Conference Session

Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Technical Session 11

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Margaret E.B. Webb, Virginia Tech ; Marie C. Paretti, Virginia Tech

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

apply formedical and law school entrance exams due to their unsteady citizenship status, and otherstudents noted the changing nature of immigration policymaking that threatened undocumentedstudents with temporariness. In another study, a participant, Alysa, said “‘I heard about thewhole graduate school and Ph.Ds. and all that, and I’m like yeah, I want to be a doctor. But thenI’m like ‘wait, what if DACA gets taken away?’” [46] (p. 327). Her question, along with others,highlighted the effects of political threats on a displaced students’ liminal legality andprofessional identity; they reified one’s in-between status, espouse its temporariness, and madelooking for work seem futile [21]. These students’ experiences also showed that, liminal

Conference Session

Transformative Learning in STEM: Accessibility, Social Impact, and Inclusivity in Higher Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Motahareh Darvishpour Ahandani, Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus; Jennifer M Bekki, Arizona State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

acknowledges the complex identities and experiencesof STEM graduate students.Addressing the mental health concerns of graduate students, and especially those from groups suchas IWOC, demands a collective endeavor beyond conventional disciplinary limits. The complexityof mental health challenges necessitates collaboration across various disciplines and sectors. Theestablishment of partnerships between scholars with expertise in mental health and scholarsembedded within STEM disciplines can most effectively help to uncover opportunities to not onlyimprove the well-being and academic success of graduate students but also cultivate a more justand supportive environment across the academic landscape.Future WorkThis paper sets the stage for a more

Conference Session

Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Technical Session 7

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenya Z Mejia, University of Washington; Hailee Kenney, University of Washington; Tiffany Dewitt, University of Washington; Jennifer A Turns, University of Washington

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

University of Washington. Engineering education is her primary area of scholarship, and has been throughout her career. In her work, she currently focuses on the role of reflection in engineering student learning and the relationship of research and practice in engineering education. In recent years, she has been the co-director of the Consortium to Promote Reflection in Engineering Education (CPREE, funded by the Helmsley Charitable Trust), a member of the governing board for the International Research in Engineering Education Network, and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Engineering Education. Dr. Turns has published over 175 journal and conference papers on topics related to engineering education

Conference Session

Breaking barriers, building futures: Narratives of equity and inclusion in STEM education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bailey Bond-Trittipo, Florida International University; Stephen Secules, Florida International University; Jocelyn Garcia; Maria Oralia Tinoco Alegre, Florida International University; Malak Elaouinate, Florida International University; Andrew Green, Florida International University; Andres TREMANTE

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

research.Previous scholarship suggests that this increase in persistence could be due to research programsproviding students with space to develop professional and technical skills and engage in thescientific community [8]. Additionally, UREs have been found to provide valuable mentorshipexperiences for marginalized students [2], [9]-[10]. Because faculty and graduate studentmentors take on a collaborative, supportive role in research programs, they can give studentsguidance to support their overall development [2]. Also, when students’ research mentors havemarginalized identities that intersect with their own, the mentors can become supportive rolemodels for the students, which may challenge negative stereotypes students have previouslyencountered [9]-[10

Conference Session

Interrogating Race, Caste, and Power (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 4)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Motahareh Darvishpour Ahandani, Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus; Precious Njeck, Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus; Ogochukwu Nwabueze Okoani, Arizona State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

country, and being an international graduate student, she has witnessedfirsthand the systemic issues that women and international students face in engineering. Theseexperiences have ignited a deep passion for transforming engineering education into a space thatis more inclusive, equitable, and just. She brings her personal journey to her work, recognizingthat her identity and lived experiences inform how she engages with literature and theperspectives she brings to her research. This awareness drives her commitment to criticallyreflect on and challenge the structures that perpetuate inequities in the field.The second author is a first generation college student and an International Black woman,studying to obtain a doctoral degree in Engineering

Conference Session

Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Technical Session 4

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephanie Masta, Purdue University, West Lafayette ; Janelle Grant, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Cara Margherio, University of Washington; Darryl Dickerson, Florida International University; Matthew W. Ohland, Purdue University, West Lafayette ; Alice L. Pawley, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

without truly realizing the problematic nature of their actions. StudentW (a Black woman) shared, “It’s not unintentional, but it’s not intentional small acts of racism,small comments that you make. You’re kind of unaware of it, but it’s just instilled within you…”The subtleness of microaggressions meant that students often second-guessed their own reactionsto the microaggression, or were quick to label microaggressive interactions as acts of curiosity asopposed to potential harms. For example, Student P (a Black woman) noted that if her classmatesasked questions about her identity they would preface anything potentially insulting with “no,I’m just asking.” Students within the study were often reluctant to label microaggressions asharmful, and

Conference Session

Equity, Culture & Social Justice Technical Session

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ingrid Scheel, Oregon State University; Rachael E. Cate, Oregon State University; Devlin Montfort, Oregon State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

likely dueto the fact that while undergraduate graduation rates for women and historically marginalizedstudents in engineering programs in the US have improved from 2008 to 2018, the total degreesawarded to students of color and women are still far below population representation [2].Research has shown that students from underserved groups are more likely to persist when theysee the link between their coursework and improving society. At the same time, human welfarecomponents are becoming a part of accreditation protocols [3], [1]. These two factors, retentionand accreditation compliance, create an opportunity for improvement in engineering educationthat has the potential to simultaneously address both. We believe the seeds of this

Conference Session

Engineering Inclusivity: Challenging Disparities and Cultivating Resilience in Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian Dick, Vancouver Island University; Kodi Rivera, Simon Fraser University; Michael Sjoerdsma, Simon Fraser University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

survey instrument that intendsto seek broad demographic details for students in their first and last year of engineering studies. Theresulting survey instrument is informed by the Self-Determination Theory as a framework, and thesurvey has evolved through reflective in-person interviews intended to elaborate on students’ nuancedexperiences in engineering education as well as their perception of engaging with the surveyquestions. The resulting instrument, despite being broader and directive with respect to EDIAcontent, saw limited change in how the participation rate of students drops off when questions relatedto gender identity, sexual orientation, and or experience of sexism are posed. These questions areseen to act as gatekeepers, and students

Conference Session

Engineering Education in Colonial and Local Contexts (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 8)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alexandra DakotaTomi Brunson, Colorado School of Mines; Jon A. Leydens, Colorado School of Mines; Elizabeth A. Reddy, Colorado School of Mines

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

academic curricula have gained momentum across disciplines [3], [9], [10],[11], [12]. Such efforts foster awareness of societal power dynamics, inequalities, and oppressivestructures while encouraging critical analysis and action for social change. These approachesempower students to challenge dominant narratives, reflect on their roles in systems of privilegeor marginalization, and engage as agents of transformation. Engineering education presents unique challenges for fostering critical consciousness anddisrupting entrenched mindsets, largely due to the persistence of Technical/Social Dualism,which upholds a rigid separation between technical and social dimensions of engineering. As aresult, the field often resists the integration of

Conference Session

Engineering Futures: Navigating the Pathways of Education, Inclusion, and Professional Growth

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rajita Singh, University of Oklahoma; Javeed Kittur, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

solving.During the design process, be sure to create spaces for underrepresented engineers to be present.Some suggestions for doing this can be to invite guest speakers with an underrepresented identityto speak about their role as an engineer and their journey towards achieving that role, to showvideos in classrooms where underrepresented identities do work in the engineering field, to provideplatforms for education where underrepresented models deliver the information or act in anengineering role, etc. It is important that the students see themselves in the physical role of anengineer in a positive light, so that they may also see themselves in that role (Casey et al., 2023).Having in-class discussions in small and large groups could be greatly

Conference Session

Supporting Students and Faculty in Computing (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 7)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rebecca Zarch, SageFox Consulting Group; Stacey Sexton

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

balance between being human and being a change agent. I have been wrestling with big questions in education in one form or another for 28 years and with formal methodological training for 10 years. I bring decades of experience organizing with issue-based activist organizations, unions, and left-wing political groups. When I’m not letting my mind wander through ideas, I’m keeping myself grounded in my community through participation in local struggles, organizing, and mutual aid work. I genuinely try to get to know the people around me. I love being in nature and I find that sitting quietly among a stand of trees is the closest I can come to sensing the divine. ©American Society for Engineering

Conference Session

Institutional inclusion: Advancing equity and belongingness in engineering education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Teirra K Holloman, Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Education; Julia Machele Brisbane, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Natali Huggins; Walter C. Lee, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; David B Knight, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

level, we understand that faculty play a critical role in supporting adiverse student body and the equitable treatment of those students. Increasing support forstudents with minoritized identities requires institutional, program, and faculty endorsement ofdiversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values to facilitate organizational transformation. Althoughwe understand this importance, literature is sparse with examples of this exploration. Scholars have illuminated that faculty could ease students’ academic journey throughactivities such as 1) mentoring that aligns with students’ cultural background and 2) supportinginstitutional DEI efforts [27], [28]. A study by Marchiondo and colleagues [28] exploredinformal methods for fostering

Conference Session

Transformative and Just Futures in Engineering (Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division ECSJ Technical Session 11)

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nadia N. Kellam, Arizona State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

experiences with AI, I propose asubversive reframing of AI as a tool for liberation rather than control. AI, when criticallyengaged, has the potential to cultivate critical consciousness, challenge systemic inequities, andfoster human connection in engineering education. Through three narratives, I explore how AImight be reimagined to advance equity-centered goals in unexpected but potentially impactfulways.The first narrative highlights the use of AI as a critical friend for PhD students in a qualitativeresearch methods course, providing constructive, non-judgmental feedback to help them createresearch proposals and so that they can practice interviewing and coding through role-playingwith AI. The second examines the potential of AI as a mentor for

Conference Session

Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Technical Session 6

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Emily Gwen Blosser, University of Louisiana, Lafayette; Arunkumar Pennathur, University of Texas, El Paso; Priyadarshini Pennathur; Nicholas A Bowman, University of Iowa

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

the following questions: How do engineering education employees tasked withdoing diversity work understand their roles? What structural barriers do they encounter in thiswork? We draw on interviews to better understand their views and experiences as they relate tothis institution’s efforts to recruit, retain and graduate undergraduate underrepresented minoritystudents. In our view, for diversity and equity outcomes to be successful, we must extend ourfocus beyond students to understand how engineering educators do diversity work within theirinstitutions.We first begin by providing the theoretical frameworks that influenced our analysis. We reviewsome of the literature that takes an institutional approach to understanding how diversity work

Conference Session

Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Technical Session 10

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hwangbo Bae, University of Florida; Denise Rutledge Simmons, P.E., University of Florida

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

working professionals to find the role models they need to succeedin a traditionally male-dominated field. Likewise, underrepresented minority students strugglebecause they don't have instant access to resources that can help them be better prepared for theirchosen fields [22]. Due to these barriers, it may be inferred that Asian students, although oftenoutperforming their non-Asian counterparts, may exhibit lower levels of academic self-efficacy[23], [24]. Asian women, who are more likely to encounter racial and gender stereotypes in theworkplace, have distinct experiences due to the complex nature of identity creation at theintersection of race and culture. The model minority stereotype, for instance, paints Asians as theones who succeed

Conference Session

Equity, Culture & Social Justice Technical Session

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Erin Scanlon, University of Connecticut; Connie Syharat, University of Connecticut; Arash Esmaili Zaghi, P.E., University of Connecticut; Maria Chrysochoou, University of Connecticut; Rachael Gabriel, University of Connecticut

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

beach.Ms. Connie Syharat, University of Connecticut Constance M. Syharat is a Ph.D. student and Research Assistant at the University of Connecticut as a part of two neurodiversity-centered NSF-funded projects, Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (NSF:RED) ”Beyond Accommodation: Leveraging Neurodiversity for Engineering Innovation” and In- novations in Graduate Education (NSF:IGE) Encouraging the Participation of Neurodiverse Students in STEM Graduate Programs to Radically Enhance the Creativity of the Professional Workforce”. In her time at the University of Connecticut she has also has served as Program Assistant for an summer pro- gram in engineering for middle school students with ADHD. Previously, she spent

Conference Session

Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Technical Session 11

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brianna N. Griffith, University of Arkansas; Eric Specking, University of Arkansas; Jena Shafai Asgarpoor, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Stephanie G. Adams, University of Texas, Dallas; Meagan C. Pollock, Engineer Inclusion; Adrienne Minerick, Michigan Technological University; Patrice Nicole Storey

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University (2016–2019), Department Head and Professor of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech (2011–2016) and held faculty and administrative positions at Virginia Commonwealth University (2008–2011) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1998–2008). Her research interests include: Broadening Participation, Faculty and Graduate Student Development, International/Global Education, Teamwork and Team Effectiveness, and Quality Control and Manage- ment. In 2003, she received the CAREER award from the Engineering Education and Centers Division of the National Science Foundation. Dr. Adams is a leader in the advancement and inclusion of all in science, technology, engineering

Conference Session

Breaking barriers, building futures: Narratives of equity and inclusion in STEM education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alan Cheville, Bucknell University; Stewart Thomas, Bucknell University; Rebecca Thomas, Bucknell University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

student reflections and comments on thereadings on Perusall that excerpted chapters were not appropriate for integration into anundergraduate design course given the time constraints. This was reflected in our emotionalstate as an unresolvable tension between the depth of learning and the time allotted for activities.To eventually address this tension we drew from these sources to create a short (approximately20 page) two-part reading on system maps and systems thinking [39] that was moreapproachable for students (see Figure 2). To make concepts such as balance and reinforcingloops, delays, and inverse effects approachable for students, example system maps were framedthrough a professor’s mental models about grading and various attempts to change

Conference Session

Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Technical Session 4

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rebecca Zarch, SageFox Consulting Group; Monica McGill, CSEdResearch.org

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY), Equity

. education and employment violatedfundamental stated commitments of the democratic nation [3]. Additionally, diverse teams per-form better than more homogeneous ones, thus yielding higher productivity and higher yields forcompanies [4, 5]. The 2019 McKinsey Report on diversity moves this discussion directly intocorporate profits. Based on their analysis of top-ranked companies, the “...most diverse companiesare now more likely than ever to outperform less diverse peers on profitability” [5, online].Further, students who matriculate with engineering degrees have access to some of the highest-paying jobs upon graduation [6]. Since there is a well-established correlation between povertyand race [7], engineering can be a path that students take to help