Work in Progress: Fostering the Development of Engineering Identity in First-Year Women Engineering Students Through First-Year Seminars

Angelika Aldea Tamura; Tiffany Marie Chan; Xianglong Wang

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Conference: 15th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference (FYEE)
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Publication Date: July 28, 2024
Start Date: July 28, 2024
End Date: July 30, 2024
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 6
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--48644
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48644
Download Count: 50

Paper Authors

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Angelika Aldea Tamura University of California, Davis

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Angelika Tamura is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Davis. She is a research assistant for the Cube3 lab, which primarily does research in engineering education. She is also deeply engaged in the Biomedical Engineering Society student chapter at UCD, where she serves as the vice president and actively contributes to the Outreach, Fundraising, and Picnic Day committees. Alongside her involvement in BMES, Angelika is an enthusiastic member of B-Hours, a student-run organization dedicated to projects benefiting clinics in Sacramento. Focusing her course studies in cell and tissue engineering, Angelika is currently seeking professional opportunities to further explore her passion in bioprinting and regenerative medicine.

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Tiffany Marie Chan University of California, Davis orcid.org/0009-0009-5080-5222

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Tiffany Chan is a 3rd-year undergraduate student in biomedical engineering at UC Davis and the recipient of the 2024 ASEE-PSW Section Undergraduate Student Award. She actively contributes to the cube3 Lab, where her interests lie in community building and inclusive practices. Tiffany is involved in various DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) research initiatives within the lab, including organizing student-faculty lunches and participating in the gender equity first-year seminar program. Additionally, she serves as the chair of the undergraduate subcommittee for the department's Health, Equity, and Wellness committee and holds the position of president in the BMES student chapter at UC Davis.

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Xianglong Wang University of California, Davis orcid.org/0000-0001-5359-8411

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Dr. Xianglong Wang is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Davis. He is the principal investigator of the cube3 lab. The cube3 lab actively performs research in community building and gender equity in engineering, as well as problem-based learning in core biomedical engineering courses. Before joining UC Davis, he was a career-track Assistant Professor at Washington State University (WSU). Dr. Wang is the recipient of the 2024 ASEE-PSW Section Outstanding Early Career Teaching Award, 2023 UC Davis Biomedical Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award, and 2022 WSU Reid Miller Teaching Excellence Award. Dr. Wang received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and Scientific Computing from the University of Michigan.

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Abstract

Despite strides in gender equity efforts, women continue to exit engineering majors at a higher rate than men, perpetuating gender disparities in the field. To address this issue, we developed a first-year seminar on Gender and Engineering Identity with a focus on women either in engineering majors or intending to work in engineering in the future. The choice of developing this course as a first-year seminar is based on research findings that the mentorship is more effective if provided early. This seminar aims to educate students on gender-related challenges in engineering while improving their self-efficacy and cultivating their engineering identity.

The seminar will expose students to the complexities of gender inequity and chilly climates for women in both industry and academia, mainly through discussion around four industrial and academic reports, as well as two case studies in a flipped format. Interactive lunches and panels with other students, staff, and faculty members will provide opportunities for students to engage in open dialogue and gain diverse perspectives from those familiar with the current state of the field. Weekly student reflections culminating in a final paper will facilitate deeper engagement with the material and help students to gauge their development throughout the course.

At the beginning and end of the course, eligible and participating students will complete validated surveys in persistence, self-efficacy, engineering identity, and knowledge of gender equity to assess changes in their confidence levels and self-efficacy regarding navigating challenging situations in the field, understanding of principles in gender equity, and confidence in pursuing engineering as a career. Additionally, supplementary interviews will be conducted to delve deeper into the nuanced impacts of the course on students and to help shape the next version of the first-year seminar. We expect to report some preliminary results before the final paper deadline.

Citation
Format

Tamura, A. A., & Chan, T. M., & Wang, X. (2024, July), Work in Progress: Fostering the Development of Engineering Identity in First-Year Women Engineering Students Through First-Year Seminars Paper presented at 15th Annual First-Year Engineering Experience Conference (FYEE), Boston, Massachusetts. 10.18260/1-2--48644