postdoctoral research scholar at The Pennsylvania State University focusing on community informatics. She earned her PhD in computer science and applications from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech), where she was a IBM Research Fellow and won an IBM Research Dissertation Fellowship. As a graduate student, her research and perspectives were featured in the New York Times and Computerworld. She is affiliated with the Coalition to Diversify Computing (CDC), based in Washington, DC. The CDC targets students and faculty with the focus of increasing the number of minorities successfully transition- ing into computing-based careers in academia, federal laboratories, and industry. As a CDC
interact during the researchexperience; and (3) to explore mentors’ experiences and attitudes after working withundergraduate research assistants. Anonymous, pre- and post-experience surveys were deployedto 118 research mentors, with >40% response rates. Analyzing the responses offers lessons forgraduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and other new mentors of undergraduate researchers.These surveys also highlight key factors in successful mentoring relationships, which areimportant in preparing undergraduates for success in graduate school and for careers in academiaand research.IntroductionMany researchers have explored the value to students of participating in undergraduate researchexperiences. Engaging in research allows undergraduates to
recruitment and retention. A SWE and ASEE Fellow, she is a frequent speaker on career opportunities and diversity in engineering. Page 24.1287.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Underrepresented Minority Students and Graduate SchoolAbstract.The technology demands on the U.S. workforce are increasing. Not only does the United Statesneed more engineers and computer scientists, but now more than ever, more of theseprofessionals are needed with a Master’s of a PhD degree. Some companies want at least half oftheir hires to have a graduate degree. The reasons for this demand are
the course would offer a diverse group of studentsan introduction to engineering as a possible career without the risk involved in taking the courseat the university or committing to an engineering major. The pilot course was taught by HHSteacher Jim Clark, whose credentials include BS EE, MS EE, a M Edu. and five yearsprofessional engineering experience at Motorola. Twenty HHS students completed the pilotcourse in a full academic year and each received three units of college credit. Of these twentystudents, five joined the UA COE in fall 2009 and to date, all five have graduated with anaverage GPA of 3.34. Of the 2009-10 cohort, 17 students remain in the COE today and most areon target for graduation within the next academic year. Details
, Andrea served as the director of the Equal Opportunity in Engineering (EOE) Program at The University of Texas at Austin for 11 years. Andrea joined UT in 2001 after six years in industry, where she had a successful career as a structural engineer for Kellogg Brown & Root and HDR Engineering, Inc. As EOE Director, Andrea led Cockrell School of Engineering efforts to recruit and retain ethnically underrepresented students as well as students with backgrounds or experiences that contributed to the overall diversity of the School. During her term, Andrea raised more than $3.7 million in private and public grants to support the EOE program and its mission. While EOE was under her direction, UT Austin ranked as
InstitutionsAbstractAlthough research has shown that involvement is a helpful predictor of students’ future success,underrepresented minorities (i.e., African Americans and Hispanics) face unique obstacles atpredominantly White institutions, which limit their engagement in educationally purposefulactivities. Survey data from a 2007 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement(NSSE) were analyzed to measure African American and Hispanic students’ engagement ineducationally purposeful activities. Results from the present study found that student satisfactionin college is positively related to time spent preparing for class and frequency of interactionswith faculty members about careers. Furthermore, African American and Hispanic science,technology
engineering students and to leadership, policy, and change in STEM education. Primary research projects explore the preparation of graduate students for diverse careers and the development of reliable and valid engineering education assessment tools. She is a NSF Faculty Early Career (CAREER) and Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) recipient.Dr. Suely M. Black, Norfolk State University Page 24.1087.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Snapshot of an Interdisciplinary Graduate Engineering
literature suggesting that incoming college students2,3, as with the broader population1, are generally ill-‐informed about what engineering is and what engineers do beyond a very cursory understanding. Up to the point when they arrive on the college campus, many of the students have had limited opportunities to engage in engineering activity. Such engagements, when they are available, are typically offered extra-‐curricular or through outreach programs that aim to increase awareness and entice students into considering engineering as a future career option. To fulfill this objective, these programs tend to highlight the
interactivepedagogies such as inquiry based learning will provide students with meaningful experiencesthat showcase the importance and satisfaction of pursuing careers in STEM1.Research has shown that students as early as middle school develop an affinity or aversion toSTEM2,3. In one study, it was found that “life experiences before 8th grade may have impact onfuture career plans.” The researchers further conclude that in order “to attract students into thesciences and engineering, we should pay close attention to children’s early exposure to science atthe middle and even younger grades4.” Through this research, as well as the initiative set forthby the National Academies, one can conclude that a focus on the middle school years is crucialto help excite and
, more than five years had passed since their last collegecourses prior to enrolling at UND. Approximately half of the students (46.7%) had takendistance courses prior to enrolling at UND.Over half of the respondents indicated that increasing their earning potential was a primarymotivator for enrolling in an undergraduate engineering program. Over a third of therespondents indicated they felt an engineering degree would help them change careers or obtain apromotion in their current career. Table 11 shows the reported reasons for choosing a distance Page 24.298.7degree program for their engineering education. The flexibility of a distance
Assessment (i2e2a). She ob- tained a B.S. in mathematics from Spelman College, a M.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Alabama, and a Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies from Peabody College of Vanderbilt Univer- sity. Her teaching interests relate to the professional development of graduate engineering students and to leadership, policy, and change in STEM education. Primary research projects explore the preparation Page 24.302.1 of graduate students for diverse careers and the development of reliable and valid engineering education assessment tools. She is a NSF Faculty Early Career (CAREER
non-credit program offerings spanning theeducational continuum of engineering and technology.Both organizations, ProEd and ProSTAR, recognize the similarities of their mission and sharedpurpose to provide learning opportunities to those in technical professions with careers inprogress. To this end, and aside from common policies, procedures and practices, bothorganizations recognize the significant commonality premised on space (facilities, equipment),distance infrastructure (distance classrooms, capture and delivery mediums), and the engineering– technology educational continuum (professional short courses, business/industry educationalcontinuum needs). This richness in overlap creates an unquestionable synergistic opportunity forefficiency
of Alabama, and a Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies from Peabody College of Vanderbilt Univer- sity. Her teaching interests relate to the professional development of graduate engineering students and to leadership, policy, and change in STEM education. Primary research projects explore the preparation of graduate students for diverse careers and the development of reliable and valid engineering education assessment tools. She is a NSF Faculty Early Career (CAREER) and Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) recipient.Mr. Amadin Osagiede, Purdue University, West Lafayette Amadin Osagiede is an MBA candidate in the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University. He obtained a
. She received her BS in Chemical Engineering from NC State and her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. She served in engineering and management positions within Eastman Chem- ical Company from 1991-2000. A faculty member at NC State since 2000, Dr. Bullard has won numerous awards for both teaching and advising, including the ASEE Raymond W. Fahien Award, the John Wi- ley Premier Award for Engineering Education Courseware, NC State Faculty Advising Award, National Effective Teaching Institute Fellow, NC State Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award, George H. Blessis Out- standing Undergraduate Advisor Award, and the ASEE Southeastern Section Mid-Career Teacher Award. She is a member of the
careers as projectleaders they will better understand structural engineering systems and principles. The newARCE 315 has been developed over the last year in consultation with the ARCH and CMdepartments. The challenge has been to select the appropriate mix of content from the twooriginal courses to include in the new ARCE 315. This course was taught for the first time in FallQuarter 2013; its organization and content are being adjusted based on lessons learned.This work in progress paper will present the background of the original five course sequence andthe recent changes, the learning outcomes and content developed for the new ARCE 315, the twostudent projects through which the course contents were applied, and the lessons learned in
in the adult audience andthe professional goals of the students. The novelty of the program is in its content andmodular character. The main units of the program are pedagogical, psychological, juridical(this is necessary for the Russian model of state and education), management of educationquality, international standards and the peculiarities of the specific enterprise.Assessment of the program has included opinion polls from both students and directors of thetraining centers at enterprises. Feedback from employers indicates that this program is veryeffective for improving the quality of the specialists training and increasing the number ofspecialists who successfully continued their careers at the enterprises after the
industrial aspects. Mark received his Professional Engineering (PE) license in 2009 in the Metals and Materials specialty. Page 24.1390.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Work in Progress: International BME Capstone and Summer Design ExperienceIntroductionEducation that includes international experiences has long been seen as an important way to givestudents a unique perspective and skill set for their future career endeavors. Seldom, however,do these experiences include rigorous engineering education. This can be due to constraints of atypical
autonomous vehicle designed and manufactured by faculty at a localuniversity and community colleges to provide interest to students in embedded controls. Thevehicle also met a need that a school system had for up-to-date automation and roboticsequipment. It is hoped that the results of this collaborative effort will lead more high students totake an interest in STEM related fields to sustain the nation’s need for additional young people toenter the career fields of sciences, engineering, and engineering technology, and also improvethese students academic abilities in a robotics and automation. Developing partnerships between public schools, community colleges, and universitiesare critical for students to achieve success in STEM programs and
- sity in San Luis Obispo. Page 24.368.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Design it! Build it! A Summer Engineering Workshop for High School Students to Foster Creativity and Change Perceptions of Engineering (Work in Progress)BackgroundA survey of over 1,000 high school students conducted by Penn Schoen Berland found thatstudents were more likely to consider engineering as a career if they had been exposed toengineering and better understood the role of engineers1. Additionally, students who had notbeen exposed to engineering were more
work to covertheir tuition costs. The program also includes a seminar for first time students and amentoring program, to enhance the academic success of transfer students. Page 24.724.2The USA-LINK seminar emphasizes academic success skills (such as time management andstudy skills). The students explore engineering majors through problem-based applications,gaining essential experience with engineering problem solving. The seminar also focuses onsocial involvement and interpersonal skills. Students are introduced to career andresearch/internship opportunities and to job placement skills so they are well prepared to enterthe technical workforce.An
c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Increasing Retention in Engineering and Computer Science with a Focus on Academically At-Risk First Year and Sophomore Students1. IntroductionThe program described in this paper seeks to increase retention rates for engineering andcomputer science students and to evaluate the effectiveness of best practices for retention ofacademically at-risk students. The main hypothesis is that students who fall behind their cohortearly in their college career are less likely to be retained in engineering and computer science.As such, we focus this project on the academically “at-risk” student group defined as first-yearcollege students who are not
to be at the forefront of technologycommercialization. The situation is further complicated by the fact that about 45% of students inengineering MS programs are non-resident aliens, who are even less familiar than domesticstudents with the technology commercialization processes in the United States. Given thesubstantial number of graduate degrees awarded in the USA annually (Table 1), we think thatmore rigorous education in technology commercialization is not just beneficial, but it is Page 24.103.4necessary for graduate students’ career growth and the future success of technologycommercialization. This education should be designed to bridge
profession. From the beginning its stated mission was: “The EarlyDevelopment of General Engineering (EDGE) Program is designed to increase high schoolstudents’ awareness of various engineering fields and sustain their interest in the study ofengineering. We recognize that Math is critical in the field of engineering; therefore, ourprogram focuses on increasing students’ math abilities so they leave our program with theknowledge, skills, and confidence that will prepare them for successful engineering careers.”Despite the excellent reviews our program received from students, parents, and teachers, theexpected enrollment numbers did not materialize as expected and the following years 3, 4, 5, 6, 7brought changes and new developments designed to adapt
Excellence in Civil EngineeringLeadership for South Carolina (ExCEL-SC) was created to recruit, support, graduate andprovide career opportunities for minority, female, and socioeconomically disadvantagedstudents. The importance of embracing the strength of diversity in civil engineeringleadership is paramount to fulfilling the high calling of the profession. Achieving theAmerican Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Vision for Civil Engineers in 2025 requirespreparation of graduates who can meet the demands of tomorrow's world throughproviding a sustainable built environment and raising the global quality of life. Civilengineers are envisioned to serve as master builders, stewards of the environment,innovators, managers of risk, and leaders of public
Penn State. Theunique inter-college minor consists of several clusters that center on entrepreneurship andinnovation in relation to different majors, industries, and contexts. An assessment plan wasdeveloped in conjunction with the minor and initial results will be reported. The overall goal ofthe assessment is to track the students’ progress, knowledge, skill development, and attitudinalchanges as the students proceed through the minor and begin their careers. As the first step inthis process, students from the core classes of the minor were asked to complete a survey nearthe beginning and end of the semester to capture their attitudes toward entrepreneurship andinnovation. A vast majority of the students who completed the survey were
the areas of recruitment and retention. A SWE and ASEE Fellow, she is a frequent speaker on career opportunities and diversity in engineering. Page 24.1403.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Working with Graduate Students in an Upper Division Students Success ProgramAbstractSince 2002, Arizona State University has had an Academic Success and ProfessionalDevelopment (ASAP) class for upper division native and transfer students, as well as graduatestudents. The graduate students earned their Bachelor’s degree in engineering or
in, and complete STEM under- graduate and graduate degrees. Dr. Williams has been instrumental in garnering over $8 million in grants to support undergraduate research and interdisciplinary outreach programs, and has facilitated faculty-led research experiences on campus and at Argonne, Brookhaven, and Lawrence L. Livermore national labo- ratories.She is a Councilor in the Undergraduate Research Program Directors Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research,and member of the CUR Broadening Participation Task Force. She also serves on advisory boards for the NSF Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), the NIH Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) program, the NSF
enrolling in graduate orprofessional schools.5,6Many researchers have explored potential causes for minority student underrepresentation in theSTEM disciplines. Issues such as preparedness deficiencies, stereotype threats, familial orsocietal expectations, or low esteem have been presented as potential reasons for low interest,aspiration, admission, retention, and persistence in STEM of ethnic minority students.7-14Diminished pursuit of graduate studies for URM students were thought to be largely related tofinancial hardship post baccalaureate; however, further research has shown that URMs in STEMalso may not see graduate or professional schools as significantly beneficial to career aspirationsand interest.15Undergraduate research programs have
; however,DuBois spoke specifically of college educated Blacks’ responsibility towards those with fewerresources, which has not been often empirically studied regarding the motivations of Blackundergraduates to persist in STEM majors. Although there has been some debate about whomDuBois regarded as the Talented Tenth and exactly what he charged them with, DuBois spoke ofeducated Blacks sacrificing their personal desires in order to increase the overall well-being oftheir entire race in the United States. In the simplest terms, this charge is now antiquated;however, Blacks are still less likely to attend and graduate from a college or university and areless likely to obtain financially stable careers than their White counterparts. The need
, like science festivals, robotics competitions, and fairs that encourage young people to create, build, and invent - to be makers of things.”Working with middle school science teachers, education advocates, community partnersinterested in STEM, and university STEM student organizations, an intervention, Girl’s Day Out,was developed by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific or SPAWARSystems Center Pacific) in San Diego, California – one of the research, development, andscience/engineering support arms of the U.S. Navy. The intervention was created to inspire andencourage middle school girls to pursue STEM subjects in high school as a possible pathway to aSTEM career, and to inform parents of the opportunities