Experiences of Scholars in the Reinvigorating Engineering and Changing History Program: A Case Study of the First Graduate Student Cohort

Jiabin Zhu; Monica Farmer Cox; Demetra Evangelou; Cyndi Lynch; Audeen W. Fentiman; Phillip S. Dunston

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Conference: 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Vancouver, BC
Publication Date: June 26, 2011
Start Date: June 26, 2011
End Date: June 29, 2011
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Build Diversity in Engineering Graduate Programs
Tagged Division: Minorities in Engineering
Page Count: 8
Page Numbers: 22.678.1 - 22.678.8
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--17959
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/17959
Download Count: 313

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Paper Authors

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Jiabin Zhu Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Jiabin Zhu is a Ph.D. student in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. She obtained a B.S. in Physics from East China Normal University, a M.S. in Optics from Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and a second M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University. Her primary research interests relate to comparative study methods and frameworks in engineering education, global engineering, professional development and mentoring of engineering graduate students. She is a student member of American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

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Monica Farmer Cox Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Monica F. Cox, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. She obtained a B.S. in mathematics from Spelman College, a M.S. in industrial
engineering from the University of Alabama, and a Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Teaching interests relate to the professional development of graduate engineering students and to leadership, policy, and change in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Primary research projects explore the preparation of engineering doctoral students for careers in academia and industry and the development of engineering education assessment tools. She is a NSF Faculty Early Career (CAREER) award winner and is a recipient of a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

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Demetra Evangelou Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Dr. Demetra Evangelou is Assistant Professor of Engineering Education in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. She has a Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and international expertise in early childhood policy and research methods. Her current research focuses on developmental engineering, early education antecedents of engineering thinking, developmental factors in engineering pedagogy, technological literacy and human-artifact interactions. She is a member of Sigma Xi Science Honor Society and in 2009 he was awarded the prestigious NSF CAREER Award.

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Cyndi Lynch Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Cyndi Lynch is the Director of Fellowships and Graduate Student Professional Development for the Purdue Graduate School. Cyndi administers the Univeristy fellowship program and directs the professional development program for graduate students.

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Audeen W. Fentiman Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Audeen Fentiman is Associate Dean of Engineering for Graduate Education and a Professor of Nuclear Engineering at Purdue University.

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Phillip S. Dunston Purdue University

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Phillip S. Dunston, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University. A past NSF Faculty Early Career (CAREER) award winner, he obtained his degrees (B.S., M.S., and Ph.D.) in civil engineering from North Carolina State University and then served on the Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty at the University of Washington before moving to Purdue. His primary area of research involves the application of Virtual Reality technologies to design processes, construction tasks, and workforce training. Concurrently, he has participated in activities to stimulate the pipeline of minority students pursuing higher education in engineering.

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Abstract

Experiences of Scholars in the Reinvigorating Engineering and Changing History Program: A Case Study of the First Graduate Student CohortAbstract: The Reinvigorating Engineering and Changing History (REACH) Scholars Program wasdeveloped at a Midwestern University to offer domestic graduate students (including qualifiedMaster’s and direct Ph.D.s) with research experiences in engineering and with comprehensiveprofessional development experiences outside of their home departments. Informed fromresearch, the REACH program uses a multiple apprenticeship framework to recreate intellectualand psychosocial linkages between graduate students and faculty members through theimplementation of the following five tenets: intentionality; multiple relationships; collectiveresponsibility; recognition; and respect, trust, and reciprocity. Such mentoring aims to helpstudents to transition from undergraduate engineering, science, and math programs to graduateengineering programs, complement traditional experiences of graduate students, expose studentsto career opportunities in and out of academia, and make students aware of multidisciplinary andglobal opportunities available to them after graduation. The focus of this paper lies in the understanding of the experiences of fiveunderrepresented scholars in the REACH program using a case study framework. Fieldnotes ofthe REACH scholars’ activities and meetings and one-on-one interviews with REACH scholarswere the main data sources to understand scholars’ experiences in the REACH program, whichincludes their experiences of transitioning from undergraduate to graduate school, theirmentoring experiences through and outside of the REACH program, and their professionaldevelopment trajectories. Findings from our case-by-case analyses offer a unique perspective ofthe challenges in their transitioning from undergraduate programs to graduate engineeringprograms, their mentoring experiences throughout the first year of graduate school and thedifferent supports they obtained via REACH or other programs and venues. The findings of thescholars’ experiences provide direct feedback for the REACH program and also inform our nextsteps of evaluation effort. Moreover, implications from this study offer practical suggestions forthe transitioning of graduate students and the development of mentoring support for graduatestudents.

Citation
Format

Zhu, J., & Cox, M. F., & Evangelou, D., & Lynch, C., & Fentiman, A. W., & Dunston, P. S. (2011, June), Experiences of Scholars in the Reinvigorating Engineering and Changing History Program: A Case Study of the First Graduate Student Cohort Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--17959

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -    Experiences of Scholars in the Reinvigorating Engineering and Changing     History Program: A Case Study of the First Graduate Student CohortAbstract:       The Reinvigorating Engineering and Changing History (REACH) Scholars Program wasdeveloped at a Midwestern University to offer domestic graduate students (including qualifiedMaster’s and direct Ph.D.s) with research experiences in engineering and with comprehensiveprofessional development experiences outside of their home departments. Informed fromresearch, the REACH program uses a multiple apprenticeship framework to recreate intellectualand psychosocial linkages between graduate students and faculty members through theimplementation of the following five tenets: intentionality; multiple relationships; collectiveresponsibility; recognition; and respect, trust, and reciprocity. Such mentoring aims to helpstudents to transition from undergraduate engineering, science, and math programs to graduateengineering programs, complement traditional experiences of graduate students, expose studentsto career opportunities in and out of academia, and make students aware of multidisciplinary andglobal opportunities available to them after graduation.       The focus of this paper lies in the understanding of the experiences of fiveunderrepresented scholars in the REACH program using a case study framework. Fieldnotes ofthe REACH scholars’ activities and meetings and one-on-one interviews with REACH scholarswere the main data sources to understand scholars’ experiences in the REACH program, whichincludes their experiences of transitioning from undergraduate to graduate school, theirmentoring experiences through and outside of the REACH program, and their professionaldevelopment trajectories. Findings from our case-by-case analyses offer a unique perspective ofthe challenges in their transitioning from undergraduate programs to graduate engineeringprograms, their mentoring experiences throughout the first year of graduate school and thedifferent supports they obtained via REACH or other programs and venues. The findings of thescholars’ experiences provide direct feedback for the REACH program and also inform our nextsteps of evaluation effort. Moreover, implications from this study offer practical suggestions forthe transitioning of graduate students and the development of mentoring support for graduatestudents.
AU  - Jiabin Zhu
AU  - Monica Farmer Cox
AU  - Demetra Evangelou
AU  - Cyndi Lynch
AU  - Audeen W. Fentiman
AU  - Phillip S. Dunston
CY  - Vancouver, BC
DA  - 2011/06/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Experiences of Scholars in the Reinvigorating Engineering and Changing History Program: A Case Study of the First Graduate Student Cohort
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/17959
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--17959
ER  -