Unveiling Demographic Influences and Differential Career Preferences among Engineering Graduate Students: A Comparative Analysis of Mechanical, Electrical, and Computer Engineers

Ebony Omotola McGee; Thema Monroe-White; Shelly Engelman

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Engineering a Just Future: Cultivating Equity, Voice, and Community in Technical Education
Tagged Divisions: Equity and Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/48212

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Paper Authors

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Ebony Omotola McGee The Johns Hopkins University

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Dr. Ebony McGee is a Professor of Innovation and inclusion in the STEM Ecosystem in the School of Education and the Department of Mental Health in the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. McGee is an electrical engineer by training and an 11-time NSF investigator awardee. She is the leading expert on both race and structural racism in STEM, with all its toxic consequences, and on the growing resistance to the traditional STEM ecosystem. She also investigates the limits of resiliency, wellness, and job embeddedness in STEM fields. She founded Racial Revolutionary and Inclusive Guidance for Health Throughout STEM (R-RIGHTS) and co-founded the Explorations in Diversifying Engineering Faculty Initiative (EDEFI), as well as the Institute in Critical Quantitative and Mixed Methodologies Training for Underrepresented Scholars (ICQCM), with support from the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the WT Grant Foundation.

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Thema Monroe-White Berry College

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Dr. Thema Monroe-White is Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems at Berry College. She has 10 years of combined evaluation, research and data analytics expertise from her years as a consultant, nonprofit leader and instructor. Dr. White ha

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Shelly Engelman Custom EduEval LLC

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Shelly Engelman, Ph.D., is the Director of Research and Evaluation at Custom EduEval LLC in Austin, TX. She earned her PhD in Social Psychology and has over 15 years of research and evaluation experience. Dr. Engelman has been a lead evaluator, data analyst and social science methodologist on over 40 federal and state funded grants and programs.

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Abstract

In the last decade, engineering education has undergone significant transformation, with mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering emerging as the most popular and fastest-growing engineering disciplines. However, there is a significant gap in the literature on how engineers from these disciplines differ in career trajectories and attitudes, especially regarding race and gender diversity. Existing research emphasizes the unique social dynamics within specific engineering fields and their potential to attract diverse students and support varied career paths (Brawner et al., 2012). To probe these distinctions, our study, grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent et al., 1994) and Critical Race Theory (CRT; Crenshaw et al., 1995), investigates the career pathways and attitudes of engineering graduate students. Leveraging a dataset of 847 engineering graduate students, we examine differences across these three engineering disciplines and the impact of demographic factors like race and gender on career decisions and attitudes. Findings suggest that clear demographic distinctions emerged at the intersection of race and gender: female students across all disciplines displayed a greater preference for nonprofit careers compared to their male counterparts, while underrepresented racially minoritized (URM, that is Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinx, and American Indians or Alaska Natives) students exhibited a stronger inclination toward entrepreneurial endeavors than their non-URM, that is White and Asian, peers. Even after accounting for these demographic variables, it is noteworthy that computer engineering students exhibited a higher level of interest in nonprofit positions and careers in K-12 education compared to their counterparts in mechanical and electrical engineering. Disparities in attitudes were also observed; URMs were more concerned with racial justice issues and experienced greater race-related stress. Similarly, computer engineering students were more involved in racial justice activities. These findings underscore the complex interaction of demographic and disciplinary differences and the unique position of computer engineering in promoting social justice interests. This study contributes to the broader discourse on engineering education, providing valuable insights into its evolving landscape while also highlighting the necessity for further research to explore the specific factors within computer engineering that might encourage greater diversity and social justice initiatives.

Citation
Format

McGee, E. O., & Monroe-White, T., & Engelman, S. (2024, June), Unveiling Demographic Influences and Differential Career Preferences among Engineering Graduate Students: A Comparative Analysis of Mechanical, Electrical, and Computer Engineers Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://strategy.asee.org/48212

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - In the last decade, engineering education has undergone significant transformation, with mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering emerging as the most popular and fastest-growing engineering disciplines. However, there is a significant gap in the literature on how engineers from these disciplines differ in career trajectories and attitudes, especially regarding race and gender diversity. Existing research emphasizes the unique social dynamics within specific engineering fields and their potential to attract diverse students and support varied career paths (Brawner et al., 2012). To probe these distinctions, our study, grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent et al., 1994) and Critical Race Theory (CRT; Crenshaw et al., 1995), investigates the career pathways and attitudes of engineering graduate students. Leveraging a dataset of 847 engineering graduate students, we examine differences across these three engineering disciplines and the impact of demographic factors like race and gender on career decisions and attitudes. Findings suggest that clear demographic distinctions emerged at the intersection of race and gender: female students across all disciplines displayed a greater preference for nonprofit careers compared to their male counterparts, while underrepresented racially minoritized (URM, that is Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinx, and American Indians or Alaska Natives) students exhibited a stronger inclination toward entrepreneurial endeavors than their non-URM, that is White and Asian, peers. Even after accounting for these demographic variables, it is noteworthy that computer engineering students exhibited a higher level of interest in nonprofit positions and careers in K-12 education compared to their counterparts in mechanical and electrical engineering. Disparities in attitudes were also observed; URMs were more concerned with racial justice issues and experienced greater race-related stress. Similarly, computer engineering students were more involved in racial justice activities. These findings underscore the complex interaction of demographic and disciplinary differences and the unique position of computer engineering in promoting social justice interests. This study contributes to the broader discourse on engineering education, providing valuable insights into its evolving landscape while also highlighting the necessity for further research to explore the specific factors within computer engineering that might encourage greater diversity and social justice initiatives.
AU  - Ebony Omotola McGee
AU  - Thema Monroe-White
AU  - Shelly Engelman
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Unveiling Demographic Influences and Differential Career Preferences among Engineering Graduate Students: A Comparative Analysis of Mechanical, Electrical, and Computer Engineers
UR  - https://strategy.asee.org/48212
ER  -