Texas Research Experience (Trex) Program: A Progress Report On Successes, Challenges, And Ongoing Improvements
- Conference
- Location
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Austin, Texas
- Publication Date
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June 14, 2009
- Start Date
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June 14, 2009
- End Date
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June 17, 2009
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Minorities in Engineering
- Page Count
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10
- Page Numbers
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14.1176.1 - 14.1176.10
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--4810
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/4810
- Download Count
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394
Paper Authors
Andrea Ogilvie University of Texas, Austin
ANDREA OGILVIE is the Director of the Equal Opportunity in Engineering Program at UT Austin. She came to UT as Director in July 2001 after six years in industry where she worked as a Structural Engineer for KBR and HDR Engineering, Inc. designing petrochemical and commercial structures, respectively. Andrea received her BS Civil Engineering degree from UT in May 1995 and her Texas Professional Engineering License in February 2001. She is an active member of the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates (NAMEPA) and the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE).
Jessica Jimenez University of Texas, Austin
JESSICA JIMENEZ is the Program Coordinator of the Equal Opportunity in Engineering Program at UT Austin. In this capacity, she coordinates the Texas Research Experience (TREX) program and Summer Research Academy. She began working for EOE in January 2008 after two years with the UT Austin Office of Admissions and had previously worked for a youth non-profit agency. She received her B.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences in 2004 from UT and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration. She is an active member of the UT Hispanic Faculty and Staff Association and Higher Education Administration of Student Professionals Association (HESPA).
Kimberly Sills Intel(r) Higher Education Program Manager
KIMBERLY SILLS is a Higher Education Program Manager with Intel Corporation. In this role she is responsible for facilitating joint research and curriculum programs between key US universities and Intel. Kimberly is the program manager of the Intel Foundation Undergraduate Research Program whose goal is to provide research opportunities for undergraduate students in order to increase retention in Science and Engineering disciplines and increase the progression of students to graduate school. In addition, Kimberly also manages the Intel PhD Fellowship program whose goal is to support promising PhD students during 1 year of their graduate studies.
Kimberly holds a B.S.I.E. from Clemson University, MS from Johns Hopkins and an MBA from the University of Washington. She lives in Portland, OR with her husband, 2 children and dog.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Texas Research Experience (TREX) Program: A Progress Report on Successes & Challenges + Ongoing Improvements Andrea M. Ogilvie, The University of Texas at Austin Jessica Jimenez, The University of Texas at Austin Kimberly Sills, Intel Corporation
Abstract Paper Overview This paper provides an update on the progress of the Texas Research Experience (TREX) Program offered by the Equal Opportunity in Engineering (EOE) Program at The University of Texas at Austin. TREX is a formal program designed to expose undergraduate minority engineering students to research and encourage them to pursue graduate studies. Over the past six years, we have collected post TREX career path data for former research assistants. In this paper, I present a summary of our results, challenges, and collaborative efforts with corporate partners such as Intel Corporation. In addition, this paper outlines recent updates to our selection criteria and program structure. Implemented in the last two to three years, these enhancements are designed to increase the percentage of TREX research assistants who pursue graduate studies.
Background The Texas Research Experience (TREX) Program was created at The University of Texas at Austin in 1992 to provide technical learning experiences for diverse undergraduate students enrolled in the Cockrell School of Engineering. Hosted by the Equal Opportunity in Engineering (EOE) Program for more than 15 years, TREX has produced valuable research opportunities during the academic year for more than 325 undergraduate engineering students. The Texas Research Experience (TREX) Program provides undergraduate students with a unique opportunity to establish strong links with faculty, gain hands-on laboratory experience, and develop an appreciation for research careers in academia and industry. TREX participants receive a $2,600 research stipend ($1,300 per semester) and are required to spend an average of 10-14 hours per week on his/her research project throughout the fall and spring semesters. In addition, TREX participants are required to submit: (1) a research plan; (2) monthly progress reports; (3) a daily research journal; and (4) a final written report. Finally, TREX participants are expected to attend weekly seminars/group meetings and prepare a poster and oral presentation.
Since Fall 2001, 97 students have participated in TREX. The retention rate in engineering for TREX participants is ninety-nine percent (n=96 out of 97). Twenty nine are currently enrolled in our undergraduate engineering program. Sixty-seven have graduated from our undergraduate engineering program. One graduated from an undergraduate program at UT other than engineering. Thirty nine percent of TREX participants enrolled in graduate school after completing their undergraduate degrees (n=26 out of 67).
Ogilvie, A., & Jimenez, J., & Sills, K. (2009, June), Texas Research Experience (Trex) Program: A Progress Report On Successes, Challenges, And Ongoing Improvements Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--4810
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