Conference Session

Cultivating Engineering Scholarship and Research Mindsets Among URM Students

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sedig Salem Agili, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg; Aldo Morales, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg; Linda M. Null, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg; Janice E. Smith, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg; Sofia M. Vidalis, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

, Harrisburg Sofia Vidalis is an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering/Structural Design and Con- Page 26.1325.1 struction Engineering Technology at Penn State Harrisburg. She received her Ph.D., Masters, and Bach- elors in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida. She has worked at Florida Design Consultants as a Transportation Engineer. She is an active national and local member of American Society of Civil Engineers and American Society of Engineering Education. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015 Reflections on

Conference Session

Building Pathways that Promote Pursuit/Persistence in Engineering

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Corey E. Baker, University of Florida, Gainesville; Justin Dunnavant, University of Florida, Gainesville; Janise McNair, University of Florida

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

, he concluded that “racially/culturally diversified campus environmentsdo more than appear or ‘sound’ good, they promote cognitive growth and complexthinking.” 13Diversity is equally as significant in the industrial sector as well. As tech companies continue toengage in relationships with more diverse clients and partners, cultural sensitivity and culturalcompetency become increasingly important. Additionally, it is important to ensure thatupper-level managerial positions reflect the diversity that companies hope to achieve. In one casestudy, an unnamed SV company sought to employ a URM woman in their CFO positionspecifically to foster relationships with clients and partners from diverse background and to serveas a role model for women in the

Conference Session

Cultivating Engineering Scholarship and Research Mindsets Among URM Students

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David M. Ford, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Paula Rees, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Kathleen G. Rubin, University of Massachusetts Amherst

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

Science Foundation S-STEM (Scholarshipsin Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grants on undergraduate minorityengineering transfer student retention and development during the period 2007-13 in the Collegeof Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The programs were designed toovercome known barriers to persistence of transfer students from community college, includinglack of engagement on campus, underdeveloped professional work ethic and goals, deficientstudy habits, fewer opportunities to gain practical competence/reflection on learning, andworking for pay. The elements of the programs included cohorting, team-building, mentoring,tutoring, and advising, as well as monetary support in the form of scholarships

Conference Session

Shaping the Future: Structured Mentoring for Today's Diverse Engineering Student Populations

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joi-lynn Mondisa, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Cordelia M. Brown, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Robin Adams, Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

tapping into pools of underrepresented populations such as African-Americans1,2 . To address the call, it is critical to examine the African-American science, technology,engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate experience and to understand how theexperiences of underrepresented populations influence decisions to go into and persist in STEMmajors 3-5. But what do we really understand about the African-American STEM collegeexperience? What can we learn from the experiences and reflections of African-AmericanSTEM PhD mentors about the African-American college experience and how to navigate it? Inthis paper, we examine the reflections and insights of an African-American STEM mentor usinga narrative analysis method. This research study

Conference Session

Shaping the Future: Structured Mentoring for Today's Diverse Engineering Student Populations

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jessica Alyce Wilson, University of South Florida; Jonathan Elliot Gaines, University of South Florida; Deonte Cooper, Bulls-Eye

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

development. Reflection and reciprocity are keyconcepts of service-learning” (p. 5). This reference also comes from a field outside of STEM, and acknowledges student engagementin activities to address human needs, while listing reciprocity as a key component. Furthermore, acknowledging the reference ofexperiential learning and its connection to John Dewey13, Paulo Freire, and social justice/change8,32,14,43, which further contribute tothe human aspect that is embedded in service learning9. These components directly connect to support of underrepresented studentpopulations, and need to be highlighted in STEM service-learning programs in order to alter current concerns as it relates to retainingthese student populations. The service-learning

Conference Session

Moving the Needle: The Complexities of Race and Gender in Engineering Education

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kelly J. Cross, Virginia Tech; Marie C. Paretti, Virginia Tech

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

cases, the spring represented the continuation of a project begun in the fall (e.g., for asenior design class). The semi-structured interviews 1) gathered background information aboutparticipants, 2) explored participants’ descriptions of the team functionality during the project,and 3) asked participants to reflect on the experience in the context of their engineeringeducation and identities. Each interview was audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Typically,the interviews lasted 45 minutes and each was conducted as least three weeks a part.For each participant, data analysis followed the process outlined by Hycner [9] and included thefollowing general steps: 1. Bracket or block out personal views of the phenomenon of interest to minimize

Conference Session

Shaping the Future: Structured Mentoring for Today's Diverse Engineering Student Populations

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Courtney S. Smith, Virginia Tech; Marie C. Paretti, Virginia Tech

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

Page 26.1625.8coders then worked together to negotiate consensus definitions for the groupings such that eachgroup was finally characterized by its differences from other categories as well as the similaritiesamong quotations within the group.ResultsThe preliminary data analysis yielded three major aspects that seemed to dictate the meaning ofmentoring within each relationship: context, formation and tone (Table 1). Context reflects thegeneral scope of the relationship, including both its focus and the dynamic between mentor andmentor. Formation represents the way in which the relationship was initiated, and in someinstances how it was maintained. Finally, tone reflects the general attitude of the mentor thatformed the basis of the student

Conference Session

Curricular and Non-curricular Models for Diverse Learners in Engineering

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gustavo B. Menezes, California State University, Los Angeles; Adel A. Sharif, California State University, Los Angeles; Arturo Pacheco-Vega, California State University, Los Angeles; Deborah Soonmee Won, California State University, Los Angeles; Tonatiuh Rodriguez-Nikl, California State University, Los Angeles; Gisele Ragusa, University of Southern California; Crist Simon Khachikian, California State University, Northridge

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

academic challenges. These programs have significantly reduced the time studentsspend in remedial English and mathematics courses and have increased the first-year retentionrates. Nevertheless, these first-year improvements do not often reflect on the overall retentionand graduation rates. In fact, contrary to what might be assumed, strong first-year supportprograms, which have received the bulk of the attention in the literature, can degrade sophomoreperformance for a variety of reasons1,2. These observations have led to the suggestion thatsophomore-specific programs are necessary to support rising students3. In many cases, thevanishing effect of first-year programs on later years has been attributed to the fact that studentstransition from a

Conference Session

Interest and Movitation: Formulating New Paradigms to Increase URM Participation in Engineering

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michele Yatchmeneff, Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

of the codes to correspond to the coding as being motivational or beingdemotivation.Saldaña48 describes “Analytic Memos” as “a place to ‘dump your brain’ about the participants,phenomenon, or process under investigation by thinking and thus writing and thus thinking evenmore about them” (p. 41). “Analytic Memos” are also can act as a ”prompt or trigger for writtenreflection on the deeper and complex meanings it evokes”48 (p. 42). Examples of “AnalyticMemos” that Saldaña48 provides includes reflections about personal connections to the data, Page 26.94.9study’s research questions, codes, definitions, patterns, categories, themes, concepts

Conference Session

Curricular and Non-curricular Models for Diverse Learners in Engineering

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Julie P. Martin, Clemson University; Stacey D. Garrett, Clemson University; Stephanie G. Adams, Virginia Tech; Jamora Hamilton, Clemson University

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

occurs during interpretive research, we offerthe following reflections regarding our backgrounds, “conceptual baggage”13 and insights relatedto this research.Julie’s career vision is to be a national catalyst for increasing the diversity of students inengineering, and to help all students—particularly those who are underrepresented— achievetheir academic, professional and personal goals. She is a faculty member at a predominantlyWhite institution, where she has taught large-enrollment freshman and sophomore levelengineering courses. In her previous position at a diverse institution, she was the foundingwomen-in-engineering program director and director of recruitment and retention. Her studentaffairs and teaching experience, combined with her

Conference Session

Cultivating Engineering Scholarship and Research Mindsets Among URM Students

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Homero Murzi, Virginia Tech; Thomas Martin, Virginia Tech; Lisa D. McNair, Virginia Tech; Marie C. Paretti, Virginia Tech

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

National Science Foundation include exploring disciplines as cultures, interdisciplinary pedagogy for pervasive computing design; writing across the curriculum in Statics courses; as well as a CAREER award to explore the use of e-portfolios to promote professional identity and reflective practice.Dr. Marie C Paretti, Virginia Tech Marie C. Paretti is an Associate Professor of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, where she co- directs the Virginia Tech Engineering Communications Center (VTECC). Her research focuses on com- munication in engineering design, interdisciplinary communication and collaboration, design education, and gender in engineering. She was awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation

Conference Session

Interactive Panel on Perspectives and Practical Skills for Men as Advocates for Gender Equity

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lawrence J. Genalo, Iowa State University; Roger A. Green, North Dakota State University; Beth M Holloway, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Archie L Holmes Jr., University of Virginia; Brian P Kirkmeyer, Miami University; Klod Kokini, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Daniel Lopresti, Lehigh University; Adrienne Minerick, Michigan Technological University; Beena Sukumaran, Rowan University

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Leadership Development Division, Minorities in Engineering, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering, Women in Engineering

country, but it is a major barrier at my institution.I otherwise believe that advocacy needs to be a formalized institution-level mission and goal, andit must be genuine. If it is not for the right reasons (such as public relations), then thoseindividuals within the institution will see through it and potentially lose confidence and morale.It cannot simply be words or data; there has to be action, and institutions cannot fake this. I alsobelieve that it is a barrier if the leaders of the institution do not speak and act consistentlybetween their public and internal personas. These leaders cannot speak of how important equityis and then internally emphasize efforts that do not reflect this

Conference Session

Moving the Needle: The Complexities of Race and Gender in Engineering Education

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Monique S. Ross, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Trina L. Fletcher, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Monica Farmer Cox, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Joyce B. Main, Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

process was fair29. In one study, participants challenged the merits of tenure if itdoes not allow for research and service in the areas of diversity32. One participant explicitlyrecounted her department chair recommending she remove all diversity-related efforts from hertenure packet because she did not want to be “[…] known as an Affirmative Action [supporter],”as it would reflect negatively before the committee32. Success. Success is defined in many ways. One study explicitly explored the definition ofsuccess for Black female faculty to shed light on unique motivations of this demographic33.While one participant listed gaining tenure at a predominately white institution and publishing intop journals as success33. The rest of the

Conference Session

Interest and Movitation: Formulating New Paradigms to Increase URM Participation in Engineering

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jonathan Miorelli, Colorado School of Mines; Barbara M. Moskal, Colorado School of Mines; Jerry Dwyer, Texas Tech University

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

visits from practicingprofessionals within the field. This may be promising news for the K-12 classroom, in that thisrequires the re-definition of what students do in the classroom, not the acquisition of additionalspeakers. Locating willing STEM speakers can be challenging; securing motivational speakerscan be close to impossible.AcknowledgementsThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No.0930257. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in the materialare those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National ScienceFoundation.References1. National Research Council. Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science

Conference Session

Interactive Panel on Improving the Experiences of Marginalized Students on Engineering Design Teams

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lorelle A Meadows, Michigan Technological University; Denise Sekaquaptewa, University of Michigan; Marie C Paretti, Virginia Tech; Alice L. Pawley, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Shawn S. Jordan, Arizona State University, Polytechnic campus; Debbie Chachra, Olin College of Engineering; Adrienne Minerick, Michigan Technological University

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education, Electrical and Computer, Engineering Libraries, First-Year Programs, Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Minorities in Engineering, Student, Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering, Women in Engineering

distinct from sex. Connellnotes that gender is not a supposedly biologically-obvious division between men and women, butinstead the way human society collectively makes relevant these reproductive distinctions Page 26.1007.5between human bodies in a social context. For us, the context is engineering education. In its  simplest form, gender reflects the set of characteristics, behaviors, and practices that we think ofas “feminine” or “masculine” – characteristics that any individual biological male or female mayor may not embody.Race, like gender, is not a biological category but a social one. And unlike sex, race has nobiological basis, despite a

Conference Session

Interest and Movitation: Formulating New Paradigms to Increase URM Participation in Engineering

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dina Verdin, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Allison Godwin, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Jennifer Lynne Morazes, Brandeis University

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

representation of engineering solutions to better reflect thedemographics of the U.S. population42. However, there are few actions targeting explicitly first-generation college students in engineering, this population is not specifically targeted in typicalrecruitment or outreach efforts, although this group has been growing in numbers and offersignificant opportunities to the nation’s engineering workforce23. First-generation collegestudents are more likely to be of Hispanic origin and historically, this group has not had as higheducational attainment as majority groups. In the years to come, this group is projected to growsignificantly and will soon outweigh other populations in college enrollment23. This increasewill likely result in not only more

Conference Session

Shaping the Future: Structured Mentoring for Today's Diverse Engineering Student Populations

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jonathan Gordon, Georgia Institute of Technology; Comas Lamar Haynes, Georgia Institute of Technology; Gary S. May, Georgia Institute of Technology

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

45.2% 24.3% 17.8%Professional/PostdoctoralOther job function 54.8% 75.7% 86.6%N 31 37 415Notes: Χ2 = 13.87; df = 2; p = .001The second research question addressed whether there were differences in terms of preparationin a variety of knowledge, skills, and abilities. The survey asked alumni to reflect on theirgraduate education as well as to describe their current career situation. Retrospectively, alumniwere asked the extent to which they agreed that {institution withheld} adequately prepared themin a variety of skills, abilities, and attributes. A priori, 15

Conference Session

Moving the Needle: The Complexities of Race and Gender in Engineering Education

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Keith J. Bowman, Illinois Institute of Technology

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

PhD DegreesDiscussionThe results shown here demonstrate separation of demographic data for engineeringdegrees by both gender and race and by discipline and degree level is essential tounderstand changes that may be occurring within the disciplines of engineering.12Overall, the disturbing decreases in engineering BS degrees and much slower rate ofincrease in MS degrees for African American women both need attention to understandwhy this change might be occurring.13 We also might reflect on how well we areassessing demographic outcomes such that these changes have gone relatively unnoticed Page 26.618.15until now.3,14,15The relative positive increases

Conference Session

Building Pathways that Promote Pursuit/Persistence in Engineering

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ebony Omotola McGee, Vanderbilt University; William H. Robinson, Vanderbilt University; Lydia C. Bentley, Vanderbilt University; Stacey Houston II, Vanderbilt University

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

Page 26.555.14described as avoiding dealing with racial issues. Working at a more liberal university, onedirector observed that the institution was “mute” when it came to crucial discussions about race.Despite this backdrop of often discouraging institutional climates, multiple program directorsevidenced a determination to act as forces of change, promoting diversity within engineering andrelated disciplines. Perspectives of Black Faculty in Engineering. Presented in this section are preliminaryfindings of 26 pre and post tenure Black engineering faculty, along with reflections of facultyrepresented by 3 Black engineering deans who participated in private interviews. In theinterviews with current Black faculty in engineering, we

Conference Session

Building Pathways that Promote Pursuit/Persistence in Engineering

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bette Grauer P.E., Kansas State University; Linda P. Thurston Ph.D., Kansas State University; Beth A. Montelone, Kansas State University

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

military veterans in STEM fields. This reflects thelocations of Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley, and McConnell Air Force Base in the state and highenrollments of military-associated individuals and veterans at all partner institutions.New programmatic offerings created as part of the project include a Math Boot Camp, STEMAlternative Spring Break, a Writing Lab, specific-by-major Transfer Advising Guides, a groupvisit to complement the Admissions Office’s Transfer Student Visit Day, and a summer researchexperience program, Research Immersion: Pathways to STEM (RIPS). Since the partnerinstitutions are two-year colleges, the emphasis of this project is on the transitions between highschool and community college and community college and four-year

Conference Session

Assessing URM Programs Targeting the K-16 Continuum

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Walter C. Lee, Virginia Tech; Holly M. Matusovich, Virginia Tech

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Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

the use of co-curricular support to improve the institutionalexperience of undergraduate engineering students. Page 26.1157.11AcknowledgementsThe authors thank Cynthia Hampton for contributing to the validity of this study. Additionally,this material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) GraduateResearch Fellowship Program (GRFP). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions in this materialare those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.References1. C. Morrison and L. E. Williams, Minority Engineering Programs: A Case for Institutional Support, NACME Research Newsletter, 4(1

Conference Session

Assessing URM Programs Targeting the K-16 Continuum

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pablo Biswas, The Mercer University; Rohitha Goonatilake, Texas A&M International University; Gerardo Javier Pinzon P.E., Texas A&M International University; Mahmoud Khasawneh, Texas A&M International University

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Diversity

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Minorities in Engineering

recommend this workshop to others. Moreover, the resultsclearly show that the workshop was very well received by the participants. In addition, theaverage of all the survey questions from all respondents was 4.34 out of 5.0. The studentcomments on the survey reflected that: 1) speakers should come from different engineeringbackgrounds as opposed to all from civil engineering; 2) students indicated their desire to spendmore time working on the projects; 3) students liked the motivated speakers; 4) students wantedto have more field trips to engineering firms; and 5) students like to know about all the projectsinvolved in the workshop.The overall feedback question is presented in Appendix A. From the data collected it is obviousthat the workshop was