Non-Curricular Activities Help African-American Students and Alumni Develop Engineer of 2020 Traits: A Quantitative Look

Denise Rutledge Simmons; Glenda D. Young Collins; Stephanie G. Adams; Julie P. Martin

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Publication Date: June 15, 2014
Start Date: June 15, 2014
End Date: June 18, 2014
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Focus on African-American and Hispanic Engineering Students’ Professional and Academic Development
Tagged Division: Minorities in Engineering
Page Count: 16
Page Numbers: 24.937.1 - 24.937.16
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--22870
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/22870
Download Count: 548

Paper Authors

biography

Denise Rutledge Simmons P.E. Virginia Tech orcid.org/0000-0002-3401-2048

visit author page

Denise R. Simmons, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering and a graduate certificate in engineering education – all from Clemson University. Until 2012, she was the director of the Savannah River Environmental Sciences Field Station. Dr. Simmons has nearly 14 years of engineering and project management experience working with public utility companies, a project-management consulting company, and a software company. She is a registered professional engineer, project management professional, and LEED accredited professional. Her research interests are in investigating students' development of leadership skills and other professional competencies, and in student involvement in co-curricular activities. Dr. Simmons is a NSF CAREER award winner for her research entitled “Investigating Co-Curricular Participation of Students Underrepresented in Engineering.”

visit author page

biography

Glenda D. Young Collins Virginia Tech

visit author page

Glenda Young is a Ph.D. student in the department of engineering education at Virginia Tech. She received a master's of industrial and systems engineering from Auburn University and a bachelor's of science in industrial engineering from Mississippi State University. Glenda is a Gates Millennium Scholar and her growing research interest include co-curricular involvement, student outcomes, workplace readiness, and diversity.

visit author page

biography

Stephanie G. Adams Virginia Tech

visit author page

Dr. Stephanie G. Adams is the department head and professor of engineering education at Virginia Tech. She has held faculty/administrative positions at Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, North Carolina State University, Texas Tech University, and the University of Notre Dame. She earned her B.S. in mechanical engineering with honors from North Carolina A&T State University, master's of engineering in systems engineering from the University of Virginia, and Ph.D. in interdisciplinary engineering from Texas A&M University. Her research interests include team effectiveness, faculty and graduate student development, international collaborations, diversity in STEM, and quality control and management. She was awarded the CAREER award from the National Science Foundation and is a Fellow of ASEE.

visit author page

author page

Julie P. Martin Clemson University

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Non-‐Curricular Activities Help African American Students and Alumni Develop Engineer of 2020 Traits: A Quantitative Look This research lays a foundation for understanding the unique experiences of African American engineering student and alumni participants in non-‐curricular activities. Three non-‐curricular activities were examined for the scope of this study: National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Black Greek Organizations (BGOs), and Minority Engineering Programs (MEPs). This study demonstrates the value of these three activities by quantifying participants’ perceptions on how involvement in these organizations aids the development of Engineer of 2020 traits (e.g. analytical, leadership, and lifelong learning skills). Statistical analysis of data from over 250 student and alumni participants from across the US reveal that participants perceive each organization to make a statistically significant contribution to the development of at least one Engineer of 2020 trait. Results of this study provide leaders and advisors of these programs and organizations with empirical data that can be used to advocate for funding and institutional support. Future work will include a detailed qualitative analysis aimed at gaining in-‐depth knowledge of the specific contributions of each organization to Engineer of 2020 traits. These quantitative and qualitative data will form the basis for further evidence-‐based programming and student retention strategies. Additionally, this work can be used to help engineering students gain self-‐awareness of essential professional competencies and become actively involved in their own professional development and life-‐long learning.

Citation
Format

Simmons, D. R., & Young Collins, G. D., & Adams, S. G., & Martin, J. P. (2014, June), Non-Curricular Activities Help African-American Students and Alumni Develop Engineer of 2020 Traits: A Quantitative Look Paper presented at 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana. 10.18260/1-2--22870

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -        Non-‐Curricular  Activities  Help  African  American  Students  and  Alumni  Develop  Engineer  of                                              2020  Traits:  A  Quantitative  Look                                                                                                     This  research  lays  a  foundation  for  understanding  the  unique  experiences  of  African  American  engineering  student  and  alumni  participants  in  non-‐curricular  activities.  Three  non-‐curricular  activities  were  examined  for  the  scope  of  this  study:  National  Society  of  Black  Engineers  (NSBE),  Black  Greek  Organizations  (BGOs),  and  Minority  Engineering  Programs  (MEPs).  This  study  demonstrates  the  value  of  these  three  activities  by  quantifying  participants’  perceptions  on  how  involvement  in  these  organizations  aids  the  development  of  Engineer  of  2020  traits  (e.g.  analytical,  leadership,  and  lifelong  learning  skills).  Statistical  analysis  of  data  from  over  250  student  and  alumni  participants  from  across  the  US  reveal  that  participants  perceive  each  organization  to  make  a  statistically  significant  contribution  to  the  development  of  at  least  one  Engineer  of  2020  trait.                    Results  of  this  study  provide  leaders  and  advisors  of  these  programs  and  organizations  with  empirical  data  that  can  be  used  to  advocate  for  funding  and  institutional  support.    Future  work  will  include  a  detailed  qualitative  analysis  aimed  at  gaining  in-‐depth  knowledge  of  the  specific  contributions  of  each  organization  to  Engineer  of  2020  traits.    These  quantitative  and  qualitative  data  will  form  the  basis  for  further  evidence-‐based  programming  and  student  retention  strategies.  Additionally,  this  work  can  be  used  to  help  engineering  students  gain  self-‐awareness  of  essential  professional  competencies  and  become  actively  involved  in  their  own  professional  development  and  life-‐long  learning.      
AU  - Denise Rutledge Simmons P.E.
AU  - Glenda D. Young Collins
AU  - Stephanie G. Adams
AU  - Julie P. Martin
CY  - Indianapolis, Indiana
DA  - 2014/06/15
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Non-Curricular Activities Help African-American Students and Alumni Develop Engineer of 2020 Traits: A Quantitative Look
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/22870
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--22870
ER  -