) working with writing centertutors, (2) creating (in-house) discipline-specific writing-intensive course, (3) building upsupport groups consisting of peers, advisors and writing specialists. For the purpose of thisstudy, I review below only first two areas of interest. For a fuller review of the currentlandscape of graduate-level writing support available in engineering, readers should refer toBatson [4].Working with writing center tutorsAs a university-wide service to students, employees and faculties who need professionalsupport for any kind of writing task, writing centers have long served as a default solution toproblems in writing. Engineering professors also commonly recommend the tutoring serviceat the writing center to those who struggle
experiences ofgraduate students, these studies less often distinguish between domestic and internationalstudents. International students experience additional unique challenges that further affect theirgraduate school experiences in comparison to their domestic peers [18]. Some of thesechallenges include differences in institutional culture leading to lower language, writing, andleadership self-efficacy, geographical separation and reduced social support from family andfriends, language barriers, and adjustment to climatic, cultural, and social differences [6], [7].These unique challenges result in isolation, disconnectedness, and lower self-confidence amonginternational students [6].However, studies examining peer mentorship programs designed to
significance level of 95 % confidence level to determine descriptive and inferentialstatistics. At the same time, thematic analysis was utilized for the qualitative data to reveal periodicthemes and distinctive strategies used by the participants. Results showed that participantsstruggled with writing methodology, logically integrating information, and articulating their ideaseffectively. Despite these challenges, they implemented various adaptive techniques, includingreviewing prior literature, utilizing online platforms like ResearchGate and YouTube, workingwith peers and mentors, enrolling in formal writing courses, and employing AI tools to enhancegrammar and structure. External motivation, such as awards and prizes, and maintaining supportivework
,indicating that such an environment contributes to verbal and written communication skills andlearning to facilitate difficult conversations (the three items in communication skills). In apositive peer climate, students might have a greater opportunity to receive feedback on theirpresentations or writing samples from peers, as well as being able to practice toughconversations and receive advice from students further along in their programs. It is unclear why advisor climate was
writer identity is also supported when students canengage in the practice of writing and speaking outside of the idealized space of the classroom[7], and in contexts and situations where they can discuss effective strategies and challenges withpeers and mentors whose experiences mirror their own [18]. These spaces allow students to formcommunities of practice [11] where they can draw from and build on peer support [2] as theynavigate disciplinary conventions and communication requirements for the dissertation [18],proposals [4], conference presentations, journal articles, course papers, and other genresassociated with the professional practice of academic engineering researchers.Further, research informed by academic literacies theories suggests
takes place to build student’s self-appraisal skills.Many video examples are used in class to show presenting styles, use of different structures,opening and closing a talk, gesturing, tone and adapting information to different audiences.Students analyze the speeches of Hans Rosling, Max Tegmark, Barack Obama and other globallyknown speakers and scientists, as well as presentations from their peers. Focused observation ofspeakers helps students define their own presentation style and also supports in-class exercisesthat break down the many elements of a presentation. Targeting single elements such astransitions or fielding questions allows students to build capacity through experimentation. Aswith the writing course, Ph.D. students greatly
student community in scientific communication. This evidence-based practice paperdescribes the implementation of a unified “Professional Development” (PD) course series tosupport the success of graduate students. This PD program features a course to enhance thestudents' verbal scientific communication skills through a practical, feedback-driven, and peer-reviewed format. A scientific writing course, a course complementary to scientificcommunication, is being developed to help students improve their writing skills. A key objectiveof both these communication courses is to teach graduate students how to use storytelling inspeaking and writing to make their scientific findings clear and engaging for all audiences. It alsoexplains how storytelling can
. Inrecent years, programs such as Michigan’s NextProf workshop and CU Boulder’s ACTIVEFaculty Development and Leadership Intensive, have emerged that bring together Ph.D. studentsand postdocs to network with peers as well as meet and learn from faculty at host institutionsregarding the job search. Any review of faculty application materials happens briefly duringthese events, which does not allow scaffolding for the participants or application materialrevision opportunities. Other programs focus their preparation on certain types of institutions(e.g., Stanford’s Preparing Future Professors and predominantly undergraduate institutions),disciplines (e.g., Rising Stars in Mechanical Engineering and the University of Chicago’s FutureFaculty Conference
) appraising the original scale, (3) understanding the context of graduatestudent communication, (4) adapting and developing items, (5) aligning items with SDT andgraduate student experiences, (6) validating content and testing usability, and (7) preparing thetool for deployment. These steps ensured that the COMM-FLOWS tool remained boththeoretically grounded and practically relevant for assessing how engineering graduate studentsnavigate advisor-student and peer-peer interactions, scholarly writing, and professionalpresentations.This study makes two novel contributions to graduate engineering education. First, it introducesa decision-aid approach to communication assessment by transforming COMM-FLOWS from astatic diagnostic instrument into an active
Engineering was helping students to develop these skills for theirresearch thesis, as well as their career success within and outside academia. Through a survey ofChemical Engineering graduate alumni, meetings with graduate supervisors, and focus groupswith current graduate students we learnt that research skill training was not equitable:respondents reported that training was highly variable, supervisor dependent, and typicallydelivered via peer mentorship from senior graduate students. While the value of peer-to-peerlearning is reflected in the literature and is central to our course pedagogy [9], students wereconcerned about consistent quality and authority without commensurate engagement fromfaculty. Graduate students described seeking
.” • “Literally seeing this information at any point in time is amazing. Practice writing some of the statements was very good as well.” • “The written assignments along with the feedback from peers and teachers helped quite a lot. It was especially helpful to get feedback from the instructors as they have more of a sense as to what the application materials should contain. Guest lecturers were also helpful because they provided different perspectives from which we could learn.” • “Discussions, assignments targeted towards real-application material. Broadened understanding of job roles, responsibilities and how to apply as a graduate student to these jobs. Examples of application materials shared…helped to
projects; completing Clifton Strengths testand individual career assessment before attending the class. For weekly classes, studentsparticipate in small and large group discussions to gain an understanding of course topics.Following the 50 min lecture, students participated in the post-lecture activities such as smallgroup peer reviews for reflective writing, discussion of the application of PM skills, and Q&Awith guest lecturers (see Table 1).Table 1. Course Content Week Course Topic Learning Activity 1 Introduction Icebreaker game 2 Project Charter Building project charter for thesis/ research
onmindsets that are discipline-specific, including maker mindset [8] and the entrepreneurialmindset [9]. The extant literature on mindsets is abundant and highlights the need for relevantmindsets toward specific task performance [9] – [11].The term ‘research mindset’ has been used by some researchers [10]–[12], but has yet to beexplicitly defined. A few studies call out the presence of research mindset and the relatedconstruct of researcher identity [13], [14]. Efforts in this space aim to better understand howmindset plays a role as researchers engage in various research tasks like defining researchproblems, conducting literature reviews, designing and conducting experiments, writing upresults, and working on a research team. Research is a task, or
Education, 2025 The Process of Applying to Graduate School as an Undergraduate: A Scoping Literature ReviewAbstractAs engineering graduate programs increasingly adopt holistic admissions strategies to fosterdiversity and equity, understanding the nuanced experiences of applicants and the evaluationpriorities of admissions committees becomes critical. This scoping literature review (ScLR)explores research published since 2000 to examine how the admissions and application processesfor engineering graduate school are structured, perceived, and evaluated. Through a systematicsearch across multiple databases, 16 peer-reviewed publications were selected and thematicallyanalyzed into three domains: admissions process
, in which we haveexperimented and refined the process through which we train our students to develop, refine andupdate their IDPs. Over the five years of the grant we have continually adapted and iterativelymodified the IDP course assignments based on students’ feedback and course reflections. Thispaper discusses the evolution and implementation of our updated IDP process, that includes pre-IDP activities aimed at envisioning a future self, discussions of program timelines andmilestones, the hidden curricula and challenges with recent alumni, career exploration activitiesto inform the IDP, seminar and panel discussions on the pathways and challenges tointerdisciplinary careers, developing a network of mentors, near peer advising by students a
well as variations in familial and community understandings of neurodiversity [20].Existing literature shows a pattern of disparities in formal diagnosis rates and access to supportsbetween individuals from minoritized racial groups and their White peers [21]-[24].Additionally, neurodiverse women frequently receive a diagnosis of anxiety or depression, whileADHD or autism diagnoses are delayed or unrecognized [25], [26]. The demographic data of the31 participants are summarized in Table 1. Table 1: Summary of Demographic Information (Total N = 31) Field of Study N (%) Biology 5 (16.1%) Biomedical/Health Sciences
overlooked. This imbalancein STEM education can impact graduate students’ preparedness for various career paths in bothacademia and industry. GAPS course design combines active learning and inductive teachingmethods, enabling students to apply professional skills directly to their thesis research throughcommunity-based experiential learning. In-class discussions, online forums, and peer feedbackalso facilitate collaborative problem-solving and reflective engagement.In this study, GAPS was used to evaluate the effectiveness of these pedagogical approaches. Thestudy aimed to understand how these strategies lead to the development of essential professionalskills among STEM graduate students by examining the incorporation of active learning andinductive
as a psychometrician, program evaluator, and data analyst, with research interests in spatial ability, creativity, engineering-integrated STEM education, and meta-analysis. As a psychometrician, she has revised, developed, and validated more than 10 instruments beneficial for STEM education practice and research. She has authored/co- authored more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings and served as a journal reviewer in engineering education, STEM education, and educational psychology. She has also served as a co-PI, an external evaluator, or an advisory board member on several NSF-funded projects. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023
, Blackstudents face a higher attrition rate compared to their peers of other races [4]. Given these starkstatistics, the retention of the Black population in graduate and undergraduate engineeringprograms becomes imperative for establishing a diverse and robust workforce [8], [10].The systemic and cultural racial biases inherent within educational institutions contribute to themarked dearth of Black students in engineering doctoral programs. Even as research begins tounravel the experiences of Black Ph.D. students in engineering – from motivations and persistenceto encounters with racial microaggressions – the disparity remains, underscoring the need fordeeper exploration. This group has additional heterogeneity [11], particularly overlooking
program was conducted with a larger group of students inthe summer of 2022. Thus far, our results indicate that this program will be beneficial to studentswell after regular programming resumes at full capacity. GREaT GradS was designed to servegroups of graduate students who are typically marginalized within science with an eye towardretention through support and mentorship. The overall goals were to provide (1) ResourceRecognition by introducing students to the various academic and personal resources available oncampus, (2) Personal Preparation through programming on subjects such as personal finance andmental health, (3) Career Preparation through writing workshops and curriculum vitae editing,and (4) Network Building by connecting students
individually or by funding sources) for research progress.Writing for Research. Theme: Lab/Research: In the next most frequently applied code,participants described the stress of writing, especially getting started with writing or makingconsistent progress. Participants described stress in receiving feedback and being critiqued,including informal critiques experienced when collaborating with coauthors. Participants alsodescribed experiencing stress when writing grant proposals, navigating the peer review process,and waiting for feedback from collaborators. This stress was particularly high for students forwhom English was not a native language and for students who had not yet published theirresearch. For some participants, this stress was grounded in
research laboratories and focus on documenting learningprocesses as they unfold during daily practices in the laboratories. Specifically,the goal of our study is to observe and document how graduate students, and otherlab members, learn from one another within the cultural space of the laboratory,and what aspects of laboratory culture facilitate and what impede learning. To thatend, we use cognitive ethnography, an ethnographic approach combined withcognitive science to study cognitive processes through participant-observation oftwo engineering research laboratories. We identified the following themespertaining to learning experiences: scaffolding (structured activities orapprenticeship), peer-to-peer learning, self-directed and self-regulated
Paper ID #39970Metaphor: The Key to Communicating with Both Specialists and the PublicAmanda Dawn Hilliard, The Johns Hopkins University Amanda Hilliard received her MA in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language and PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Birmingham in the UK. She has taught writing and communi- cation courses abroad in South Korea, Vietnam, and Ecuador, and in the U.S. in Georgia, Texas, Arizona, and Maryland. She currently teaches in the Center for Leadership Education at the Johns Hopkins Uni- versity. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2023
semester.Understanding and embracing the cultural dynamics in the United States requires internationalstudents to engage actively with faculty, peers, and staff from diverse backgrounds. In additionto regularly scheduled events such as attending classes, international students enhance theircultural experiences by participating in student organizations and multicultural events. Workingin teams in graduate courses also helps international students integrate into American culture,which helps them adapt to classroom dynamics.While international students must demonstrate English proficiency to be admittedunconditionally into most graduate programs in the United States, they sometimes hesitate toengage in conversation due to cultural background or speaking English as
, the Center developed ForwardFellows (FF), a funded, extended onboarding program, longer than a typical departmentalonboarding or orientation, designed to help new students develop self-efficacy in research, asense of belonging at the university, and a community of peers from multiple STEM disciplines.The FF program targets incoming STEM graduate students who would benefit from additionalonboarding (e.g. students from historically underrepresented groups, first generation students,students returning to academia after time in industry, etc.). We also intend FF to serve as anincentive to attract potential graduate students and, in the long term, to help retain studentsthrough the completion of their graduate degrees. Due to the type of funding
provide not only direction for futureinterventions, but a tool to assess the impact of ongoing and future interventions. This can aid toincrease the retention of engineering graduate students and their successful degree completion byproviding key areas of focus to support positive mental health experiences.IntroductionInstitutions of higher education have been struggling for over a decade to meet students’ mentalhealth needs admits a growing national mental health crisis [1]. Mental health problems areconsistently among the top cited reasons for students’ leaving their degree program. Graduatestudents specifically are known to be more likely to have or develop a mental health problemcompared to same age, highly-educated peers [2-3]. In addition
ourinstrument was guided by the research question: What influence does the instrumental andpsychosocial support that engineering graduate students perceive from their advisor haveon their thesis self-efficacy? Using SCCT as our theoretical foundation, this work focuseson the development and validation of the Advisor Support and Self-efficacy for Thesiscompletion (ASSET) instrument with graduate students pursuing master’s and doctoraldegrees in engineering disciplines.Our resultant construct of Thesis Self-efficacy measures the confidence that a student has in theirabilities to complete specific tasks that are key to the writing of their dissertation, thesis, orapplied project report, while our Advisor Support construct measures a student’s perception
passion for increasing Hispanic representation in STEM. She currently lives with her husband Andr´es, their two sons David and Sebasti´an, and their minia- ture schnauzer Lucca in Winter Garden, Florida.Esther Gonzalez Esther Gonz´alez, MPA, MBA, ABD is a PhD Candidate at University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy with subject matter expertise in organization behavior and diversity management. Her research is multidisciplinary and applies methods and fields in public policy and management. She is a published author in several peer reviewed journals with media mentions in Forbes. Previously, she served as Director on the Research and Innovation team at the Society of Hispanic Professional
board for WEPAN from 2012-2014. She earned her M.S. in Youth Development from the University of Nebraska and her B.S. in Family Studies at Kansas State University.Esther Gonzalez Esther Gonz´alez, MPA, MBA, ABD is a PhD Candidate at University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy with subject matter expertise in organization behavior and diversity management. Her research is multidisciplinary and applies methods and fields in public policy and management. She is a published author in several peer reviewed journals with media mentions in Forbes. Previously, she served as Director on the Research and Innovation team at the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). She is a multifaceted
as they navigate the complexities ofSTEM education and careers. Through this literature review, we aim to identify gaps in currentmentoring approaches for minority graduate and undergraduate students in STEM fields anddevelop a new mentoring strategy that addresses their specific needs and challenges. Historically, academic mentorship has concentrated on learning rather than careerdevelopment or psychosocial needs (Ensher, 1997; Stromei, 1998). According to research,undergraduate students who are mentored had higher GPAs, greater retention rates, and moreunits finished each semester than their unmentored peers (Campbell and Campbell 1997).Mentoring addresses key aspects of student identification and social integration into