BOARD # 422: Post-graduation outcomes of and supervisor satisfaction with graduates of a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT)

Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez; Carissa B. Schutzman; Teresa Michelle Encalada

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Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session II
Tagged Topic: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 6
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55800

Paper Authors

biography

Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez University of Kentucky

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Dr. Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez is PI and project coordinator of a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) program designed to enhance graduate education by fully integrating research and professional skill development within a diverse, inclusive and supportive academy. Originally from Mexico, Dr. Santillan-Jimenez joined the University of Kentucky (UK) first as an undergraduate research intern and then as a graduate student performing his doctoral research at the UK Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) and at the University of Alicante (Spain). After obtaining his Ph.D. in 2008, he worked
as a postdoctoral fellow at Utrecht University (The Netherlands) prior to returning to UK, where he now holds the positions of Associate Director at CAER and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry. His current research focuses on the application of heterogeneous catalysis to the production of
renewable fuels and chemicals, with emphasis on the upgrading of algae and waste oils to drop-in hydrocarbon fuels. His synergistic activities include participating in a number of K-20 educational initiatives designed to increase and broaden participation in STEM fields.

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Carissa B. Schutzman Ph.D. University of Cincinnati orcid.org/0000-0001-5453-5973

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Dr. Carissa Schutzman is Executive Director of the University of Cincinnati Evaluation Services Center. In 2020 she joined the Center where she leads evaluation and research projects and represents UCESC within the university and the community.

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Teresa Michelle Encalada University of Cincinnati

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Abstract

A National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) that is currently in its sixth (no-cost extension) year aims to enhance graduate education by integrating research and professional skill development within a diverse, inclusive, and supportive academy. This NRT aims to enhance graduate student preparation for employment in the public and private sectors – i.e., academia, government, nonprofit, and industry – through training that integrates education, research, and professional development with multiple experiential activities that expose trainees to a diverse array of individuals, sites, and organizations representing various career options.

This contribution will describe the career exploration offerings of this NRT, which is focused on Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS). In addition, this contribution will share the experiences and perspectives of program graduates and their post-graduation supervisors. In so doing, this contribution will address an important gap in the literature, which is scant of reports dealing with the post-graduation outcomes of graduate traineeships in STEM due to the challenges inherent to performing this type of longitudinal inquiry.

Career development in this NRT included a four-pronged approach that spanned the entirety of the graduate program and included 1) transferable skill development; 2) interdisciplinary research; 3) career and research symposia; as well as 4) field trips, internships, and international opportunities. Evaluation of these interventions was conducted across time via pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys with corresponding measures and via focus groups. In this contribution, both assessment and outcomes will be discussed.

In addition to the survey and focus group data, interviews of graduates from this NRT on INFEWS provided retrospective thoughts on the perceived influence of each career development intervention. Purposive sampling was conducted to represent diverse career pathways and employment settings of NRT graduates who were asked to discuss which experiences were most and least impactful as well as their goals for continued professional growth. Employers were asked to provide general comments from a global perspective on preparedness and professionalism of NRT graduates.

Citation
Format

Santillan-Jimenez, E., & Schutzman, C. B., & Encalada, T. M. (2025, June), BOARD # 422: Post-graduation outcomes of and supervisor satisfaction with graduates of a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/55800

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - A National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) that is currently in its sixth (no-cost extension) year aims to enhance graduate education by integrating research and professional skill development within a diverse, inclusive, and supportive academy. This NRT aims to enhance graduate student preparation for employment in the public and private sectors – i.e., academia, government, nonprofit, and industry – through training that integrates education, research, and professional development with multiple experiential activities that expose trainees to a diverse array of individuals, sites, and organizations representing various career options. 

This contribution will describe the career exploration offerings of this NRT, which is focused on Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS). In addition, this contribution will share the experiences and perspectives of program graduates and their post-graduation supervisors. In so doing, this contribution will address an important gap in the literature, which is scant of reports dealing with the post-graduation outcomes of graduate traineeships in STEM due to the challenges inherent to performing this type of longitudinal inquiry.

Career development in this NRT included a four-pronged approach that spanned the entirety of the graduate program and included 1) transferable skill development; 2) interdisciplinary research; 3) career and research symposia; as well as 4) field trips, internships, and international opportunities. Evaluation of these interventions was conducted across time via pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys with corresponding measures and via focus groups. In this contribution, both assessment and outcomes will be discussed.  

In addition to the survey and focus group data, interviews of graduates from this NRT on INFEWS provided retrospective thoughts on the perceived influence of each career development intervention. Purposive sampling was conducted to represent diverse career pathways and employment settings of NRT graduates who were asked to discuss which experiences were most and least impactful as well as their goals for continued professional growth. Employers were asked to provide general comments from a global perspective on preparedness and professionalism of NRT graduates.

AU  - Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez
AU  - Carissa B. Schutzman Ph.D.
AU  - Teresa Michelle Encalada
CY  - Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
DA  - 2025/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - BOARD # 422: Post-graduation outcomes of and supervisor satisfaction with graduates of a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT)
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/55800
ER  -