The Role Model Affect and Its Effect on Underrepresented Minorities Pursuing Doctorates in Engineering Education

Rochelle Letrice Williams; Eyassu Woldesenbet

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Conference: 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Publication Date: June 10, 2012
Start Date: June 10, 2012
End Date: June 13, 2012
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Mentoring Graduate Students - Diversity and Assessment
Tagged Divisions: Minorities in Engineering and Graduate Studies
Page Count: 11
Page Numbers: 25.1337.1 - 25.1337.11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--22094
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/22094
Download Count: 418

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Paper Authors

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Rochelle Letrice Williams ABET

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Rochelle Williams recently joined the ABET headquarters staff as Educational Research and Assessment Manager in the Professional Services Department. In this role, Williams manages ABET’s educational offerings on a global scale and leads technical education research projects. Prior to joining ABET, Williams held two positions at Baton Rouge Community College: Science Laboratory Manager and Adjunct Faculty in the Mathematics Department. In addition, Williams has worked closely with the National Science Foundation’s Next Generation Composites Crest Center at Southern University. In this role, she supported the center’s mission to increase the awareness of engineering education to underrepresented minority groups on both the secondary and post-secondary levels. Williams holds a Ph.D. in science and mathematics education and a master's of engineering in mechanical engineering from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, La., and a bachelor's of science in physics from Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga.

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Eyassu Woldesenbet Southern University and A&M College

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Dr. Woldesenbet is professor of mechanical engineering at Southern University and Louisiana State University.

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Abstract

The Role Model Affect and Its Effect on Underrepresented Minorities Pursuing Doctorates in Engineering EducationTOPIC: New research and trends related to underrepresented minorities in engineeringWhile the percentage of women in faculty positions has slowly increased over the years inengineering disciplines, the growth of underrepresented minorities in faculty positions and thosepursuing a doctorate in engineering is less evident. African American faculty members havecomprised 2.5 percent of the total for the past four years, where the greatest clusters ofrepresentation have been reported at Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs).Likewise, African American students pursuing a PhD in engineering only represent 4.4 percentof the total number of students pursuing a doctorate in engineering. With the positive image ofblack faculty holding doctorates at HBCUs, one would assume the role model affect would carrysome weight in a student’s sense of engineering confidence and invoke a desire to also pursue adoctorate in engineering.This investigation focused on students’ perception of faculty interaction on engineeringconfidence and doctoral degree persistence. A path analysis was conducted to evaluate theperceived affect of faculty interaction on these two variables based on whether the participantattended an HBCU or Predominantly White Institution (PWI). African American engineeringstudents (N=103) who expressed a desire to obtain a doctorate degree or were currently enrolledin a doctoral program were selected to participate in this study.Results revealed that the direct path from faculty interaction to doctoral degree persistence wasnot significant in either the HBCU model or the PWI model. Additionally, results from thestructural models illustrated that the relationship from faculty interaction to engineeringconfidence was found to be significant in the PWI model, however, was not significant in theHBCU model. Specifically, the PWI model demonstrated that the path from faculty interactionhad a positive significant effect on engineering confidence with a path coefficient of 0.401 wheresignificance was at the p<0.05 level.Although it can be asserted that while faculty interaction at PWIs does not affect doctoral degreepersistence, it does contribute to a student’s sense of engineering confidence. These results ledthe researcher to question the effectiveness of role models at HBCUs and the advising styles offaculty members at both institution types.

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Williams, R. L., & Woldesenbet, E. (2012, June), The Role Model Affect and Its Effect on Underrepresented Minorities Pursuing Doctorates in Engineering Education Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--22094

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -   The Role Model Affect and Its Effect on Underrepresented Minorities Pursuing                     Doctorates in Engineering EducationTOPIC: New research and trends related to underrepresented minorities in engineeringWhile the percentage of women in faculty positions has slowly increased over the years inengineering disciplines, the growth of underrepresented minorities in faculty positions and thosepursuing a doctorate in engineering is less evident. African American faculty members havecomprised 2.5 percent of the total for the past four years, where the greatest clusters ofrepresentation have been reported at Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs).Likewise, African American students pursuing a PhD in engineering only represent 4.4 percentof the total number of students pursuing a doctorate in engineering. With the positive image ofblack faculty holding doctorates at HBCUs, one would assume the role model affect would carrysome weight in a student’s sense of engineering confidence and invoke a desire to also pursue adoctorate in engineering.This investigation focused on students’ perception of faculty interaction on engineeringconfidence and doctoral degree persistence. A path analysis was conducted to evaluate theperceived affect of faculty interaction on these two variables based on whether the participantattended an HBCU or Predominantly White Institution (PWI). African American engineeringstudents (N=103) who expressed a desire to obtain a doctorate degree or were currently enrolledin a doctoral program were selected to participate in this study.Results revealed that the direct path from faculty interaction to doctoral degree persistence wasnot significant in either the HBCU model or the PWI model. Additionally, results from thestructural models illustrated that the relationship from faculty interaction to engineeringconfidence was found to be significant in the PWI model, however, was not significant in theHBCU model. Specifically, the PWI model demonstrated that the path from faculty interactionhad a positive significant effect on engineering confidence with a path coefficient of 0.401 wheresignificance was at the p&lt;0.05 level.Although it can be asserted that while faculty interaction at PWIs does not affect doctoral degreepersistence, it does contribute to a student’s sense of engineering confidence. These results ledthe researcher to question the effectiveness of role models at HBCUs and the advising styles offaculty members at both institution types.
AU  - Rochelle Letrice Williams
AU  - Eyassu Woldesenbet
CY  - San Antonio, Texas
DA  - 2012/06/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - The Role Model Affect and Its Effect on Underrepresented Minorities Pursuing Doctorates in Engineering Education
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/22094
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--22094
ER  -