Conference Session

Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND) Technical Session 5

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Winifred Opoku, The Ohio State University; Monica Farmer Cox, The Ohio State University; Dira Melissa Delpech, The Ohio State University; Jameka Wiggins, The Ohio State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND)

Paper ID #47901Fostering Psychological Safe Spaces For Researchers: Insights From a Multi-InstitutionalResearch Collaboration (Research)Winifred Opoku, The Ohio State University Winifred Opoku is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Engineering Education at the College of Engineering. Before pursuing her PhD, she worked in the energy industry as a mechanical design engineer and corporate trainer. With diverse teaching and mentorship experience across first-year engineering, K-12, nonprofits, and corporate training, Winifred is an emerging scholar focused on creating inclusive and supportive learning environments. Her

Conference Session

Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND) Technical Session 16

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Skyler J Kern, University of Alaska Anchorage; Michele Yatchmeneff, University of Alaska Anchorage; Linda P Lazzell, University of Alaska Anchorage; Matt Calhoun, University of Alaska Anchorage

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND)

US Department of the Interior, they signed anagreement with ANSEP that allows for the direct hire of ANSEP students [10]. This includedgarnering industry and research laboratory positions, not only in remote locations of Alaska butalso nationally. This increase gave students more options to explore multiple areas of theirchosen STEM discipline and could help students discover more career possibilities. Internshipsare considered a way to have contact with one or more professional mentors [11]. Interns alsohave opportunities to learn from seasoned professionals, discover new areas of interest they hadnot considered, and possibly have a “foot in the door” for professional positions after graduation[11]. It also serves as a way of bringing more