Safe Space Warm Embrace: Building Blocks to Support Black & Brown STEM Scholars
- Conference
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2024 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD)
- Location
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Arlington, Virginia
- Publication Date
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February 25, 2024
- Start Date
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February 25, 2024
- End Date
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February 27, 2024
- Conference Session
- Tagged Topics
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Diversity and CoNECD Paper Sessions
- Page Count
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19
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--45474
- Permanent URL
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https://strategy.asee.org/45474
- Download Count
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12
Paper Authors
DeAnna Katey Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Bio for Outside Virginia Tech
Dr. DeAnna Katey current serves as the Director of Undergraduate Student Programs for the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED) within the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. In her role, she is charged with increasing the diversity of the undergraduate student population and creating spaces for student’s academic, professional, and personal development. This includes a wide range of programs including Galileo and Hypatia Living-Learning Communities and the CEED Peer Mentoring program. Previously, Dr. Katey served as the Assistant Director of Student Success and First-year Experience at Siena Heights University located in Adrian, Michigan, where she played a pivotal role in creating an environment of success for first-year students. Her professional interests and research focus on the retention of underrepresented and underserved students. Dr. Katey graduated from Clarion University of Pennsylvania (Clarion, PA) where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education (2007) and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction (2010). In 2019, she graduated from Morgan State University’s Higher Education Administration doctoral program (Baltimore, MD).
Terrance I Harris Drexel University
Terrance Harris serves as the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for the College of Engineering at Drexel University. Terrance received his bachelor’s degree in business from Western Kentucky University and his master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of North Texas. As director, Harris is responsible for the college’s DEI initiatives supporting and promoting programs, policies, events, and other activities to foster conversations and create a sustainable framework to advance DEI across Drexel Engineering. His role includes chairing the college’s committee on DEI, working collaboratively with Drexel’s Office of Equality and Diversity to ensure the planning and implementation of relevant DEI training and educational opportunities for college faculty and staff, as well as with HR and the college leadership on initiatives to improve the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and staff. Harris also coordinates with affinity student organizations and programs across the college including, NSBE, SHPE, and SWE to name a few, acting as secondary advisor as well as primary college contact for external affinity-based organizations.
Prior to joining Drexel Engineering, Harris served six years as the Director of the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center at Oregon State University. As Director of the BCC, Harris worked collectively with campus partners, alumni, and various corporate entities to provide support and opportunities for students (specifically Black identified students), faculty, staff, and alumni. Harris advised multiple organizations such as the Black Student Union (BSU), Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA), African Student Association (ASA), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and the National Panhellenic Council (NPHC) while also building bridges between alumni and community outreach. He served as Co-Chair for the President’s Commission on the Status of Black Faculty & Staff Affairs actively advocated for Black faculty and staff support at Oregon State University.
As director, Harris vision is to be an advocate, innovator and equitable leader of inclusive excellence who is committed to supporting the consistent development of our diverse student, faculty and staff populations in engineering.
Terrance is actively involved with the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity (NCORE), a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Harris is a true southerner originally from Louisville, KY Terrance has lived all over the south in cities such as Dallas, Atlanta, and Orlando. Terrance believes that his everyday mission is to be the vessel to foster student development while always being your authentic self.
Abstract
According to Budny, Paul, and Newborg (2010), “immediate and ongoing mentoring during the first semester of the freshmen year can address [transitional] issues and create a positive addition to the freshmen experience” (p. 22) for first-year engineering students. Quite a few studies have been conducted on peer mentoring for all engineering students (Gattis, Hill, & Lachowsky, 2007; Budny, Paul, & Newborg, 2010; McCavit & Zellner, 2016; Lim, Macleod, Tkacik, & Dika, 2017; Sandvall, Calder, Harper, Jackson, & Baker, 2017; Kaul, 2019; Tahmina, 2019); while a handful of research is conducted on mentoring programs for minoritized engineering students (Mitchell & Daniel 2007; Mondisa & McComb, 2015 & 2018; Tuladhar, Queener, Mondisa, & Okwudire, 2021). Tuladhar, et al’s (2021) study determined two key areas that would improve the experiences of minoritized engineering students in engineering programs: the importance of having shared identities with one's peer mentor and informal community spaces. Both Drexel University and Virginia Tech implement peer mentoring programs geared toward minoritized engineering students, DELTA (Drexel) and CEED Peer Mentoring (Virginia Tech).
Drexel Engineering Leadership Training Academy (DELTA) Summer Bridge is a two-week residential program that targets minoritized students specifically Black, brown, women, and other students of color majoring in STEM. Through this program model, scholars enhance their math and science skills, engineering design, gain knowledge of campus resources, mentorship of DELTA Alum, and develop a sense of belonging through campus and community activities within the city of Philadelphia.
The CEED Peer Mentoring program is a 10-week non-residential program for all VT COE, however, they offer mentoring groups targeted at Black and Hispanic students, and women in engineering. Through the duration of the program, students informally meet weekly with their small groups, no more than 10 students, both on and off campus. Students also participate in three large community events.
This presentation will give an overview of the importance of peer mentoring for minoritized students in COE at both institutions. Additionally, the presentation will provide keys to building a sustainable, shared community for students with marginalized identities in predominately white spaces.
Katey, D., & Harris, T. I. (2024, February), Safe Space Warm Embrace: Building Blocks to Support Black & Brown STEM Scholars Paper presented at 2024 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD), Arlington, Virginia. 10.18260/1-2--45474
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