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Factors Impacting Retention of Mothers in Engineering Careers: Flexibility, Bias, Balance, and Benefits of Social Networking

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Conference

2024 ASEE North Central Section Conference

Location

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Publication Date

March 22, 2024

Start Date

March 22, 2024

End Date

March 23, 2024

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--45617

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/45617

Download Count

16

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Paper Authors

biography

Anne M Lucietto Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI) Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0003-0053-753X

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Dr. Lucietto has focused her research in engineering technology education and the understanding of engineering technology students. She teaches in an active learning style which engages and develops practical skills in the students. Currently she is explo

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biography

Diane L Peters P.E. Kettering University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-8177-8145

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Dr. Peters is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Kettering University.

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Abstract

Social networking allows for interactions among groups and people that have had little opportunity to do so in prior decades. There are many groups on different platforms, serving a variety of different needs for their members. One such group, established on Facebook, consists of engineering working moms, with the membership loosely defined as a mother who is an engineer and who is employed outside of the home. This group was surveyed, with the survey questions including both quantitative and qualitative items, and appropriate data analysis was carried out.

One area in which the social network had significant impacts was in the retention of engineering mothers in the workforce. Data showed that the support provided by the group contributed to the retention of the group’s members in the workforce, and assisted in their efforts to balance work and personal life. This paper will address these particular aspects of the group’s value to the members, and recommendations will be made for how to leverage the knowledge to better support this particular group in the workforce as they transition throughout their career from recent graduates to seasoned professionals while raising families.

Lucietto, A. M., & Peters, D. L. (2024, March), Factors Impacting Retention of Mothers in Engineering Careers: Flexibility, Bias, Balance, and Benefits of Social Networking Paper presented at 2024 ASEE North Central Section Conference, Kalamazoo, Michigan. 10.18260/1-2--45617

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