The Pitt STRIVE AGEP Program: Outcomes Towards Successful Completion of STEM Doctorates for Historically Underrepresented Students
- 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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8
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--40804
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/40804
- Download Count
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92
Paper Authors
Mary Besterfield-Sacre University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Mary Besterfield-Sacre is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Nickolas A. DeCecco Professor in Industrial Engineering. She also serves as founding Director for the Engineering Education Research Center (EERC). Mary has a B.S. is in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri – Rolla, a M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, and a PhD in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Her principal research is in engineering education assessment, which has been funded by the NSF, Department of Ed, Sloan, EIF, and NCIIA. Regarding assessment, Dr. Sacre conducts primarily quantitative analyses and statistical modeling; and this work is well-published in the engineering education literature. Dr. Sacre’s current research focuses on three distinct but highly correlated areas – innovative design and entrepreneurship, engineering modeling, and global preparedness in engineering. For her engineering education research, she has been awarded the WEPAN Betty Vetter Award for Research and the ASEE Sharon Keillor Award for Women in Engineering Education. She also serves on the advisory board for the AEE Journal and is a Fellow of the ASEE.
Deanna Easley
Renee Clark University of Pittsburgh
Renee Clark is Research Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering and Director of Assessment for the Engineering Education Research Center (EERC) in the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She conducts education research that focuses on active learning and engineering professional development. Renee's current research includes the use of adaptive learning and systematic reflection in the mechanical engineering flipped classroom to drive pre-class preparation and metacognitive development, respectively. She received the Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and the MS in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western. She has 30 years of experience as an engineer, IT analyst, and researcher in industry and academia. She completed her post-doctoral studies in engineering education at the University of Pittsburgh.
Steven Abramowitch University of Pittsburgh
Sylvanus Wosu University of Pittsburgh
Drew Yohe University of Pittsburgh
Abstract
In 2015, the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering was awarded an NSF AGEP KAT grant to adopt and adapt University of Maryland Baltimore Campus’ graduate and undergraduate programs towards improving the culture and climate of the institution to increase the number of graduate PhDs. Since the program’s inception, we have explored and implemented techniques to address the complex barriers that prevent minorities from pursuing and completing their PhDs. Furthermore, we aimed to measure the success of these methods by establishing a baseline measure of the existing structure and tracking metrics. Here, we aim to determine if the implementation of the Pitt STRIVE program at the University of Pittsburgh had a positive impact on the recruitment, retention, and transition of minorities within the Swanson School of Engineering.
To understand the impact of STRIVE on students and faculty, quantitative and qualitative program evaluations were collected (e.g., surveys, interviews, attendance, enrollment, graduation statistics, etc.). These assessments focused on student wellbeing and improvements in retention and transition. Enrollment data was used to determine if shifts in enrollment were related to the STRIVE program and retention to graduation. Results indicate not only a significant increase in enrollment but a significant decrease in attrition among our URM Ph.D. students. To assess transition, graduate students were interviewed regarding their perceived preparedness for their careers beyond graduation. URM Ph.D. students were found to be more prepared post-graduation than their Non-URM counterparts.
Besterfield-Sacre, M., & Easley, D., & Clark, R., & Abramowitch, S., & Wosu, S., & Yohe, D. (2022, August), The Pitt STRIVE AGEP Program: Outcomes Towards Successful Completion of STEM Doctorates for Historically Underrepresented Students Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40804
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