Copyright 2004, American Society for Engineering EducationThe Benefits of Mentoring, with Some CaveatsWhen asked to reflect on their career successes, many if not most people point to role modelswho helped and/or influenced them. In academe, mentoring programs for new faculty, bothformal and informal, have grown in number in recent years.5, 6 Many of those embarking on newcareers have concerns about their competence, their ability to succeed, and their understanding ofand ability to navigate the organizational culture in which they find themselves.6, 7 They oftenfeel isolated in their new milieu, and uncertain of exactly how to fulfill their job requirements,8, 9which can ultimately lead to feelings of alienation.6Research indicates that mentored
graduate students have had little instruction orpractice in writing and communicating as professionals. In addition, those whose firstlanguage is not English often need specialized instruction in writing and presenting inEnglish.This paper describes a series of four collaborative professional communicationsworkshops for engineering graduate students at the University of South Carolina Collegeof Engineering and Information Technology. Each of the workshops focused on a majorcommunications responsibility in engineering at the advanced degree level: teaching,dissertation writing, scholarly publication, and career-related communications. Eachsession included brief, informal presentations by engineering and communications facultyon communications
, CEESA Conference, NESA Conference. He was also Keynote Speaker at Bill Clinton’s School of Public Service, Valparaiso University and the Phi Beta Kappa Con- vention. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 From STEM to Startup: Empowering High School Youth with Entrepreneurial Skills through the TYE programAbstractSTEM fields rely heavily on innovation to solve complex problems and create newtechnologies. Entrepreneurship education nurtures students' ability to think creatively,identify opportunities, and develop innovative solutions, making them better equipped totackle the challenges they will encounter in their engineering and STEM careers. It preparesthem for future success
for Engineering Education, 2011 Development of Green Technology Curriculum AbstractThis paper will discuss the development of a training program for area professionals and a BSdegree in Sustainable Energy Systems Management at Southeast Missouri State University(Southeast). The curriculum is designed to serve as a career pathway toward developing a futureworkforce in green energy technologies. The process involved the assessment of needs of theregion, selection of advisory board members, identification of core competencies, developmentof course and lab curricula, development of training modules for business and industryprofessionals, and purchase of necessary equipment. The green technology skills that weretargeted were
Educator of the Year 2005, and the National Engineering Award in 2003, the highest honor given by AAES. In 2002 she was named the Distinguished Engineering Educator by the Society of Women Engineers. Her awards are based on her mentoring of students, especially women and underrepresented minority students, and her research in the areas of recruitment and retention. A SWE and ASEE Fellow, she is a frequent speaker on career opportunities and diversity in engineering.Armando Rodriguez, Arizona State University ARMANDO A. RODRIGUEZ is the Co-PI of an NSF STEP grant to work with five non-metropolitan community colleges to produce more engineers, especially female and underrepresented minority engineers
and social support have beenidentified as important to the career development and academic progress of all students”(Hackett, et al, 1992, p. 528)8; they contend that the stress and anxiety “…experienced bystudents in engineering programs might be a source of lowered academic and career self-efficacy” (p. 529)7 and go on to argue that “… coping skills and social support may moderate thepossibly detrimental effects of a stressful academic program,” (p.529)7. These findings“…provide some evidence for the relations of lower levels of stress and more social support toenhanced self-efficacy and academic achievement,” (Hackett, et al, 1992 p.535) 8 and seem toanticipate the recommendations of the National Academies of Science (2005) 12 and
signed rank test. Results reveal that the universitycourse increased teachers’ and engineering students’ self-efficacy to interest middle schoolstudents in engineering. A discussion is provided on pre-engineering education in after-schoolsettings and realizing broader impacts of STEM research through K12 outreach.IntroductionProviding K12 students early exposure to engineering education is an effective way to increasetheir interest to pursue STEM-related careers 1-3. Two common exposure strategies includeproject-based learning and informal learning environments 4-5. Although partnerships betweenuniversities, engineers, and teachers help provide students with engaging and relevant learningexperiences 6, they may present challenges. Teachers who
practice. Projects supported by the National Science Foundation include interdisciplinary pedagogy for pervasive computing design; writing across the curriculum in Statics courses; as well as a National Science Foun- dation CAREER award to explore the use of e-portfolios for graduate students to promote professional identity and reflective practice. Her teaching emphasizes the roles of engineers as communicators and educators, the foundations and evolution of the engineering education discipline, assessment methods, and evaluating communication in engineering.Wende Garrison, Virginia Tech Wende Garrison got her bachelor’s and master’s from Portland State University in Film & Television and Rhetoric &
Engineering, and Construction Management programs. Thecourse is taught every semester to both civil engineering (CE) and construction management(CM) students. The purpose of the course is to provide an introduction to the fields of civil,construction and environmental engineering and construction management. Students learn about:the process of being a civil engineer or construction manager; the scope of careers open tograduates; some of the procedures and methods used in engineering design; how to workeffectively on open-ended problems under constraints of time; how to work effectively on smallteams and communicate ideas; and how to develop an understanding of professional and ethicalresponsibility. The previous iterations of the course featured
known for many years [1], [2], [3]. This gap has persisteddespite pedagogical and curricular changes, such as PBL, CDIO, capstone courses, and thebroader integration of professional skills into engineering education [4], [5], [6] [7], [8].Additionally, research documents the dissatisfaction of many early career engineers with theircareers [1], [9], [10], and their frustrations mirror those of their employers: they did notanticipate the integrated nature of professional skills in modern engineering work. Much of thisdissatisfaction, then, can be attributed to not just a “readiness gap” but also to an “expectationgap,” meaning that many engineering students have an unclear or mistaken vision of their futurework [1], [9], [11], [12]. Despite the
design process. Ignite’sHealth program is guided by constructivist and resilience theories and seeks to empowersecondary-aged students to grow their skill sets in biomedical engineering and encourage them topursue science-oriented careers in the future. Constructivist theory emphasizes the active role thatstudents play in the learning process by drawing upon their past experiences to generate newknowledge. Resilience theory focuses on facilitating students’ ability to adapt to and navigatesetbacks.Data was collected from surveys and interviews conducted during three middle and three highschool implementations between 2021 and 2024. An analysis of the data revealed that Ignite Healthparticipants experienced increased confidence in their STEM
study [9]found that family plans do not affect female students’ attrition from engineering majors.However, the study reported that the lack of professional role confidence in females reduces thechance of persisting in the engineering major and profession.Despite these challenges, some studies show that appropriate intervention and supportivemeasures can help to improve retention rates of women students. It can be improved byincorporating several social factors such as warmth, flexibility, more feminine nature of theprogram and career opportunities to draw more women to engineering [10]. [11], [12] found thatfostering a sense of belonging and providing support networks such as women in engineeringgroups, peer mentoring, female role models and
research, and how to properly keep alaboratory notebook. The academic development workshops include time management, studyskills, understanding a scientific article, library use, and preparing a poster and a presentation.The professional development workshops offered are Resume Writing, Latino Leadership inSTEM, Leadership Skills and Development, and Careers in STEM. In the second week studentsstart researching with their faculty mentor. A program requirement is that students attend weeklybrown bag workshops throughout the 8 weeks to further connect them, facilitate their transitionto the campus, and to foster a Latino student research culture. Brown Bag workshops includeScientific Writing, Abstract Preparation, Graduate School Preparation, Oral
]. Sentence embedding models take in a sentence or paragraph as input and generate asingle embedding as output [3].We use an embedding similarity technique in an application of Engineering Education (EngE)research. EngE emerged as a research field in the early 2000s, a notable shift away from a solepedagogical focus [4]. Around the same time, newly formed engineering discipline-basedacademic units began offering PhDs and other graduate degrees in EngE to prepare students forfuture faculty careers [5]. These programs recognized that candidates qualified in engineeringwho could also bring expertise in pedagogy and assessment would be especially desirable foracademic jobs [5]. In the years following, scholars came together to establish the boundaries
evidence-based practices targeting the participants’ sense of belonging, self-efficacy beliefs, goal-oriented motivation, and engineering identities. With respect to engineeringidentity and recognition, the cohort program aimed to reduce barriers and create access to co-curricular activities including research and internships. Activities included career fair attendance,career panels, resume and networking workshops, and career-oriented mentoring. By graduation,11 of the 14 participants had worked at least one industry internship. Although this populationrepresents a higher percentage of students who had an internship experience compared to thenational average [38], these participants emphasize the value of these experiences when they canaccess
fourgenerated themes along with their implications.The findings suggest that further research is warranted on the role of short-cycleprograms within the Portuguese polytechnic sector in providing routes to help youngwomen overcome obstacles and be successful on STEM degree programs.In a broader context, they also suggest that outreach initiatives geared towardsschoolgirls and their families could benefit from emphasizing how STEM degrees canprovide a wide range of career options and are a good alternative for those still unsurewhat future career to pursue.IntroductionWhen the Carnation Revolution in 1974 ended 48 years of dictatorship in Portugal,higher education was the preserve of an urban elite minority and predominantly servedmale students
engineering. During his thirty years plus at Houston Community College, he has formed collaborations across the country that have provided the opportunity for HCC students to participate in innovative research and materials programs. A significant number of these students have completed their undergraduate education, entered and finished their graduate education, and transitioned to careers. Mr. Sheinberg has Bachelor’s Degrees from the University of Texas (Austin) and University of Houston and a Master’s Degree from the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (Houston). He serves on numerous regional, state and national committees. He is married to Beth Finefield, and they reside in Kingwood, TX.Dr
, staff and students are valued for their unique cultures, experiences and perspectives. The EOD identifies high qualified undergraduate students and assists in their preparation for graduate research and education by building a diverse workforce and student body and by developing equitable academic supports designed to meet the academic needs of the student body without discrimination. Dr. Wosu has developed and directed mentoring programs for preparing women and underrepresented college students for graduate education, and high school students for college careers. Since coming to the University of Pittsburgh, he has created several programs including the Pitt Engineering Career Access Program (PECAP), a program to
engagement projects, evaluation tools and tech- nology, and gender issues in STEM education. https://orcid.org/0000- 0002-0383-0179Prof. Marcela Silva, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile Marcela Silva is the Academic Director at the Engineering Faculty of the Andres Bello University in Campus Santiago. She works as a teacher in the Construction Engineering career and supports innovation and entrepreneurship courses. She obtained a BacheloDr. Carolina Alvarado, California State University, Chico Dr. Alvarado is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Science Education at California State University, Chico. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics and a doctorate in Physics Education from
(e.g., theoretical, empirical, case study, etc.), student outcomes from therespective story-driven learning approaches tended to align across articles. Most commonly,outcomes tended to involve at least one of the following areas: 1) leadership and career skills, 2)well-being, 3) empowerment among marginalized groups, 4) self-concept clarity, 5) empathy andsense of belonging, and 6) learning skills and engagement. While the results from our analysisrevealed a relative paucity of story-driven learning in higher education, the conclusions show arange of positive impacts for students—highlighting the potential utility of story-driven learning. 2
the decreasing number of tenure-track positions,it become increasingly important to learn whether or not the declining number of tenure-trackpositions may hamper the ability of colleges and universities to attract and retain women facultyin these disciplines in the future. Page 13.944.2Women in STEM DisciplinesApproximately half the potential STEM talent pool at the entering undergraduate level consistsof women. Therefore, in 2000, a United States government commission, reporting to the Houseof Representatives, was charged with developing strategies to attract more women and minoritiesin STEM careers. The report indicated that significant
Engineering Undergraduates Concurrently Seeking K-12 STEM Teacher Licensure: Fuels the Soul or Too Many Barriers?IntroductionThe benefits of infusing K-12 education with engineering—specifically engineering design anddesign habits of mind—is well established; engineering design is a powerful vehicle for scienceand math education [1]. Engineering education research suggests that students who are exposedto engineering topics during their elementary and secondary years are more motivated to enrolland succeed in advanced science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses inmiddle and high school, as well as eventually pursue engineering and other STEM careers [1, 2].Moreover, students who enter undergraduate engineering programs
influencing their perceptions of engineers and attitudes towardengineering as a career. Subsequent evaluations comparing single-gender vs mixed-genderprograms including male-only programs had mixed results. The current study is a more rigorousexamination of gains in content knowledge and takes a closer look at the issues of self-efficacy,gender equity and qualitative perceptions of engineers using the Middle School Attitudes towardEngineering and Knowledge of Engineering Careers Survey and the Draw an Engineering Testin equivalent post 4th grade female-only, male-only and mixed-gender programs. Previousevaluations included higher-grade programs with some returning students that had alreadyparticipated in other program(s) so they had some prior
in engineering and developing a betterunderstanding of their experiences and motivations as compared to direct-pathway students,those students who begin a PhD shortly after completing their undergraduate degree. This paperfocuses on the findings of this first survey phase, specifically findings related to describingreturners’ past work and education experiences, their processes for deciding to pursue a PhD andselecting an institution, information about their PhD programs, and their plans upon completingthe degree. We aim to use findings from our study to inform efforts to better recruit graduatereturners, support these students throughout their academic careers, and learn more to betterutilize their unique skills and perspectives within both
investigating students’ development of leadership skills and other professional competencies and in students’ involvement in curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Dr. Simmons is a NSF CAREER award recipient for her research entitled, ”Investigating Co-Curricular Participation of Students Underrepresented in Engineering.” Page 26.1450.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2015Synthesis of Engineering Undergraduate Students’ Out of Class InvolvementAbstractAs engineering educators prepare more high-quality engineers for the global workforce, moreemphasis has been
students’perception of the relevance of physics and mathematics to their professional career, which is, inthis case, engineering. In this study 232 students taking first and second year physics and mathcourses at a large private university in Chile participated. We used a Likert-scale instrument inwhich students chose from a “Totally agree” to “Totally disagree” scale of statements related torelevance of science and mathematics for future career and study. The results of this studydiscuss four aspects: 1) the students’ perceptions of the relevance of physics and mathematics ofscholar engineering and professional engineering practices, 2) the comparison of students’perceptions of the relevance of physics to that of mathematics, 3) gender differences on
onlyafter applying the material.Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK), a Hispanic Serving Institution, is offeringCASCaded Mentoring And Design Experiences (CASCADE), an NSF Science, Technology,Engineering and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP) to their engineering students. Page 26.331.4The overall goal of CASCADE is to increase the quantity, quality, and diversity of TAMUKstudents who successfully earn an engineering baccalaureate degree. CASCADE engagesengineering students in design exercises and experiences throughout their academicundergraduate careers, and provides student support in an innovative configuration of cascadedpeer
theirfamily7 and FGS take fewer risks in college8, are more afraid of failure9, and are more likely tochoose majors with high earning potential8. When examining FGS in the context of engineering,work has shown FGS often choose against majoring in engineering because of not havingengineering prerequisites10. FGS that choose to major in engineering show more career interestthan the CGS11. FGS students in engineering also have statistically different social capitalcharacteristics and accessed resources compared to CGS showing that FGS students aresuccessful, but use different resources to gain entry and persist in engineering12. We seek tocontinue advancement in the understanding of the experiences of FG engineering students,through examination of
the Dissertation Institute, a one-week workshop each summer funded by NSF, to help underrepresented students develop the skills and writing habits to complete doctorate degrees in engineering. Across all of her research avenues, Dr. Matusovich has been a PI/Co-PI on 12 funded research projects including the NSF CAREER Award with her share of funding be ingnearly $2.3 million. She has co-authored 2 book chapters, 21 journal publications and more than 70 conference papers. She has won several Virginia Tech awards including a Dean’s Award for Outstanding New Faculty, an Outstanding Teacher Award and a Faculty Fellow Award. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, an M.S. in Materials Science
. Boudreaux-Bartels has been very active with outreach activities that encourage young women or under represented ethnic minority students to consider careers in science, math or engineering. She has served as the faculty advisor for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) for 20 years, and as interim faculty advisor for the URI National Society of Black Engineers and the URI Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. She co-directed an annual URI summer Bridge program that introduces first year, female engineering students to careers in engineering. She participates in the annual URI SMILE (Science and Math in an Integrated Learning Environment) Engineering Design Challenge Weekend