Broader Success in Engineering: Contributions of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) at a Hispanic Serving Institution
- Conference
- Location
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Publication Date
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June 22, 2025
- Start Date
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June 22, 2025
- End Date
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August 15, 2025
- Conference Session
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Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND) Technical Session 15
- Tagged Division
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Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND)
- Tagged Topic
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Diversity
- Page Count
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12
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/56033
Paper Authors
Hyun Kyoung Ro
University of North Texas
orcid.org/0000-0003-1266-9345
Dr. Hyun Kyoung (Hyunny) Ro, Associate Professor of Counseling and Higher Education at the University of North Texas, holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education from The Pennsylvania State University with a minor in Educational Psychology—Applied Measurement. Her research focuses on Gender and Racial Equity in STEM Education, Learning Experiences and Outcomes for Marginalized Students, and Critical Quantitative Research and Assessment.
Alberto Garcia Mora University of North Texas
Alberto Garcia Mora is a first-year Ph.D. student in the University of North Texas Higher Education program. He is a proud first-generation Mexican student from the Bay Area, California. He received his bachelor's degrees in Spanish and secondary education from the University of Nevada, Reno. His master’s is in educational leadership from the University of Texas at Tyler. He previously taught Spanish at the secondary level before deciding to continue his studies and focus on higher education. Currently he works as a graduate assistant and researcher.
Abdalrahman Elkharoubi University of North Texas
Abdal Elkharoubi is the Senior Program Project Coordinator at the University of North Texas (UNT) College of Engineering and a doctoral candidate in Higher Education at UNT. With a strong commitment to student success, his research centers on the retention of first-year engineering students. Abdal began his career as an academic advisor in the College of Engineering where he served for five years before advancing to his current role where he leads strategic recruitment and retention initiatives. Included is Engineering Your Future - a first-year support program that includes mentors and full-time staff to help students ease their transition into college. His work bridges student development theory with practical, campus-based interventions to foster belonging and persistence among engineering students. In his spare time, Abdal enjoys hiking and running Spartan races.
Hector R. Siller University of North Texas
Dr. Siller is Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of North Texas. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Technology Innovation from Jaume I University, Spain and holds a master and a bachelor’s degree from Monterrey Tech, Mexico, in the fields of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering, respectively. His research areas include advanced manufacturing processes, additive manufacturing, micro-manufacturing, and metrology. During his career he has advised more than 30 graduate students and has published around 60 research papers in international journals. He is editorial board member and guest editor in different journals and conference proceedings. He has received funding from National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense among other agencies.
Nandika D'Souza P.E. University of Texas at Dallas
Nandika Anne D’Souza is Regents Professor (2015-present) of Mechanical and Energy
Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of North Texas. She is
focused on broadening participation in engineering at various levels concurrently with probing
new questions in polymer and composites. She has co-authored 6 book chapters, 97 peer
reviewed journal and 100 conference publications. She has received over $7 M in external
research funding. She was recognized as a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers in 2013 and American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2023.
She received the 2015 Distinguished Engineering Educator Award by the Society of Women
Engineers (SWE), 2022 WEPAN Exemplary Service Award, 2022 SAMPE DEI Impact Award for
her efforts to be inclusive. As a board member of WEPAN, she hosted 12 webinars to provide
best practices to implementing DEI with cultural humility as the framework (bidirectional
learning). She has integrated Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, National Society of
Black Engineers and SWE together with cross-department honor societies to form a Diversity
and Excellence in Engineering Network at UNT advised by industry and academia. She is an
alumni of Leadership Texas (Class of 2013).
Abstract
Amid recent shifts in support systems at higher education institutions, the engagement and success of underserved engineering students have become increasingly important within the engineering profession. As university-wide support systems and programs for underrepresented groups are being reduced or eliminated [1], [2], professional associations like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) play a vital role in supporting students with underserved identities in engineering programs [3], [4]. SHPE is a professional association dedicated to serving the Hispanic community by advancing STEM awareness, access, support, and development (https://shpe.org/about-shpe/) and by admitting students of any race or ethnicity to participate. The broader scope of SHPE’s contributions is particularly critical at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), which serve a large proportion of Latinx and other students of color pursuing and completing engineering degrees [5], [6].
In this study, we aim to explore how engineering programs cultivate SHPE students’ sense of belonging, engineering identity, and career readiness though learning opportunities such as undergraduate research and internships. We focus on students who have engaged with SHPE and examine how engineering faculty and administrators have leveraged SHPE to support these students, especially during a time when underserved students may experience a disconnect from institutional support systems. This study will present interview findings from 10 engineering students attending a Hispanic Serving Research University who have actively participated in multiple SHPE events and activities. Additionally, we will offer implications for engineering faculty and practitioners on how to provide alternative forms of support for underserved students to promote broader success in engineering programs.
Ro, H. K., & Garcia Mora, A., & Elkharoubi, A., & Siller, H. R., & D'Souza, N. (2025, June), Broader Success in Engineering: Contributions of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) at a Hispanic Serving Institution Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/56033
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