Conference Session

Special Resources and Activities for Minorities

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xiaoqing Qian, Alabama A&M University; Zhengtao Deng, Alabama A&M University; George Seweryniak, DoE Computational Science Division

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

. Page 13.850.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 Lessons Learned from Minority Computational Science Research and Education Project Dr. Xiaoqing (Cathy) Qian and Dr. Z.T. Deng Department of Mechanical Engineering Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL 35762 Xiaoqing.Qian@aamu.edu, Zhengtao.Deng@aamu.eduAbstractThis paper describes lessons learned from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsoredminority computational science research and education project at Alabama A&M University(AAMU). Project strategies, activities and outcomes were evaluated in the following areas:(1) High Performance Computing Research and

Conference Session

Creative Engagement and Developmental Tutoring Method

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Virgilio Gonzalez, University of Texas-El Paso

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

AC 2008-1523: DEVELOPMENT OF AN AD-HOC CURRICULUM ADVISINGTOOL TO IMPROVE STUDENT PROGRESS USING CPM AND PERT ANALYSISVirgilio Gonzalez, University of Texas-El Paso Page 13.416.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 Development of an Ad-hoc Curriculum Advising Tool to Improve Student Progress Using CPM and PERT AnalysisAbstractThe paper demonstrates the application of two project management tools designed to help thestudents complete their curriculum sooner. The first tool provides a visualization map of coursesequences, customized for each student, making advising adjustments that will optimize the timeto obtain the degree under a constrained

Conference Session

Marketing Engineering to Minority Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rafic Bachnak, Texas A&M International University; jack esparza, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

students in science and engineering fieldsinclude hands-on approaches1- 3, field trips4, 5, summer workshops6, 7, competitions8, andsoftware training programs9. This paper describes the activities of a new project, Impactof Space Exploration Programs (ISEP), designed to educate the public about the benefitsof space exploration and to attract minority students to science and engineering careers.Specifically, the goals and objectives to be accomplished under ISEP are: ‚ Increase K-12 educator knowledge of space research projects and educational opportunities ‚ Inspire students and increase their interest in science, mathematics, and technology ‚ Increase the public’s knowledge of the benefits of space

Conference Session

Marketing Engineering to Minority Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Qiang Le, Hampton University; Chetan Sankar, Auburn University; P.K. Raju, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

@hamptonu.edu sankacs@auburn.eduAbstractThe nation’s current and projected need for more Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math(STEM) workers, coupled with the chronically lagging participation of students from ethnicallygrowing segments of the population, argue for policies and programs that will increase thepathways into engineering. Past research has indicated that compared to traditional instructionalmethods, student-oriented instructional methods such as multi-media case studies that encouragestudent participation and active involvement in learning are better ways to accomplish theseobjectives. This paper discusses the results of implementing the Laboratory for InnovativeTechnology and Engineering Education (LITEE) case studies

Conference Session

Factors Affecting Minority Engineering Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Barbara Christie, Loyola Marymount University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

engineering baccalaureate productiongrew in 2003 by 9.3% from 68,053 to 75,031, the fractions of this total awarded toAfrican Americans, Latinos, and American Indians, respectively, all declined. Degreesearned by these three historically underrepresented group’s peaked-in percentage terms-in 1999-2000 (11.6%), and have drifted downward ever since, reports the NationalAction Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME). Currently, AfricanAmerican, Latino and American Indian only make up 11.3% of the engineeringundergraduate degrees. These same race/ethnic groups are projected to make up 33.9%of the U.S. population graduating from high school in 2014. Engineering degreesawarded to women have followed a similar trajectory-growth through the 1990

Conference Session

Marketing Engineering to Minority Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Northern, Prairie View A&M University; Brandon Green, Prairie View A&M University; John Attia, Prairie View A&M University; Teasa Northern, Prairie View A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

-esteem within the program participants.Program ScheduleThe ExCEL Summer Program schedule was centered on life and test preparation skills,hands-on projects and engineering field trips, as shown in Figure 1. Also built into eachweek is a full, structured evening activity schedule designed to enhance the campusexperience and allow students to meet new friends from all over the country who havesimilar academic and career interests. Time Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat 8 - 8:50a Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Math and

Conference Session

Research Infrastructure in STEM Disciplines

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jacqueline Fairley, Georgia Institute of Tehnology; Jill Auerbach, Georgia Institute of Technology; Adrianne Prysock, Georgia Institute of Technology; Leyla Conrad, Georgia Institute of Technology; Gary May, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

• Lodging, meals and a travel allowance for student participants • Local industrial research site visits • Oral and written research project summaries prepared by the student participants • Social interaction between the student participants and their graduate mentors • Program evaluation by the student participants This knowledge-base provides information regarding the program time constraints(ten weeks), research support network (faculty advisor and graduate student mentor),academic enrichment (weekly emerging research seminars), student participantaccommodations (stipend, meals, lodging, and travel allowance), professional enrichment(industry visits), requirements (oral and written research project summary), andassessment

Conference Session

Research Infrastructure in STEM Disciplines

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Miguel Labrador, University of South Florida; Cesar Guerrero, University of South Florida; Rafael Perez, University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

. Instead, it is fairly open, givingstudents a broad range of research project options in Computer Science and Engineering. Forexample, research projects in robotics, computer networks, transportation, computer architecture,data mining, artificial intelligence, security, distributed systems, pattern recognition, and digitalimage processing have been included. The second unique aspect is that, based on the statisticspresented above, the commitment was to recruit the majority of the students from the Hispanicminority group, mainly from Florida and Puerto Rico. In addition, the University of SouthFlorida (USF) committed to bringing at least one student from a Latin American country eachyear.Most of the other aspects of the program are fairly standard

Conference Session

Recruitment and Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Salil Desai, North Carolina A&T State University; Leotis Parrish, North Carolina A&T State University; Marcia Williams, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

Undergraduate Research Program based on a minimum GPAof 3.0 (scale of 0 to 4.0) and faculty recommendations. Over the past year this program standardshave risen with average student GPA around 3.3 of 4.0. Students have been selected fromdifferent disciplines including computer, industrial, mechanical, electrical, and chemicalengineering. On an average the cohort size for this program is around 8 students per semester.The intent of choosing an interdisciplinary group is to share their experiences across differentdepartments. Students are recruited primarily on faculty recommendations within respectivedepartments as they work closely with faculty in their research projects.4. Faculty MentoringActive faculty researchers from College of Engineering were

Conference Session

Research Infrastructure in STEM Disciplines

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles Liu, California State University-Los Angeles; Jianyu Dong, California State University-Los Angeles

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

Project which allows Hispanic students froma local High School district to participate in the SERENADES researches in summers. Inaddition, three senior/graduate level courses have been developed to leverage the research resultsof real-time and embedded systems, and image processing from the SERENADES laboratory tothe electrical engineering curriculum at CSULA. Page 13.1133.21. IntroductionCalifornia State University (CSULA), Pasadena City College (PCC), and University of SouthernCalifornia (USC) have established partnerships through an educational pipeline under theNASA’s MUCERPI program. The associated activities were conducted mainly in the

Conference Session

Special Resources and Activities for Minorities

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maria M. Larrondo Petrie, Florida Atlantic University; Ivan Esparragoza, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

@fau.edu.Ivan Esparragoza, Pennsylvania State University Ivan E. Esparragoza is an Associate Professor of Engineering at Penn State Brandywine. His current research interests are in the areas of Global Engineering Education, Engineering Design Education, Innovative Design, and Global Design. He has introduced multinational design projects in a freshman introductory engineering design course in collaboration with institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of his effort to contribute to the formation of world class engineers for the Americas. He is Vice-President for Region I and assistant of the Executive Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering

Conference Session

Recruitment and Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Anderson-Rowland, Arizona State University; Callie Ruben, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

AISES, NSBE, SHPE, and SWE; and a group project with report andpresentations. During the second freshmen semester, the NACME students meet for an houreight times during the semester. Topics include resumes, School and University resources,engineering in industry, consulting, and graduate school. Two particular helps for empoweringthe students were developed: a Check List for the detailed time management schedule10 and aCheck List for an effective resume.14At the beginning of the first semester the freshmen students are given instructions on how theirassignments and extra curricular events (such as attending an AISES, SHPE, NSBE, or SWEmeetings) can earn them points in the course. Since extra credit points can be earned, any

Conference Session

Factors Affecting Minority Engineering Students

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sherri Frizell, Prairie View A&M University; Felecia Nave, Prairie View A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

, the Department of Labor projects Information Technology(IT) job growth will exceed IT degree production for the current decade3.Current recruitment and retention efforts in STEM fields, particularly engineering andtechnology, must be examined with regard to their effectiveness on specific student populationsso that successful strategies can be expanded and replicated. A number of strategies have beenemployed to recruit and retain females and minorities in engineering and technology degreeprograms including innovative classroom pedagogies aimed at making course content andcurricula more attractive to students, summer bridge programs, mentoring programs, tutoringprograms, and scholarships. An examination of the current body of engineering

Conference Session

MIND: Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ali Mehrabian, University of Central Florida; Tarig Ali, University of Central Florida; Alireza Rahrooh, University of Central Florida

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

don’texist.The use of online-based, “open book, open mind” approach is being recognized in the literatureas a potential method of examination for distance courses in the faculties of engineering, science,and technology1,3. Faculty may have to develop new methodologies, and structure or restructuretheir course differently to accommodate and facilitate the effectiveness of online examinationmethods. Some very recent studies documented the practicality and effectiveness of distancelearning methodologies3. Results from an early study of the desirability and feasibility of usingdistance learning indicated that this teaching and methodology has a useful role in distancelearning4. The case for employing project-based learning methods as opposed to more

Conference Session

Impact Student Success

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Frempong, State University of New York

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

, there is a resulting Page 13.1236.3 significant propagation delay of about 250 milliseconds. As such, GEOs are best suited in non-interactive transmissions such as TV broadcasting,Video on Demand, and asymmetric data services. For interactiveapplications such as voice communications, video conferencing ormultimedia services, the service performance over GEO is a significantdetriment. NASA launched a GEO satellite called AdvancedCommunication Technology Satellite (ACTS) in 1993, with the capabilityto transmit hundreds of megabits per second of information.Because of the growing need in data communication, several companiesare working on satellite projects

Conference Session

Influences on Female Interest in Pursuit of STEM Fields

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jacquelyn Mobley, Ecology & Environment, Inc.

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

crisis.The FactsBased on the National Science Foundation (NSF) 2003 data source presented in Table 3, Whites representat least 75% of the scientists and engineers in the United States [9]. “STEM [science, technology,engineering, and mathematics] workers are overwhelmingly white, male, and disability-free, while theavailable pool of talented women, minorities, and persons with disabilities remains significantlyunderutilized. In contrast, these groups together constitute a little more than two-thirds of today’s U.S.workforce. The current and projected need for STEM skills compels policies, programs, and resources thatsupport greater participation by these groups in STEM education and careers” [2]. Table 1. Scientists/Engineers

Conference Session

Learning Needs and Educational Success

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brenda Hart, University of Louisville; Veronica Hinton-Hudson, University of Louisville; James Lewis, University of Louisville

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

to a recent report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), locatedwithin the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S.population has become more diverse over the past two decades as the minority population groups(African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, and Asians/ PacificIslanders) have increased more rapidly than the White population. As projected for 2005,minorities made up approximately 33 percent of the U.S. population. These same minoritygroups are expected to represent nearly 39 percent of the total population by the year 2020.Furthermore, according to the latest population projections revealed by the US Census Bureauand depicted in Figure 1, these minority

Conference Session

Influences on Female Interest in Pursuit of STEM Fields

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Diala Gammoh, University of Central FLorida; Ali Mehrabian, University of Central Florida; Alfred Ducharme, University of Central Florida

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

hiring women in certain positions where deadlines and daily basis follow-ups are crucial to sustain a smooth work flow. This is Page 13.461.3 the case in many engineering projects and positions.Diagnosis and AnalysisEngineering is still often seen as a “dirty,” “heavy,” and “manual” occupation for “strong” menand unsuitable for women and it has generally lagged behind other professions2. Some studiessuggest that the dominance of men and the attitudes and behavior of teachers tend to reinforcethis view 3.However, there has been a general trend of expansion of women into these professions. This isdue to a number of factors such as the

Conference Session

Foster Excellence

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Goang-Shin Liaw, Alabama A&M University; Pabitra Saha, Alabama A&M University; James Foreman, Alabama A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

AC 2008-1145: PREPARING MINORITY ENGINEERING STUDENTS TO PASSTHE FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGINEERING EXAMINATIONGoang-Shin Liaw, Alabama A&M University Dr. Goang-Shin Liaw is a Professor of Civil Engineering at Alabama A&M University located in Huntsville, Alabama. He is currently a NASA Administrator’s Fellow, Cohort 10. He has served as Chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering for more than sixteen (16) years and as Interim Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology from 1990 to 1992. Dr. Liaw has been heavily involved in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for many years. He has planned, directed, and executed more than ten research projects at Alabama A&M University

Conference Session

NAFP Panel Discussion: NASA Administrator's Fellowship Program (NAFP); Panel Discussion and Fellow Presentations

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mohammad Alim, Alabama A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

related.They can play a role by giving input concerning the state-of-the-art technologicalaspects of the curricula for the students who will be the potential employee in thegovernment institutions and private sectors.2. Research and State-of-the-art TechnologyA large portion of the time is spent on the research activities. Periodic (weekly ormonthly or quarterly) report to the team or group and divisional members allowsupdating the progress of the work. Mutual discussion via internal meetings isconducive to the project advancement. Participants/fellows have manyopportunities to present their research findings/results in nationalmeetings/conferences/symposia as well as in the research journals. Figures 1 and2 depict the style of benefits of the NASA

Conference Session

Creative Engagement and Developmental Tutoring Method

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Walden, University of Oklahoma; Cindy Foor, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

Society and the American Society for Engineering Education.Cindy Foor, University of Oklahoma Assistant Director/Research Associate at the Research Institute for STEM Education (RISE) at the University of Oklahoma. Cindy received her M.A. in Anthropology from Western Michigan University. As an anthropologist, her research interests include ethnography of marginalized populations, cultural theory, issues of gender and underrepresented populations in STEM education and the cultural/historical construction of women’s cultural identities and roles in past and present societies, with special focus on emerging nationalist projects

Conference Session

Recruitment and Retention

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carol Gattis, University of Arkansas; Shannon Davis, University of Arkansas; Bryan Hill, University of Arkansas; Patricia Kirkwood, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

York:National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc.17 Good, Jennifer, Glennelle Halpin and Gerald Halpin, “A Promising Prospect for Minority Retention: StudentsBecoming Peer Mentors,” Journal of Negro Education, Volume 69, No. 4, Fall 2000.18 Gattis, Carol and Bryan Hill, “A Successful Peer Mentoring Program,” Proceedings of the 114th Annual ASEEConference & Exposition, June 24-27, 2007, p. 7-8.19 Tinto, V., Love, A. G., and Russo, P., Building Learning Communities for New College Students: A Summary ofResearch Findings of the Collaborative Learning Project, National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning anAssessment; University Park, PA, 1993.20 Shapiro, Nancy S., Levine, Jodi H., Creating Learning Communities: A Practical