BOARD # 453: S-STEM: Increasing the success of talented engineering students with unmet financial need with scholarships, culturally-responsive curriculum, and mentoring

Karina Ivette Vielma; Nehal I. Abu-Lail; Mehdi Shadaram; Eric M. Brey

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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/55834

Paper Authors

biography

Karina Ivette Vielma The University of Texas at San Antonio orcid.org/0000-0001-5452-8888

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Dr. Karina I. Vielma is a first-generation college student who dreamed big. As the eldest of five children, Dr. Vielma became very resourceful, attributing her skills to growing up in poverty. Her parents had high expectations for school and this prepare

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biography

Nehal I. Abu-Lail The University of Texas at San Antonio orcid.org/0000-0002-2319-2450

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Nehal I. Abu-Lail received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Jordan University of Science and Technology. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2004. She is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas San Antonio. Her research is focused on fundamental understanding of physiochemical cellular properties and interactions in environmental and biomedical systems, especially under stress. She is also interested in empowering students, especially minorities and first generation, through training programs and scholarships. She has published over 70 technical articles and presented her research in over 200 national meetings. She is currently teaching “Transport Phenomena I and II” courses in Chemical Engineering.

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Mehdi Shadaram P.E. The University of Texas at San Antonio

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Dr. Mehdi Shadaram is the Briscoe Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Associate Dean of Engineering and the founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Engineering Education at the University of Texas at

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Eric M. Brey The University of Texas at San Antonio

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Professor Eric Brey is Peter Flawn Distinguished Professor and Chair of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

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Abstract

Currently, participation of key student populations in the engineering workforce is limited, in large part due to student financial need1. Students from historically underrepresented groups (URGs) in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) including Latino/a/x, African Americans, and first-generation college students disproportionately experience financial need2, 3, higher levels of stress and anxiety4, and longer times to graduation5. To compound the problem, URGs, through no fault of their own, face additional challenges that decrease their persistence in engineering including inadequate mentoring and absence of a sense of belonging6. In a step towards addressing these challenges, this project provides financial scholarships to talented, domestic Biomedical and Chemical Engineering (BECE) students with documented financial need at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), to relieve some financial pressure and enable scholars to academically thrive and pursue successful careers as engineers. UTSA enrolls approximately 45% first-generation college-attendees and 49% of undergraduates come from low-income communities. Because of inadequate structural support in students’ educational pathways, an education debt7 prevents us from properly identifying students’ academic talents8. Current systems often identify academic talent with grades or test scores earned, but these methods may fail to acknowledge the lack of opportunity rather than the lack of achievement9. Additionally, traditional methods of instruction are still used in most engineering courses even in high poverty and low-income areas. Scholarships will be coupled with evidence-based, culturally-relevant and culturally-responsive (CR2) curricular and co-curricular activities informed by BCE specific needs. Using the theory of identity development and by implementing student-centered CR2 curriculum in core Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering courses, all BECE students will benefit from curricular and pedagogical course improvements. This paper will present the considerations, challenges, and decisions made in the initial stages of recruitment, selection, faculty CR2 professional development, research progress, and the ways used to leverage university resources to help identify and support students with financial need in the BECE Department. Additionally, the paper will provide lessons learned to inform the ways in which to tailor educational experiences to students with unmet financial need. Lessons learned are intended to inform other institutions and academic departments considering a need-based approach coupled with academic talent to provide financial assistance and new pedagogies in courses to students from low-income backgrounds. NSF #2322770

Citation
Format

Vielma, K. I., & Abu-Lail, N. I., & Shadaram, M., & Brey, E. M. (2025, June), BOARD # 453: S-STEM: Increasing the success of talented engineering students with unmet financial need with scholarships, culturally-responsive curriculum, and mentoring Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/55834

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Currently, participation of key student populations in the engineering workforce is limited, in large part due to student financial need1. Students from historically underrepresented groups (URGs) in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) including Latino/a/x, African Americans, and first-generation college students disproportionately experience financial need2, 3, higher levels of stress and anxiety4, and longer times to graduation5. To compound the problem, URGs, through no fault of their own, face additional challenges that decrease their persistence in engineering including inadequate mentoring and absence of a sense of belonging6. In a step towards addressing these challenges, this project provides financial scholarships to talented, domestic Biomedical and Chemical Engineering (BECE) students with documented financial need at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), to relieve some financial pressure and enable scholars to academically thrive and pursue successful careers as engineers. UTSA enrolls approximately 45% first-generation college-attendees and 49% of undergraduates come from low-income communities.  Because of inadequate structural support in students’ educational pathways, an education debt7 prevents us from properly identifying students’ academic talents8. Current systems often identify academic talent with grades or test scores earned, but these methods may fail to acknowledge the lack of opportunity rather than the lack of achievement9. Additionally, traditional methods of instruction are still used in most engineering courses even in high poverty and low-income areas. Scholarships will be coupled with evidence-based, culturally-relevant and culturally-responsive (CR2) curricular and co-curricular activities informed by BCE specific needs. Using the theory of identity development and by implementing student-centered CR2 curriculum in core Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering courses, all BECE students will benefit from curricular and pedagogical course improvements. This paper will present the considerations, challenges, and decisions made in the initial stages of recruitment, selection, faculty CR2 professional development, research progress, and the ways used to leverage university resources to help identify and support students with financial need in the BECE Department. Additionally, the paper will provide lessons learned to inform the ways in which to tailor educational experiences to students with unmet financial need. Lessons learned are intended to inform other institutions and academic departments considering a need-based approach coupled with academic talent to provide financial assistance and new pedagogies in courses to students from low-income backgrounds. NSF #2322770
AU  - Karina Ivette Vielma
AU  - Nehal I. Abu-Lail
AU  - Mehdi Shadaram P.E.
AU  - Eric M. Brey
CY  - Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
DA  - 2025/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - BOARD # 453: S-STEM: Increasing the success of talented engineering students with unmet financial need with scholarships, culturally-responsive curriculum, and mentoring
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/55834
ER  -