Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering both from Virginia Tech. Leadership development, workforce development, career development, professional work values, social ties, worker safety, and intersectionality studies are among his research interests.Dr. Denise Rutledge Simmons, P.E., University of Florida Denise R. Simmons, Ph.D., PE, PMP, LEED-AP is the Associate Dean for Workforce Development in the Wertheim College of Engineering and a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering at the University of Florida. Her research answers national calls for construction and civil engineering professionals to develop new competencies to navigate the changes of evolving work
Paper ID #43360Supporting Engineering Students’ Identity Work Regarding their Career Trajectoriesfor a More Humanizing Engineering FutureMs. Yume Menghe Xu, Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach Menghe (Yume) is a PhD student in STEM Education at Tufts University. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Chemical System Engineering from the University of Tokyo, Japan. Prior to pursuing a PhD at Tufts, she designed and developed educational apps for children, and worked with students, teachers, and makerspace in Japan to host making workshops using various materials and tools. Her research interest lies in
Paper ID #37065Managers, Reporting Structures, and Re-Orgs: Volatility and Inequalityin Early-Career Engineering and Implications for EducatorsDr. Shannon Katherine Gilmartin, Stanford University Shannon K. Gilmartin, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Scholar at the Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab and Adjunct Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University.Sara Jordan-Bloch, Stanford University Sara Jordan-Bloch, PhD, is a sociologist and senior research scholar at the Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab, where she also directs the Seeds of Change initiative. ©American
Paper ID #43782Unveiling Demographic Influences and Differential Career Preferences amongEngineering Graduate Students: A Comparative Analysis of Mechanical,Electrical, and Computer EngineersDr. Ebony Omotola McGee, The Johns Hopkins University Dr. Ebony McGee is a Professor of Innovation and inclusion in the STEM Ecosystem in the School of Education and the Department of Mental Health in the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. McGee is an electrical engineer by training and an 11-time NSF investigator awardee. She is the leading expert on both race and structural racism in STEM, with all its toxic
Paper ID #42000Exploring Early-Career Professionals’ Conceptions of ’Stretch Assignments’:A Qualitative Study of Recent Graduates from Engineering and Non-EngineeringFieldsDr. Shannon Katherine Gilmartin, Stanford University Shannon K. Gilmartin, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Scholar at the Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab and Adjunct Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University.Sara Jordan-Bloch, Stanford University Sara Jordan-Bloch, PhD, is a sociologist and senior research scholar at the Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab, where she also directs the Seeds of Change initiative
communication instruction to students as they progress through the senior capstone project and develop relationships with project stakeholders in industry. She also supports engineering communication program development, research, and implementation. Her Ph.D. research interests include social justice pedagogies; promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education; service learning; program design and leadership; and qualitative research.Jacob Field, Oregon State UniversitySierra Kai Sverdrup, Oregon State University ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024Report on a Student Community of Practice Program's Impact on Career Preparednessand Sense of Belonging Among Underserved
Engineering Education, 2024Exploring Sense of Belonging and Self-Efficacy in Engineering: The Role of Institutional SupportAbstractNumerous studies have explored the impact of self-efficacy and a sense of belonging onSTEM career selection and persistence, fostering identity development. Institutional supportis pivotal for STEM students' academic progression and persistence. Such support includeseducational guidance, mentorship, and cultural and athletic engagement. Evidence shows thatthese services enhance students' sense of belonging and motivation and influence their self-efficacy. This is particularly vital for first-generation college students. With its substantialfirst-generation and economically disadvantaged student
AbstractFostering heightened interest and engagement in engineering, cultivating diversity, equity, andinclusivity within the engineering workforce, and equipping students to thrive in an industrycharacterized by rapid technological advancements stand as pivotal objectives in Science,Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Motivation exerts a profoundinfluence on students across diverse academic fields. It is intricately intertwined with their levelof engagement in the subjects they are studying, the inherent complexities of their chosen careerpaths, the career opportunities they foresee, and the potential of being misdirected toward a fieldthey may not truly enjoy. To this end, understanding the key factors driving motivation is of
including peer mentoring programs, time management seminars, financialaid and budgeting workshops, increasing career/job fairs and networking with companies, as wellas professional skills workshops including public speaking that can be implemented at not onlyMSIs, but also at other educational institutions to contribute to the mental wellness and overallwell-being of students.Keywords: Academic Distress, Academic Success, Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health, Stress,Well-BeingBackground and MotivationThe prevalence of mental health conditions among college students is steadily rising [1]. In theUnited States (U.S.), approximately 42% of college students suffer from depression and/oranxiety, 38% have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, and
research and teaching within university settings. However, the workforce needs of aglobalized economy and students empowered by their agency to venture outside the traditionalacademic sphere into industry, entrepreneurship, consulting, and pre-college leadership, forexample, have led to the emergence of varied and non-traditional career paths. These pathschallenge the conventional norms and expectations of what it means to be an engineeringeducator.Despite the gradual recognition and tokenized celebration of these diverse career paths, asignificant gap exists in understanding the experiences of those pursuing them. The narratives ofPh.D. graduates in Engineering Education who choose non-academic careers are oftenovershadowed by the predominant
, and they highlight hidden narratives of the broaderengineering transfer student experience.These dynamics amplify the importance of a better understanding of how displaced engineersconstruct positively formed professional identities as well as what influences displacedengineering students’ abilities to author and reconfigure their identities as professional engineers.In response, and to guide future data collection and research, this scoping literature review isgrounded in social cognitive learning theory and seeks to understand the current state of researchin displaced higher education student identity development; synthesize the salient impacts ofdisplaced students’ expected career outcomes, social experiences, and educational
, otherassets can be used to leverage resources available to forge careers in engineering [2]. Studentsstudying engineering in the borderlands experience additional hardships when navigating highereducation, as they manage tensions across disciplinary expertise, culture, language, as well asphysical borders of state and nation [3]. In this work in progress paper for the EQUITY group inASEE, we offer counternarratives of student experiences as possible resources for social justicework in local departmental contexts. The questions that we pose in our session are: A) How can constructed counternarratives of student experiences guide departmental dialog about equity and inclusion? B) How can faculty and staff serve as co-conspirators in the
of Coding for the Future: A Case Study of the megaGEMS Coding AcademyAbstractGirls in Engineering, Mathematics, and Science (GEMS) is a free after-school club and summercamp for girls interested in exploring their career in various Science, Technology, Engineering,and Mathematics (STEM) fields. GEMS is the outreach program for the Autonomous VehicleSystems Research and Education Laboratories. GEMS programs are designed to educate youngwomen about STEM by providing hands-on experiential learning in robotics, programming, andresearch [1]. GEMS is divided into two main programs: miniGEMS for rising fifth througheighth-grade middle school students, and megaGEMS for rising ninth through twelfth-grade highschool students [2]. miniGEMS
engineering learning environmentsfor students across backgrounds [5]. The course seeks to build the foundational professionalskills of students with varying interests toward engineering through engineering designexperiences [6]. Ninth through twelfth grade students in the United States can enroll in thecourse as a one-semester or a full-year course depending on the participating school.Survey Development and Overview Pre and post-surveys were given to e4usa students during the 2021-2022 school year toexamine pre-college engineering student perspectives in the course. The surveys were developedby the e4usa research team, which includes engineering education and psychology researcherswith expertise in using Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT
in research knowledge and skills, deeper relationships with mentors, and clarity andinsight into career paths. This work involves thematic analysis of interviews with GEAR-SRparticipants and highlights student voices, including those traditionally marginalized in STEM.The advantages of undergraduate research experiences (UREs) are widely recognized, leading tohigher student retention, a sense of belonging in their field, improved academic outcomes, and agreater likelihood of pursuing advanced degrees [1, 5, 6]. This positive effect can be even greaterfor traditionally minoritized students [7], including students who are Black/African American,Hispanic/Latino(a), American Indian, and Pacific Islander. However, finding and performingresearch
cybersecurity is beneficial. Sometimes, however, the call for diversity incomputing can be complicated, as diversity is a complex concept. While most of the research ondiversity in computing focuses on gender and race/ethnicity, some interpret diversity in otherways. Undergraduate students are stakeholders in the assessment of cybersecurity as a diverseand inclusive subfield of computing--as they may or may not consider these concepts as theymake curricular and career decisions. A goal of the study is to enrich our understanding ofdiversity perspectives in the field, and so we sought complexity of interpretation over anarrowing or codifying of viewpoints. Data for this piece come from three sources: Q-sortrankings, group interview transcripts, and
undergraduate researchers and not large ambiguousresearch aims that is more commonly done in graduate school training.STEM Research - Future ThinkingWe next sought to understand the impact of undergraduate research on ND and NT individualfuture career plans. Previous research has indicated that participation in undergraduate researchopportunities significantly increases the chance of individuals pursuing graduate school [23].With the desire to increase representation and diversity in graduate school programs, we soughtto understand if participation in undergraduate research impacts career plans differently from NDto NT individuals. Both ND and NT participants had similar low percentages for disagreeing andstrongly disagreeing that they received quality
make in people’s lives-Michelle Obama” she aspires to get the most out of what life has to offer.Corion Jeremiah Holloman, Alabama A&M UniversityLuke Childrey V, Alabama A&M University Luke Childrey is an undergraduate student at Alabama A&M University. He is currently working on a B.S degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has obtained knowledge in computational fluid dynamics through coursework and interning with the UTEP aerospace center. As a result of his work experiences, he seeks to gain more experience and a career in the aerospace industry.Mr. Mohamed Jamil Barrie, Alabama A&M University Mohamed J. Barrie is a Senior Electrical Engineering major at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical
additional campuses:Villanova University, Drexel University, and Gallaudet University. While all of these sites areprivate universities, they each offer distinct contexts and circumstances.The LTM Project builds on two past NSF ADVANCE funded efforts at RIT going back fifteenyears. In 2008, RIT received an NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Catalyst award,Establishing the Foundation for Future Organizational Reform at RIT (#0811076), orEFFORT@RIT which identified career advancement barriers for RIT women faculty andestablished how well the university addressed issues in the recruitment, retention, andadvancement of women faculty. Results of a faculty climate survey [1] conducted as part of theproject, in conjunction with objective data review
) is due to the historical and demographic foundations that are not inclusive to womenand people of color that these fields were built upon. In their research, Lee et al. [1] andBlackwell et al. [2] both discuss how these factors continue to contribute to theunderrepresentation of women and people of color in the STEM industry. This is attributed to the“leaky pipeline” phenomenon where women lose interest in engineering as their careerprogresses due to continuous barriers such discrimination, inequitable resources andopportunities [2]. This further contributes to the loss of interest in STEM as young women andpeople of color achieve new milestones in their careers. Fixing the “leaks” in this pipeline,starting with addressing the dysfunctions
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
and universities, professional organizations, workforce developers,and private industry, we must understand the cultural, linguistic, educational, familial, andgender barriers women and minorities face.Barriers Women and Underrepresented Minorities Face in STEM in College and Careers Authors in [9] completed a systematic review of the literature to create an index ofbarriers that prevent women and minorities from seeking degrees and jobs in technology andengineering fields. The first barrier is a global issue that is related to gender bias [10]. Women allover the world are working in engineering and technical fields at a consistently low rate becauseengineering and technical jobs have been held primarily by men. Women must fight
womenincluding a lack of role models, implicit biases discouraging participation, limited exposure toSTEM fields, and stereotype threat; however, the impact of introductory mathematics onstudents’ desire to pursue an undergraduate STEM degree remains an area of interest for manyeducators and researchers. The significance of mathematics in a student’s intellectual growth isimmense, as it enhances their analytical thinking, problem-solving proficiency, and logicalreasoning. Additionally, it creates a strong base for pursuing STEM fields, which can lead toprofitable career prospects. [23] showed that mathematics courses could be the turning point forwomen in deciding not to choose STEM careers, which supports the finding that “if womenpersisted in STEM at
amentored-career pathway experience that reflects their interests. We interviewed Rachel twice, inFall 2021 and again in Spring 2022. Our first interview in Fall 2021 was conducted at SPU,where we interviewed all 16 participants in the first cohort. The first interview protocol wassemi-structured and focused on the three different pathways offered by the program and theirperceptions of them: graduate school pathways/research, professional pathways/internships, andentrepreneurship pathways. Rachel was one of the 16 interview participants, and her interviewstood out to us because of a strong impression of lacking self-efficacy and being worried abouther future career pathway. The lead author was the primary interviewer and followed up withRachel and
otherpopulations there was a higher than base salary for nondisabled professionals, and at least $9,000lower than base salary for disabled professionals. With the largest gaps in salary amongst femaleparticipants being disabled White women ($14,633) and amongst male participants being disabledAmerican Indian/Alaska Native men ($18,376). However, with Hispanic, Black, and AmericanIndian/Alaska Native women having the lowest base, disabled, and nondisabled salaries onaverage, the $13,732, $11,398, and $13,695 gaps between disabled and nondisabled pay has moreimpact than the gaps on higher salaries.Conclusion This work in progress demonstrates the necessity for considering intersectionality in ouranalysis of engineering career outcomes. While
Abstract Your Voice is Power is a curriculum that seeks to promote racial equity and increaseinterest in computing careers by integrating elements of computing, music, social justice, self-expression, and entrepreneurship. The curriculum consists of five modules lasting 60-90 minuteseach. Students engage with music through lyrical analysis to extract and explore present themesof social justice using the OUTKAST Imagination framework. Students then engage withmusical concepts from a computing perspective to create their own remixes using EarSketch, aweb-based, learn-to-code through music platform developed at Georgia Institute of Technology(Georgia Tech). These elements are further supported by discussions around racial justice andthe
©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) in ET programs in the USAbstractInstitutions in the US that provide Engineering Technology (ET) degrees prepare both 2-year and 4-year graduates for careers in government, industry, and/or business. Graduatesfrom ET institutions are one of the most diverse of the science, technology, engineering,and mathematics (STEM) fields. The 2-year ET graduates employed in technician rolesalign well with the 15.XX Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codedesignations, the corresponding US Bureau of Labor Statistics occupationalclassification, and employers have a good understanding of their role.Diversity is a strength
, ethics, and respect that directly impact their future successwithin their careers [13]. In fact, there is a growing awareness that, in addition to application oftechnical knowledge, capstone courses’ primary efficacy is their role in allowing students tohone and practice teamwork skills while simultaneously fostering proficiency in other non-technical areas like independent learning and critical thinking [14]-[15]. In a 2021 studysurveying 489 companies who employed engineers, Hirudayaraj et. al. [16] found that, of 26“soft” skills linked to career success, industry firms rated entry level engineers as beingproficient in only two of them (“global and cultural awareness” and “social responsibility”). In
students in STEM[8], [9], [10]. Additionally, first year mentorshipprograms have previously been implemented successfully in both the biomedical engineering andchemical engineering departments at UT [11], [12]. Peer mentorship programs, or programs thatmatch students at different stages of the same degree, are shown to positively affect graduatestudents’ academic, social, psychological, and career development [13]. Fostering this additionalform of mentorship can act as a safety net for students with insufficient institutionalizedmentorship (e.g. research advisor) which can reduce feelings of isolation. Developing a programfor peers, especially around the same identity, can form a sense of community, between mentorshippairs and across pairs [13]. A
of higher education remains underrepresented in the literature, this paper alsohighlights the need for more studies in this area.Mentorship is an important topic in STEMM education due to its role in a student’s professionalformation. Defined as “a professional, working alliance in which individuals work together overtime to support the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relationalpartners through the provision of career and psychosocial support,” mentorship may “enhancestudent outcomes, experiences, and retention” and “help with workforce development byincreasing access, equity, and inclusion in STEMM” [1]. A mentorship relationship can lastanywhere from three months to a lifetime and is most effective when