeng is currently a Ph.D. Student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Human Resource Education department and has completed as Masters in Education (2005) and Bachelor in Engineering (1995). Yong is a doctoral fellow with the National Centre for Engineering Technology Education (NCETE). He has worked as engineer in the field of mechanical engineering and computing engineering since graduation in 1995. Served as co-PI, his proposal of ‘Women, Career Choice, and Persistence in Engineering’ was funded in June 2005 through NCETE. Yong is an active member of

Conference Session

Perceptions of Women's Success in STEM

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elizabeth Litzler, University of Washington; Catherine Claiborne, University of Washington; Suzanne G. Brainard, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

AC 2007-1172: FIVE YEARS LATER: THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION ANDSUSTAINABILITY OF ADVANCEElizabeth Litzler, University of Washington Elizabeth Litzler is the Director for Research at the University of Washington Center for Workforce Development.Catherine Claiborne, University of Washington Catherine Claiborne is a graduate student at the University of Washington and a research assistant at the UW Center for Workforce Development.Suzanne G. Brainard, University of Washington Suzanne G. Brainard is the Executive Director of the Center for Workforce Development at the University of Washington. She is also an affiliate Professor in Technical Communication and Women Studies

Conference Session

Potpourri Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katherine Titus-Becker, North Carolina State University; Sarah Rajala, Mississippi State University; Laura Bottomley, North Carolina State University; Dianne Raubenheimer, North Carolina State University; Jo-Ann Cohen, North Carolina State University; Kala Bullett, North Carolina State University; Susan Grant, North Carolina State University; Fay Cobb Payton, North Carolina State University; Adrianna Kirkman, North Carolina State University; Barbara Kirby, North Carolina State University; Wendy Krause, North Carolina State University; Carrie Thomas, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

who pursue application/acceptance data graduate degrees in same or related fields Increase knowledge of career options Utilize focus groups, career interest surveys and in science and engineering career opportunity workshopsTwo of the participant goals were measured using the assessment method of concept mapping.These measured goals include developing an identity as an engineer, mathematician or scientist,and increasing self-awareness including defining career and personal goals. The WISEparticipants were compared to a group of male College of Engineering students. By examiningthe content of their concept mapping, some differences and similarities in their identity as

Conference Session

Potpourri Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mara Wasburn, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

percent of all students in the natural sciences and 19 percent of all students in engineering.3Similarly, men were found to be over represented among computer science graduates in all 21industrial nations considered in a recent study. In the United States, the “male overrepresentation factor” is 2.10, in the United Kingdom 3.10, in France 4.57, and in Germany5.58.4In 2000, a United States government commission was charged with developing strategies toattract more women and minorities in STEM careers. The commission reported to theCommittee on Science of the House of Representatives that significant barriers to these goalspersist (Committee on Science, 2000). Such deterrents range from differing male/femaleattitudes toward science and technology

Conference Session

Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lari Garrison, University of Washington; Reed Stevens, University of Washington; Portia Sabin, University of Washington; Andrew Jocuns, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

that play an enormous role in their understanding of that world and their behavior in it.21 (p. 4)These models of the world provide us with the understanding necessary to make sense of ourworld and our experiences, and they shape the way we navigate aspects of our lives. Key toHolland and Quinn’s definition is the term “widely shared…by members of a society”, in thecase of this study we are looking to see what cultural models are shared among members ofUWest’s engineering and pre-engineering students. The shared nature is important, as it is whatallows one to make sense of the actions of others with whom we interact, serving as a commonframe of reference. For example, consider the cultural model of “studying”. When someone saysshe is

Conference Session

Recruitment and Retention Topics

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elizabeth Godfrey, University of Auckland

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

beasked; is culture an inhibiting factor in discipline choice? Engineering students at U of Amade their choice of discipline after a common first year with exposure to each of thepotential choices via first year lecturers and courses, explicit career-related seminars anddisplays. Interviewed students were questioned on their reasons for their disciplinary choicebut it would be difficult to find evidence that students had a conscious awareness at that timeof cultural differences. There was evidence to suggest that all female students who wereattracted to engineering had above average confidence and ability in mathematics andscience, but having made the decision to study engineering, their choice of disciplinesometimes appeared to have been fairly

Conference Session

MentorNet

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Jo Wellenstein, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Sandra Courter, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Susannah Sandrin, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh; Karen Showers, Wisconsin Technical College System; Leslie Wilkins, Maui Economic Development Board; Jennifer Chou-Green, MentorNet; Carol Muller, MentorNet; Laurie Mayberry, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Ann Bloor, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Isla Yap, Maui Economic Development Board

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

Page 12.1060.3engineering and related sciences is enhanced by effective mentoring, MentorNet was designedinitially for women.MentorNet (www.MentorNet.net), is a nonprofit (501(c)(3)) internet organizationii which offerstechnology-based systems and programs for matching thousands of undergraduates, graduatestudents, postdoctoral scholars, and early career faculty members in engineering and relatedsciences for one-on-one e-mentoring relationships with scientific and technical professionalsworking in industry, government, higher education, and nonprofit sectors. Given changingdemographics in the student populations, as well as those evolving in the workforce, MentorNethas particularly focused its efforts on bringing mentoring to a highly diverse