Academic Job Preparation for Underrepresented STEM  Dissertators, Postdoctoral Researchers, and Early Career Faculty:  Contributions to an Institutional Partnership Model for  Promoting Diversification of the Professoriate

Mehrube Mehrubeoglu; Kimberle Kelly; Shannon Walton; Rasheedah Richardson; Karen Butler-Purry; Scott King

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Conference: 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Start Date: June 26, 2022
End Date: June 29, 2022
Conference Session: CPDD Technical Session 2 - Trends in Student and Faculty Support
Page Count: 12
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--41692
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/41692
Download Count: 417

Paper Authors

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Mehrube Mehrubeoglu Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

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Dr. Mehrubeoglu received her B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. She earned her M.S. degree in Bioengineering and Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University. She is currently a Professor and Program Coordinator at the Department of Engineering at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She is interested in multidisciplinary research in imaging applications using a variety of imaging modalities, including thermal imaging, hyperspectral imaging, and other digital imaging technologies that engage targeted sensors, spatial and spectral data processing, pattern recognition and classification. She has engaged in research in data analytics and image segmentation using AI, and more recently, in IoT implementation of sensors and actuators. She also has a special interest in pedagogical methods in teaching and learning.

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Kimberle Kelly

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Shannon Walton Texas A&M University

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Shannon D. Walton is the Assistant Dean of Student Development and Success in the Graduate and Professional School. Shannon also serves as the Director of Educational Achievement for the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. Her responsibilities include the oversight of recruitment and retention of high quality, diverse graduate students, professional development, graduate student success and management of federal grants focused on developing a diverse pool of scientists and engineers earning PhDs, like the NSF-funded Alliance for the Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) and the NIH-funded Texas A&M Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD).

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Rasheedah Richardson Texas A&M University

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Dr. Ra'sheedah Richardson is the Associate Director of the Texas A&M University Center for Teaching Excellence. As Associate Director, Dr. Richardson supports center operations and staff and oversees the operations of several preparing future faculty programs, such as Academy for Future Faculty and Graduate Teaching Consultant. She also leads the Teaching Assistant Institute, a professional development experience for new Teaching Assistants. Dr. Richardson also serves as a campus representative for the nationally recognized Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL).
Dr. Richardson is devoted to the development of a national faculty committed to advancing effective teaching practices in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Her diverse teaching and research experiences, which span over two decades, have helped her to develop a pedagogical approach that allows her to relate to and engage learners of various demographic backgrounds and intellectual experiences. Dr. Richardson’s strengths are: Developer; Achiever; Arranger; Positivity; and Harmony.
Dr. Richardson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology in 2002; a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Science Education in 2004; and a Doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2012. Dr. Richardson’s research interests include: Preparation of Future Faculty and Graduate Student Professional Development in Teaching; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education; Scholarly Learning Communities; and Active Learning and Student Engagement.

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Karen Butler-Purry Texas A&M University

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Scott King Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

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Abstract

This paper presents the development of personalized job preparation and job search training and services for underrepresented STEM scholars as part of an institutional partnership model created to assist dissertators, postdoctoral researchers, and early career faculty along their path to joining and persisting in the professoriate. This work is part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) grant awarded to four university partners. The alliance goal is to develop, implement and study a model of STEM doctoral degree completion and the transition to successful postdoctoral fellowships and faculty careers for historically underrepresented minorities. Underrepresented Ph.D. candidates in STEM fields have long lacked role-models from similar demographic representations due to the small number of underrepresented faculty in STEM fields who can serve as role models and mentors. This has created systemic challenges in recruiting underrepresented students for PhD programs and retaining them into the professoriate. Institutions have been providing job preparation and job search support for their students through general career and related services, such as resume/CV writing, oral presentation skills, mock interviews, and access to employer databases. This type or support may not be the most valuable for Ph.D. dissertators and postdocs whose needs are unique and whose schedules are packed with multiple commitments.

In this paper, we discuss the approach to identifying and implementing multi-year job search and preparation activities to match the needs of underserved STEM scholars who started as Ph.D. candidates and moved towards academic positions at different rates. Sources of data informing the personalized training and services include perspectives of the project leadership, and feedback from the participating scholars collected as part of program evaluation. This feedback helped fine-tune the partnership model to provide participating scholars with the most meaningful support possible.

Findings suggest three design features of successful support: 1. While general training and support such as offered by career service centers are useful, specific support by STEM faculty with real-time efforts in applying for academic positions was more timely and valuable for URM scholars. 2. Transition support is critical as scholars’ needs shift from dissertator to postdoctoral researcher to early career faculty. For example, requests to review job applications early on were joined by interest in grant writing once scholars moved into their first post-dissertation academic positions. 3. Real time writing groups focused on proposal development and application portfolio development represent one of the most promising practices. Participants reported multiple academic, social, and motivational benefits resulting from the weekly meetings.

Particular attention to job search and preparation will provide value to underrepresented scholars and assist them to successfully secure and persist in academic positions.

Citation
Format

Mehrubeoglu, M., & Kelly, K., & Walton, S., & Richardson, R., & Butler-Purry, K., & King, S. (2022, August), Academic Job Preparation for Underrepresented STEM Dissertators, Postdoctoral Researchers, and Early Career Faculty: Contributions to an Institutional Partnership Model for Promoting Diversification of the Professoriate Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--41692

TY - CPAPER
AB - This paper presents the development of personalized job preparation and job search training and services for underrepresented STEM scholars as part of an institutional partnership model created to assist dissertators, postdoctoral researchers, and early career faculty along their path to joining and persisting in the professoriate. This work is part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) grant awarded to four university partners. The alliance goal is to develop, implement and study a model of STEM doctoral degree completion and the transition to successful postdoctoral fellowships and faculty careers for historically underrepresented minorities. Underrepresented Ph.D. candidates in STEM fields have long lacked role-models from similar demographic representations due to the small number of underrepresented faculty in STEM fields who can serve as role models and mentors. This has created systemic challenges in recruiting underrepresented students for PhD programs and retaining them into the professoriate. Institutions have been providing job preparation and job search support for their students through general career and related services, such as resume/CV writing, oral presentation skills, mock interviews, and access to employer databases. This type or support may not be the most valuable for Ph.D. dissertators and postdocs whose needs are unique and whose schedules are packed with multiple commitments.

In this paper, we discuss the approach to identifying and implementing multi-year job search and preparation activities to match the needs of underserved STEM scholars who started as Ph.D. candidates and moved towards academic positions at different rates. Sources of data informing the personalized training and services include perspectives of the project leadership, and feedback from the participating scholars collected as part of program evaluation. This feedback helped fine-tune the partnership model to provide participating scholars with the most meaningful support possible.

Findings suggest three design features of successful support:
1. While general training and support such as offered by career service centers are useful, specific support by STEM faculty with real-time efforts in applying for academic positions was more timely and valuable for URM scholars.
2. Transition support is critical as scholars’ needs shift from dissertator to postdoctoral researcher to early career faculty. For example, requests to review job applications early on were joined by interest in grant writing once scholars moved into their first post-dissertation academic positions.
3. Real time writing groups focused on proposal development and application portfolio development represent one of the most promising practices. Participants reported multiple academic, social, and motivational benefits resulting from the weekly meetings.

Particular attention to job search and preparation will provide value to underrepresented scholars and assist them to successfully secure and persist in academic positions.
AU - Mehrube Mehrubeoglu
AU - Kimberle Kelly
AU - Shannon Walton
AU - Rasheedah Richardson
AU - Karen Butler-Purry
AU - Scott King
CY - Minneapolis, MN
DA - 2022/08/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Academic Job Preparation for Underrepresented STEM Dissertators, Postdoctoral Researchers, and Early Career Faculty: Contributions to an Institutional Partnership Model for Promoting Diversification of the Professoriate
UR - https://peer.asee.org/41692
DO - 10.18260/1-2--41692
ER -