“It is really isolating, to be honest”: A Case Study of a Transwoman in Engineering

Brandon Bakka; Jill Castle

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Conference: 2025 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD)
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Publication Date: February 9, 2025
Start Date: February 9, 2025
End Date: February 11, 2025
Conference Session: Track 4: Technical Session 1: "It is really isolating, to be honest": A Case Study of a Transwoman in Engineering
Tagged Topics: Diversity and 2025 CoNECD Paper Submissions
Page Count: 28
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/54060
Download Count: 5

Paper Authors

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Brandon Bakka University of Texas at Austin orcid.org/0000-0001-8342-1852

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Brandon Bakka is a doctoral candidate at the University of at Austin pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering with a certificate in engineering education. He received a BS in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Colorado School of Mines.

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Jill Castle University of Texas at Austin

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Abstract

Keywords: LGBTQIA+, Engineering, Undergraduate, Gender

Despite broader efforts to increase diversity and inclusion on college campuses, the climate in engineering remains chilly and unwelcoming for marginalized students. Due to this, engineering remains dominated by white, heterosexual, cisgender men. In order to create meaningful change within the field of engineering, we must first understand the experiences of students and the structures that drive marginalization in engineering. While there have been many studies focused on women and people of color in engineering, only in the last decade have researchers looked at LGBTQ+ students. These studies demonstrate a hypermasculine environment where students feel pressure to pass and conform to heteronormative expectations in engineering. Crucially, many of the published studies focus on lesbian, gay, and bisexual students while the unique experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) students have been largely unstudied. Unlike other members of the LGBTQ+ community, TGNC students have unique healthcare needs, are generally less accepted by the public, and face direct attacks on their rights from state and national legislatures. Therefore, the unique needs and experiences of these students must be studied to make real change within engineering. To address this, we have conducted a case study of a white, transgender, neurodivergent woman who is a 4th year undergraduate aerospace engineering major at a large university in the south. From this case the experience of isolation as well as hypermasculine competitiveness, and the mental health cost of engineering were prominent themes. Additionally, this student discusses her experiences masking both her neurodivergence and her queerness within academic in industry spaces. Finally, this student was able to provide a highly unique and nuanced perspective on the culture of engineering, as she began her transition after her second year. This allowed her to reflect on the way her changing outward presentation affected her experiences in engineering spaces. Although this case study only discusses the experiences of one TGNC engineering student, this student provided a rich example of the challenges that come from navigating engineering as a transgender woman.

Citation
Format

Bakka, B., & Castle, J. (2025, February), “It is really isolating, to be honest”: A Case Study of a Transwoman in Engineering Paper presented at 2025 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD), San Antonio, Texas. https://peer.asee.org/54060

TY - CPAPER
AB -
Keywords: LGBTQIA+, Engineering, Undergraduate, Gender

Despite broader efforts to increase diversity and inclusion on college campuses, the climate in engineering remains chilly and unwelcoming for marginalized students. Due to this, engineering remains dominated by white, heterosexual, cisgender men. In order to create meaningful change within the field of engineering, we must first understand the experiences of students and the structures that drive marginalization in engineering. While there have been many studies focused on women and people of color in engineering, only in the last decade have researchers looked at LGBTQ+ students. These studies demonstrate a hypermasculine environment where students feel pressure to pass and conform to heteronormative expectations in engineering. Crucially, many of the published studies focus on lesbian, gay, and bisexual students while the unique experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) students have been largely unstudied. Unlike other members of the LGBTQ+ community, TGNC students have unique healthcare needs, are generally less accepted by the public, and face direct attacks on their rights from state and national legislatures. Therefore, the unique needs and experiences of these students must be studied to make real change within engineering. To address this, we have conducted a case study of a white, transgender, neurodivergent woman who is a 4th year undergraduate aerospace engineering major at a large university in the south. From this case the experience of isolation as well as hypermasculine competitiveness, and the mental health cost of engineering were prominent themes. Additionally, this student discusses her experiences masking both her neurodivergence and her queerness within academic in industry spaces. Finally, this student was able to provide a highly unique and nuanced perspective on the culture of engineering, as she began her transition after her second year. This allowed her to reflect on the way her changing outward presentation affected her experiences in engineering spaces. Although this case study only discusses the experiences of one TGNC engineering student, this student provided a rich example of the challenges that come from navigating engineering as a transgender woman.
AU - Brandon Bakka
AU - Jill Castle
CY - San Antonio, Texas
DA - 2025/02/09
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - “It is really isolating, to be honest”: A Case Study of a Transwoman in Engineering
UR - https://peer.asee.org/54060
ER -