Conference Session

Graduate Studies Division (GSD) Technical Session 6: Programs in Graduate Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

April A. Dukes, University of Pittsburgh; Valerie E. Kerr, University of Pittsburgh; Susan K. Fullerton Shirey, University of Pittsburgh; Götz Veser, University of Pittsburgh; Mary E. Besterfield-Sacre, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies Division (GSD)

have been calls to develop and deploy graduate STEM education modelsthat prepare students for careers outside academia. Few innovations have emerged to meet students attheir current skill and preparation levels when entering their graduate studies while also consideringstudents' individual desired career paths. The U.S.'s current approach to graduate STEM education doesnot emphasize preparing students with professional skills and experience outside the lab. Further,students from differing socioeconomic and underserved backgrounds are often not adequatelysupported. Through a National Science Foundation Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) award, theUniversity of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering is creating and validating a

Conference Session

Graduate Studies Division (GSD) Technical Session 7: Graduate Student Experiences

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

So Yoon Yoon, University of Cincinnati; Julie Aldridge, The Ohio State University; Nicole Else-Quest, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Joe Roy, American Society for Engineering Education

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies Division (GSD)

ofstudents from underrepresented populations, such as women of color and members of theLGBTQIA+ community, through degree completion. Using an intersectional approach, wedeveloped a scale to assess multiple climate factors associated with organizational commitmentor member retention, many of which are particularly salient to the experiences of students frommarginalized or minoritized identities. We took several steps to create the scale, includingface/content validity analysis, exploratory factor analyses for validity evidence, and internalconsistency for reliability evidence. The survey also includes demographic items to capture therespondents’ complex social identities. During the summer and fall of 2023, we collected ourfirst pilot study data of

Conference Session

Graduate Studies Division (GSD) Technical Session 5: Skill Development in Graduate Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michelle C. Vigeant, Pennsylvania State University; Vikash Gayah, Pennsylvania State University; Andrea Paola Arguelles, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies Division (GSD)

interviews with each participant is provided below.Participant 1 (P1): P1, a fifth-year architectural engineering graduate student, initially intendedto pursue a master's degree and enter industry but decided to stay for a Ph.D. due to his passionfor research. He learned about the seminar through his wife and enrolled to gain valuableknowledge and feedback without dedicating excessive time. P1's expectations included learningabout the interview process, preparing application materials, and exploring non-academicopportunities. The seminar broadened his understanding of career options, provided insights intocrafting application documents, and facilitated peer review. He believes the seminar surpassedhis expectations to some extent, although he