Conference Session

New Research on Retention of URM Groups in STEM

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Terrell Strayhorn, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

careers.3 The expressed purpose of URPs is criticallyimportant given that minorities tend to have lower self-efficacy, lower confidence in their mathand science skills, and less access to scientific courses and highly technical learning experiencescompared to their majority peers.4 And while previous research has focused on the intendedpurpose and general nature of URPs, as well as sex differences in URP participants’ perceptionsof the program,5 no studies were readily uncovered that measured the influence of URPparticipation on specific learning outcomes such as research self-efficacy. This is the gapaddressed by the present study.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to measure the influence of background traits and research-relatedexperiences

Conference Session

Innovative Methods to Teach Engineering to URMs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Beverley Pickering-Reyna, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

with Life and Career Skills Intervention and Retention Applications Matter in Educating New Minority FreshmenAbstractSTEM and urban education along with educational psychology scholarship established fourcritical research areas that needed judicious exploration to systematically increase the exercise ofeffective instructional programming for minorities: 1) Early access to and sustained engagementwith salient concepts (e.g., logical reasoning, managing complexity) that practically applyclassroom theories, 2) Curriculum that supports cognitive development in proportion to students’learning styles, 3) Peer and expert-model pedagogical agents as learning companions and socialmodels, and 4) Considering sociocultural

Conference Session

Developing Young MINDS in Engineering: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cindy Foor, University of Oklahoma; randa shehab, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

interactions with peers and university? ≠ What strategies do mixed-race engineering students reporting Native American status use to adapt to, resist or negotiate the boundaries around identity based social spaces? ≠ How effective are student organizations and university programs in providing all Native American students small social enclaves of other students with similar backgrounds and interests? Page 14.679.2 ≠ How does finding community contribute to mixed-race Native American engineering students’ successful completion of a degree?The insights gained from this paper can be used to

Conference Session

Building Diversity in Engineering Graduate Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ashley Johnson, Georgia Institute of Technology; Jill Auerbach, Georgia Institute of Technology; Adrianne Prysock, Georgia Institute of Technology; Leyla Conrad, Georgia Institute of Technology; Gary May, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

literature reviews andannotated bibliographies.During the workshops students were divided into groups based on their major to focus their talksto their research interests. During the first workshop, group discussions focused on how tosynthesize many texts to follow a particular research theme and how to then describe andevaluate the text for an annotated bibliography. The students discussed potential problems withtheir literature reviews and ways to overcome the pitfalls. By organizing the students by major,the group dynamics allowed the participants to have more detailed conversations regarding theirspecific research projects. Participants were given materials from Writing at the University ofToronto5 and the Purdue OnLine Writing Lab (OWL) 6 on

Conference Session

Developing Young MINDS in Engineering: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ruba Alkhasawneh, Virginia Commonwealth University; Rosalyn Hobson, Virginia Commonwealth University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

. They also improved several skills they need as engineeringand science students such as writing and mathematical skills. The self-confidence of theparticipants also improved by being placed in a higher math level compared to their peers in thesame major. The supportive environment during the summer program played an important rolefor students which encouraged to work hard and get higher grades.Compared to the non-STP participants group, STP students were well prepared for the transitionfrom high school to the new college life. They earned six additional credit hours; and theiraverage performance in the math class was comparable to if not better than the non-STPstudents. STP students were well prepared for the laboratory work. They overcame the

Conference Session

Building Diversity in Engineering Graduate Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ali Ansari, Virginia State University; Jahangir Ansari, Virginia State University; Krishan Agrawal, Virginia State University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

-study (HBCU-UP Planning grant) on its STEM program. Through this study, thefollowing needs were identified:1. Develop state of the art programs in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Manufacturing Engineering and obtain Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation for these programs by 2006.2. Purposeful restructuring of curricula to link together courses or coursework along with sound assessment components so that students find greater coherence in what they are learning and greater interaction with faculty and peers.3. Improve retention and the recruitment of quality students.4. Provide research opportunities for faculty and undergraduate students.5

Conference Session

Innovative Methods to Teach Engineering to URMs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wei Zheng, Jackson State University; Gordon Skelton, Jackson State University; HuiRu Shih, Jackson State University; Evelyn Leggette, Jackson State University; Tzusheng Pei, Jackson State University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

Page 14.917.5teams; hands-on and integrative experience in the first year; and emphasis on social relevance,service learning, and collaboration16.For example, the Colorado School of Mines allows freshmen to discover important connectionsamong multi-disciplines, and to acquire a deeper appreciation of the importance of theirEngineering studies and their interrelation with upper-level courses, their careers and life. Itincludes extensive use of active and cooperative learning strategies for interdisciplinary topicsthrough student peer study group17. The evaluation of the program indicates that the interventionimprove students' academic performance. Interactions with faculty and peers were the mostpositive aspect of students' experience. Turf

Conference Session

Developing Young MINDS in Engineering: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michelle Kobus, Hillsborough Community College; Cesar Guerrero, University of South Florida; Miguel Labrador, University of South Florida; Rafael Perez, University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

, personalized advising service, mentoring at USF and HCC, paid research experiences for undergraduates, a peer tutoring program, and professional development opportunities. All of these programs are used to recruit, retain, and prepare community college students to continue on their educational path toward a four-year university experience.≠ Bridge students from community colleges to four-year universities and graduate school. CSTEP offers two summer programs with strong math, programming, and research components. These components are taught in formal courses that allow the students to be admitted directly to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, bridging the students from HCC to USF.≠ Increase graduation rates

Conference Session

Attracting Young Minds: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jacqueline Fairley, Georgia Institute of Technology; Adrianne Prysock, Georgia Institute of Technology; Akibi Archer, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

study. The amount of ‘ums’and ‘ahs’ were counted during the impromptu speech to assist in the improvement ofspeaking delivery and performance techniques. Also, if the student spoke beyond thethree minute time limit they were politely interrupted by the facilitator, this techniquewas utilized to prevent excessive speech content. After the impromptu speech activity,the audience consisting of the student speaker’s peers was asked to provide constructivecomments regarding the quality of the speech. At the completion of the activity, a winnerwas chosen by audience voting with respect to delivery, performance, content, and theuse of visual aids. The speaker with the optimal performance regarding the latter was

Conference Session

New Research on Retention of URM Groups in STEM

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rafic Bachnak, Texas A&M International University; Rohitha Goonatilake, Texas A&M International University; Juan Lira, Texas A&M International University; Conchita Hickey, Texas A&M International University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

Director of Programs for Academic Support and Enrichment at Texas A&M International University. She received her B.A from Our Lady of the Lake University, her M. A. from Texas A&M College Station, and is A.B.D. in Hispanic Studies from Texas A&M College Station. Ms. Hickey has worked at Texas A&M International University since 1978, in both instructional and administrative capacities directed at improving student support and success. She oversees the First Year Experience Program which includes freshman seminar, mentoring, advising, as well as developmental studies, Writing Center, Testing Center, CASA Tutoring Center, Trio Student Support Services

Conference Session

Attracting Young Minds: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anant Kukreti, University of Cincinnati; Kenneth Simonson, University of Cincinnati; Kathleen Johnson, University of Cincinnati; Latiera Evans, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

one’s ability to relate new concepts and ideasto existing personal knowledge, and Cooperative Learning fosters this kind of interaction.Cooperative Learning’s broader impacts include: (1) Students develop collaboration skills thatthey can use for a lifetime. (2) There is a reduction in tutoring expenses since students beginrelying on each other for learning assistance. (3) Students experiencing academic difficulties areidentified earlier, so their peers can help them promptly.Supplemental Mentoring Opportunities for WomenAll women students had access to Peer Mentoring: University of Cincinnati’s College ofEngineering student government group organizes a “Big Brother/Big Sister” program thatmatches incoming freshmen with upperclassmen, ideally

Conference Session

New Research and Trends Related to Minorities in Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maria M. Larrondo Petrie, Florida Atlantic University; Ivan Esparragoza, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

, thefirst What Do You Want To Be? Explore Space Sciences includes 12 biographies ofcontemporary women scientist describing what she does, how she got there, and why she enjoysit. The next two books will focus on Earth Science and Health Sciences. The Sally Ride ScienceFestivals20 held in different locations, bring together more than 1,000 middle school girls, parentsand teachers.Education Unlimited21 offers a variety of summer programs for students in grades 4-12. TheirA+ Summer Programs22 held at Stanford University builds proficiency in logic, critical thinkingand writing skills, dividing students into two sessions: a 12 day camp for 11th and 12th graders23,and a 9 day camp for 9th and 10th graders24, which focus on critical thinking skills in