Conference Session

Research and Graduate Studies

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alexandra Coso Strong, Georgia Institute of Technology; Rachel A. Louis, Virginia Tech; Jeremi S. London, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Ida B. Ngambeki, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Brook Sattler, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

),collaborations can be a significant experience in graduate students’ identity development— Students begin to craft their professional identity by “trying on” possible images of themselves to see how well they fit. One way these images are established is through the individual’s professional development network, and the relationships students have members of their profession and learning community (p. 3).8Graduate education is often characterized as an independent endeavor, requiring a certain levelof self-motivation. During this solitary endeavor, students grapple with a range of issues,including exploring, understanding, and defining personal beliefs and values. Thus, it may bepossible for graduate students to support one

Conference Session

Exploration of Trends in Engineering Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joy L. Colwell, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

listed above. According to Arumand Roksa, recent government reports show a decline in full time instructional faculty from 78%in 1970 to 52% in 2005.26 This has a serious impact on graduate education, as the facultymembers who work with graduate students are usually tenured faculty. The decline in thenumbers of tenured faculty pushes more of the work load onto the remaining faculty, so that thefaculty members are assuming increasing workloads in working with graduate students. Thedecline of tenured and tenure track positions then leaves fewer job openings for traditionalgraduates of doctoral programs.There has also been an increasing focus on Professional Master’s and Doctoral Degrees—degrees which prepare graduates for careers in business

Conference Session

Graduate Student Experience

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephanie Cutler, Virginia Tech; Walter Curtis Lee Jr., Virginia Tech; Lisa D. McNair, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies, Student

gradingif they worked as GTAs. They also talked about including social time and family time in theirdemanding schedules. Basically, the students found it challenging “to make it all work.”The challenge of choosing an advisor was also more complex than expected. One studentsummed up the process as an overwhelming task to accomplish in one semester: I need to [find a faculty member that I will] be able to work well with and they should have similar research interests to me. I need to figure out who this person is, what I'd like to research, and talk to them about performing this research during my graduate lifetime.One student agreed, saying that it’s “extremely tough” to identify the right advisor and that“you’re not sure if you’re still in

Conference Session

Graduate Student Experience

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kacie Caple D'Alessandro, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies, Student

GraduateCertificate[5] and the Future Professoriate Graduate Certificate[6] programs at Virginia Tech.These programs are designed to prepare graduate students for a future career in academia byexamining topics in higher education. I found these courses very helpful in preparing me forteaching and mentoring. Since I was teaching while taking some of these courses, I was able toimmediately integrate some of this new knowledge into the classroom. If you are passionateabout becoming an effective teacher, seek out opportunities to learn about practical methods ofmanaging a course, from assessment design to teaching practices in the classroom. If you do nothave access to courses in higher education, seek out advice from faculty members you respect.In my case, I

Conference Session

Educating Students for Professional Success

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Diane L. Peters P.E., LMS International; Shanna R. Daly, University of Michigan

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

from data analysis:  To transition from their current career path into an academic career path;  To change the focus of their industrial career into a new specialty area;  To advance further along their current career path.In this paper, we discuss these categories and the students who chose those paths. We alsoaddress the implications for graduate schools regarding the recruitment and support ofreturning students.IntroductionReturners are those with undergraduate degrees who work outside of academia for at least fiveyears and come back to the academic setting to earn a graduate degree. However, little researchexists on this group, and in STEM fields especially, to shed light on the reasons why they makethe decision to return

Conference Session

Professional Aspects of Graduate Engineering Programs

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joy Watson, University of South Carolina; Jed S. Lyons, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

laboratory.Cam felt well prepared after completing his doctoral program. Professors prepare their studentsfor careers in academia because it is what they know. Though some professors do haveexperience in industry. Cam entered the doctoral program with the goal of becoming aprofessor. His advisor and mentor helped him prepare for an academic career, but near the endof his program he realized that he did not want the pressures of academia. His graduate programgave him technical credibility to pursue other options. Page 25.860.13He stated, in general, universities do not prepare students well to work in teams, followenvironmental and safety regulations, or

Conference Session

Research and Graduate Studies

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katy Luchini-Colbry, Michigan State University; Korine Steinke Wawrzynski, Michigann State University; Rachel Mangiavellano, Michigan State University; Evan McCune, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

Page 25.685.2guidance of a faculty member.6 Developing relationships with faculty and graduate students canalso help undergraduates learn more about graduate school and graduate-level research.3,7Indeed, the National Science Foundation calls undergraduate research “one of the most effectiveavenues for attracting talented undergraduates to, and retaining them in careers in, science andengineering, including careers in teaching and education research.”8By engaging in an undergraduate research experience, students can make gains in academic,cognitive, and personal development. Through their research opportunity and interactions withfaculty, graduate students, and peers, students advance their knowledge and understanding of asubject area, develop