Conference Session

Developing Young MINDS in Engineering: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Roberts, University of Florida; Karen Bray, University of Florida; Vikram Shishodia, University of Florida; Jeff Citty, University of Florida; Deborah Mayhew, University of Florida; James Ogles, University of Florida; Angela Lindner, University of Florida

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

results of the program, including improvedretention, which is the primary objective of the STEPUP program. Less tangible, but equallyimportant, benefits of STEPUP will also be discussed, especially as they relate to the positiveimpacts in the development of a peer community that remains intact throughout theirundergraduate experience.Introduction/BackgroundDiversity: essential for the engineering professionOne of the key challenges in engineering education outlined recently by the National ScienceFoundation1 involves retention of engineering students. The greatest attrition of engineeringstudents is experienced during the first year, when students are often engaged in non-engineeringclasses and thus have no identity as an engineer offered to them