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Longitudinal Survey Of Female Faculty In Biological & Agricultural Engineering In The United States And Canada

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Conference

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Chicago, Illinois

Publication Date

June 18, 2006

Start Date

June 18, 2006

End Date

June 21, 2006

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

International and Sustainability Perspectives and Women in Engineering

Tagged Division

Women in Engineering

Page Count

18

Page Numbers

11.902.1 - 11.902.18

DOI

10.18260/1-2--507

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/507

Download Count

498

Paper Authors

biography

Alicia Abadie Louisiana State University

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Alicia is a senior in Biological Engineering at LSU. She is a section leader in the LSU Band, where she plays clarinet. Alicia is a successful undergraduate student researcher and has co-authored three successful research proposals, including one to the Environmental Protection Agency.

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biography

Ann Christy Ohio State University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-9172-0609

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Ann is an associate professor in food, agricultural, and biological engineering and a registered professional engineer (civil). She has been at The Ohio State University for ten years.

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biography

Marybeth Lima Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge

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Marybeth is an associate professor in Biological & Agricultural Engineering at LSU, where she has been since 1996. Marybeth has been nationally recognized for her work in service-learning in engineering.

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Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Longitudinal survey of female faculty in biological and agricultural engineering Abstract

Female faculty in Biological & Agricultural Engineering (BAE) were surveyed in 1998 to examine their professional experiences, motivations, and insights. Approximately 7% of all BAE faculty were women in 1998, and the total number of women in the population was 57. Results, based on a 61% response rate, showed that a significant number of respondents had engineers or professors in their immediate families. Sixty percent of the population was assistant professors. Respondents reported that BAE departments provided a supportive environment and believed that the attraction of women to BAE is due to its emphasis on biological systems, as well as Biological Engineering’s newness and lack of long-standing stereotypes of male dominance. Full results of the original survey were published in the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering in 2000. We are re-surveying the population of women in BAE in 2005-2006 because we believe that longitudinal data on this population will provide interesting insights into this group and its experiences in the profession. The population is now comprised of 96 women and represents approximately 11% of BAE faculty. Approximately 85% of all women in the original 1998 survey population are contained in the current population. Reasons for exiting the pipeline include staying in academia but moving to non-BAE departments such as chemical or bioengineering, being promoted to leadership positions without retaining BAE status, or pursuing other professional opportunities. Confidential surveys are currently being administered (thus far we have a 20% response rate). Forty percent of the population is assistant professors, and the percentage of full professors has doubled since 1998. Full results of the survey to date are reported in this paper.

Introduction

Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) is a science-based engineering discipline that addresses problems or situations involving living things or products of living things. Agricultural Engineering was recognized as a distinct engineering discipline in the early twentieth century and was initially involved with the mechanization of agriculture. Other areas of research and practice developed during the twentieth century, including food and fiber processing, environmental impacts of agricultural practices, and machinery systems. During the past 20 years, agricultural engineering has shifted significantly toward biological engineering. Almost all programs originally named agricultural engineering have been changed to include biological or biological systems to reflect this shift. The primary professional society of the discipline, the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (founded in 1907) changed its name to the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering in 2005. Students with an interest in biological engineering comprise the vast majority of students enrolled in BAE programs.

1

Abadie, A., & Christy, A., & Lima, M. (2006, June), Longitudinal Survey Of Female Faculty In Biological & Agricultural Engineering In The United States And Canada Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--507

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