Understanding National Guard Engineers Enlistment Motivations and Propensity to Seek Construction Engineering Education
- Conference
- Location
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Minneapolis, MN
- Publication Date
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August 23, 2022
- Start Date
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June 26, 2022
- End Date
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June 29, 2022
- Conference Session
- Page Count
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10
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--41873
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/41873
- Download Count
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244
Paper Authors
Janice Higuera University of Colorado Boulder
"Janice is a PhD student in Construction Engineering Management receiving a certificate in Global Engineering. She earned her bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the United States Military Academy, a master's in Public Policy from the University of Texas at Austin, a master's in International Service from American University in Washington D.C., and a master's in Global Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. She has worked extensively in the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Central and South America managing environmental, disaster mitigation, and economic development infrastructure projects. Janice is interested in education policy and data-driven process improvement solutions specifically focused on military engineering construction partnerships with communities in need. In her spare time, she enjoys almost any outdoor activity coupled with photography
Angela Bielefeldt University of Colorado Boulder
Angela Bielefeldt, Ph.D., P.E., is a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering (CEAE). She is also the Director for the Engineering Plus program, which is in the process of being renamed to Integrated Design Engineering. Bielefeldt also serves as the co-director for the Engineering Education and AI-Augmented Learning Integrated Research Theme (IRT) at CU. She has been a faculty member at CU since 1996, serving in various roles including Faculty Director of the Sustainable By Design Residential Academic Program (2014-2017), Director of the Environmental Engineering program (2006-2010), and ABET Assessment Coordinator for the CEAE Department (2008-2018). Bielefeldt is active in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), serving on the Civil Engineering Program Criteria Task Committee (2019-2022) and the Body of Knowledge 3 Task Committee (2016-2018). She is the Senior Editor for the International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering (IJSLE) and a Deputy Editor for the ASCE Journal of Civil Engineering Education. Her research focuses on engineering education, including ethics, social responsibility, sustainable engineering, and community engagement. Bielefeldt is also a Fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education.
Abstract
Military training programs, such as the Security Cooperation Humanitarian Assistance (HA) program for international engagements and the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program for domestic community support, involve cultural immersion, community-centered design, civil-military partnerships, and project management for engineer officers and the construction trades specialists who serve with them building roads, emergency operations centers, clinics, schools, and other infrastructure in complex environments. Despite this extensive experience and the passage of the Post 9-11 GI Bill in 2006 to support undergraduate and graduate education, a limited number of veterans have considered engineering education programs.
This research explored the drives and perceptions of Army and Air Force National Guard engineers regarding their military service. Thirty-six volunteers from seven states were interviewed during an IRT mission where each crew spent two weeks building homes for Native American veterans. Twenty had deployment experience and the ranks ranged from Private First Class to Lieutenant Colonel.
The semi-structured interviews addressed participants’ motivation for National Guard service as an engineer or engineer trades specialist, as well as their inspiration for continued military service beyond an initial contract. The transcripts were analyzed using Grounded Theory to find common themes across the interviews. Four two-week training cycles were observed for the study. Preliminary findings indicate that military members serving in engineering units working in the construction trades find purpose when working with their hands on projects that support a community in need, and despite being initially motivated to attend college utilizing the Post 9-11 GI Bill, the majority do not obtain a degree. The engineer officers, soldiers and airmen who did complete a degree often did not choose an engineering field.
This research will provide critical information for the construction industry, STEM programs, and university administrators on Army and Air Force military engineers’ cultures. Understanding their motivations for military service and their choices regarding construction engineering is crucial to the successful recruitment and retention of veterans in university civil, environmental, mechanical, electrical, and architectural engineering programs.
Higuera, J., & Bielefeldt, A. (2022, August), Understanding National Guard Engineers Enlistment Motivations and Propensity to Seek Construction Engineering Education Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--41873
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