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When Two Worlds Become One

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Conference

2024 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD)

Location

Arlington, Virginia

Publication Date

February 25, 2024

Start Date

February 25, 2024

End Date

February 27, 2024

Conference Session

Track 7: Technical Session 6: When Two Worlds Become One

Tagged Topics

Diversity and CoNECD Paper Sessions

Page Count

35

DOI

10.18260/1-2--45496

Permanent URL

https://strategy.asee.org/45496

Download Count

16

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Paper Authors

biography

Yvette Renee Moore University of Pittsburgh

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Yvette has worked directly with undergraduate scholars in engineering and the arts and sciences. She is currently the director of the Pitt EXCEL program, an undergraduate diversity program within the Swanson School Engineering at the University of Pittsbu

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biography

Mary E. Besterfield-Sacre University of Pittsburgh

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Dr. Mary Besterfield-Sacre is Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Nickolas A. DeCecco Professor in Industrial Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the Founding Director for the Engineering Education Research Center (EERC).

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Abstract

At the Swanson School of Engineering, we offer a uniquely supportive experience to undergraduate minoritized scholars through the Pitt EXCEL program, which is part of our undergraduate diversity initiative. Pitt EXCEL, which began 21 years ago, aims to support engineering throughout all years of their undergraduate degree, beginning even before students arrive on campus for their first year. Upon acceptance to the engineering program, our academic support staff contacts scholars and their families to begin the orientation process for obtaining an engineering degree. This “high touch” approach embedded within community-driven campus programming and alumni mentoring aims to support the scholar throughout their entire undergraduate career with the goal of promoting achievement, at times against the odds. In this presentation, we will describe how the Pitt EXCEL program along with upper administrative support has been able to grow within the fabric of the Swanson School of Engineering and University of Pittsburgh. The presentation will address the needed support of Diversity Programs and the meaning of collaboration for wellness and success within the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion world. A critical component of Diversity Equity and Inclusion is the support that encompasses a team effort. Often, diversity programs are a subset (fragment), in an environment. Success comes when a diversity program is embedded into the culture with institutional support. Pitt EXCEL has had institutional support collaborating with key administrators to support those populations of scholars that have been minoritized. This model has resulted in high scholar success, as measured by retention and graduation rates, grades achieved, graduate school attendance, industry placement, alumni involvement, funding, and scholar testimonials expressing feelings of well-being and personal success.

Moore, Y. R., & Besterfield-Sacre, M. E. (2024, February), When Two Worlds Become One Paper presented at 2024 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD), Arlington, Virginia. 10.18260/1-2--45496

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