Board 68: USE4WRM: Recruitment and Retention for Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Management Programs

Ramanitharan Kandiah; Krishna Kumar V. Nedunuri; Edison Perdomo

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Conference: 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Publication Date: June 23, 2018
Start Date: June 23, 2018
End Date: July 27, 2018
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topics: Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 9
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--30085
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/30085
Download Count: 381

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Paper Authors

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Ramanitharan Kandiah P.E. Central State University orcid.org/0000-0002-7778-8110

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Professor of Environmental Engineering, Department of Water Resources Management, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio. He is a co-author of the textbook, 'Introduction to Water Resources'. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil engineering from Tulane University and a registered Professional Civil Engineer in Ohio.

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Krishna Kumar V. Nedunuri Central State University

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Dr. Nedunuri is Professor and Head of Environmental Engineering at Central State University (CSU) in the International Center for Water Resources Management (ICWRM). He currently teaches Water Chemistry, Water Supply, and Groundwater Hydraulics. He has been actively involved in Faculty Development infusing inquiry methods in traditional classroom environments at CSU. He earned his Ph.D. in the Environmental and Hydraulic Engineering area of the School of Civil Engineering from Purdue University (1999). He received his M.S. in Chemical Engineering Science (1992) from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India, and B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India (1986). His main areas of research interest are in flow through porous media, subsurface flow and contaminant transport, phytoremediation, ecological restoration and mathematical modeling of environmental systems. He specializes in providing access to undergraduate education in engineering and sciences to underrepresented minorities.

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Edison Perdomo Central State University

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Dr. Edison Perdomo is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Central State University. His interest include the role of psychological function in the regulation of physiological mechanisms such as cardiovascular and thermoregulations. Additionally, he is interested in cross-cultural differences in learning and communication styles and in studying how psycho-social differences can affect the rate of seeking medical attention and compliance as well as the following of safety protocols in the consumption of food and water.

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Abstract

Low-income and underrepresented communities comprise an insignificant fraction (less than 0.5%) in the environmental workforce, particularly in engineering and management positions. The authors' institution is the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) that offers undergraduate degrees in Water Resources Management (WRM) and Environmental Engineering (ENE). The goal of the NSF sponsored Undergraduate Scholarships for Advancing Education Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Management (USE4WRM), an S-STEM grant is to increase the recruitment and retention of the academically talented students majoring in ENE and WRM programs, but also those who are in need of financial assistance through scholarships and other required academic support. USE4WRM aims to ensure the contribution of the workforce from the disadvantaged communities to these specialized fields. It is designed to support the qualified students in academic performance, persistence, graduation, job placement, and entry into graduate schools.

The USE4WRM program will recruit student cohorts of totally 14 high school students ( 7 males and 7 females) into ENE (8 students) and WRM (6 Students) programs in its five year grant period. They will receive scholarships, mentoring, tutoring and personal development for four years. The program was started in Fall 2016 with four freshmen and in Fall 2017 it has identified another three freshmen. Under the guidance of the ENE and WRM faculty, the students form a learning community combining the curriculum with experiential learning through undergraduate research and internships. Academic performance indicators of the cohorts and responses from the scholar surveys are used in program assessment. An external evaluator team evaluates the success of the USE4WRM program.

In the first year, two male and two female applicants were recruited through the application process and supported with $7500 / academic year scholarship. In Spring 2017, three of them were in ENE program and one was in the WRM program. They enrolled in the First-Year Seminar course specifically designed for STEM students to guide on the academic and social life in the institution. Two scholars involved in summer research and mentoring opportunities. In Fall 2018, all three scholars have been identified for the paid undergraduate research. Although one student from the first cohort was dropped out of the USE4WRM scholarship due to the lack of academic performance, he continues to be an ENE major.

The program spent Fall semester of 2016 and Spring semester of 2017 on engineering accreditation efforts. The reviewers had recognized USE4WRM grant as a major strength of the program in improving the preparation of incoming freshman and their ability to maintain a steady stream of cohorts. The program will use its ABET accreditation status from May 2017 to recruit qualified students into ENE and WRM programs. The Knowledge gained within ENE and WRM programs can be extended to other STEM fields. This program will also reduce the underrepresentation in the growing water and environmental professions to address the imminent needs.

Citation
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Kandiah, R., & Nedunuri, K. K. V., & Perdomo, E. (2018, June), Board 68: USE4WRM: Recruitment and Retention for Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Management Programs Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--30085

TY - CPAPER
AB - Low-income and underrepresented communities comprise an insignificant fraction (less than 0.5%) in the environmental workforce, particularly in engineering and management positions. The authors&#39; institution is the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) that offers undergraduate degrees in Water Resources Management (WRM) and Environmental Engineering (ENE). The goal of the NSF sponsored Undergraduate Scholarships for Advancing Education Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Management (USE4WRM), an S-STEM grant is to increase the recruitment and retention of the academically talented students majoring in ENE and WRM programs, but also those who are in need of financial assistance through scholarships and other required academic support. USE4WRM aims to ensure the contribution of the workforce from the disadvantaged communities to these specialized fields. It is designed to support the qualified students in academic performance, persistence, graduation, job placement, and entry into graduate schools.

The USE4WRM program will recruit student cohorts of totally 14 high school students ( 7 males and 7 females) into ENE (8 students) and WRM (6 Students) programs in its five year grant period. They will receive scholarships, mentoring, tutoring and personal development for four years. The program was started in Fall 2016 with four freshmen and in Fall 2017 it has identified another three freshmen. Under the guidance of the ENE and WRM faculty, the students form a learning community combining the curriculum with experiential learning through undergraduate research and internships. Academic performance indicators of the cohorts and responses from the scholar surveys are used in program assessment. An external evaluator team evaluates the success of the USE4WRM program.

In the first year, two male and two female applicants were recruited through the application process and supported with $7500 / academic year scholarship. In Spring 2017, three of them were in ENE program and one was in the WRM program. They enrolled in the First-Year Seminar course specifically designed for STEM students to guide on the academic and social life in the institution. Two scholars involved in summer research and mentoring opportunities. In Fall 2018, all three scholars have been identified for the paid undergraduate research. Although one student from the first cohort was dropped out of the USE4WRM scholarship due to the lack of academic performance, he continues to be an ENE major.

The program spent Fall semester of 2016 and Spring semester of 2017 on engineering accreditation efforts. The reviewers had recognized USE4WRM grant as a major strength of the program in improving the preparation of incoming freshman and their ability to maintain a steady stream of cohorts. The program will use its ABET accreditation status from May 2017 to recruit qualified students into ENE and WRM programs. The Knowledge gained within ENE and WRM programs can be extended to other STEM fields. This program will also reduce the underrepresentation in the growing water and environmental professions to address the imminent needs.

AU - Ramanitharan Kandiah P.E.
AU - Krishna Kumar V. Nedunuri
AU - Edison Perdomo
CY - Salt Lake City, Utah
DA - 2018/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Board 68: USE4WRM: Recruitment and Retention for Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Management Programs
UR - https://peer.asee.org/30085
DO - 10.18260/1-2--30085
ER -