What Difference Does Difference Make? A Case Study of Racial and Ethnic Diversity in a Summer Intensive Research Institute
- Conference
- Location
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Baltimore , Maryland
- Publication Date
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June 25, 2023
- Start Date
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June 25, 2023
- End Date
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June 28, 2023
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND)
- Tagged Topic
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Diversity
- Page Count
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11
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--44610
- Permanent URL
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https://strategy.asee.org/44610
- Download Count
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173
Paper Authors
Tryphenia B. Peele-Eady, Ph.D. University of New Mexico
Dr. Tryphenia B. Peele-Eady is an Associate Professor of Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of New Mexico, where she specializes in African American education and ethnographic research. Her reserach focuses on the social, cultural, and linguistic contexts of teaching and learning practices, particularly in the African American community, and culturally responsive learning environments. Her recent publications appear in the Handbook on the Cultural Foundations of Learning, the Studies in Engineering Education journal, the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, and the Anthropology and Education Quarterly.
Tahira Reid Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Tahira Reid Smith (publishes under "Reid") is a Professor at Pennsylvania State University in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Design, the Arthur L. Glenn Professor of Engineering Education, and the Associate Department Head for Inclusive Research and Education in Mechanical Engineering. She is also a co-founder of Black in Engineering. Her research involves the quantification and integration of human-centered considerations in engineering systems and/or the design process. Her research program has received funding from the National Science Foundation, Procter & Gamble, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and many others. Her projects that involved the intersection of diversity and mechanical engineering have been featured in media sources including National Geographic, NBC’s Today Show, Essence Magazine, Reuters, National Public Radio and many others. A highly sought out role model for the younger generation, Dr. Reid Smith’s story about her double dutch jump rope invention is featured in two children’s books and was on the 2017 New York State English and Language Arts Common Core Exam administered to over 100,000 4th graders in the state of New York. Dr. Reid Smith obtained BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. in Design Science, from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
Abstract
Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans remain underrepresented in degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in postsecondary educational systems (American Society of Engineering Education, 2021) and STEM-related job areas (Kricorian et al., 2020). Although the number of STEM bachelor’s degrees awarded has increased by 62% since 2010, gender, racial, and ethnic representation in related job areas have not (PEW, p. 14).
As one part of a larger NSF project, the Summer Intensive Research Institute (SIRI) was designed to increase diversity in engineering and cyber-physical systems (CPS). For a period of eight weeks, students participate in a range of activities at a historically Hispanic-serving research-intensive university located in the American Southwest and a predominantly white institution in the Midwest. Students participated in activities meant to introduce them to the logistics of applying to graduate school and get them excited about pursuing graduate studies in engineering and persisting in related workforce fields. In addition to activities and workshops, students worked on a CPS-focused research project or experiment with scaffolded support from higher education practitioners and workforce professionals.
Sixteen students participated in this program between the summers of 2021 and 2022. Drawing on the theoretical framework of culturally responsive teaching (Gay, 2010), we discuss the potential of SIRI as a context for science identity formation and learning for historically underrepresented minorities pursuing STEM degrees in higher education settings. Data sources include pre- and post-program evaluations and qualitative descriptions of the students’ experiences in the program. Specifically, we examine the nature of the projects students elected to design, how they discursively framed the impact of racial and ethnic diversity in the program, how students described relationships with mentors and faculty supervisors, and the difference these relationships made in how students experienced the program.
Findings from years one and two of the program show that students’ learner identity formation centered on the quality of their interactions with a diverse group of faculty and peers, the meaningful relationships they formed with peers, mentors, and faculty supervisors; high expectations for performance; the alignment of content with their research and career interests; and the varied resources to which students had access and took up as part of their learning.
We conclude with implications for developing culturally responsive STEM programs in higher education contexts.
References: American Society for Engineering Education. (2021). Profiles of engineering and engineering technology. Washington, DC.
Garibay, J. C. (2015). STEM students’ social agency and views on working for social change: Are STEM disciplines developing socially and civically responsible students? Journal of Research in Science Teaching.
Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice: Teachers College Press.
Kricorian, K., Seu, M., Lopez, D., Ureta, E., & Equils, O. (2020). Factors influencing participation of underrepresented students in STEM fields: matched mentors and mindsets. International Journal of STEM Education, 7(1), 1-9.
Pew Research Center (2021, April). STEM jobs see uneven progress in increasing gender, racial and ethnic diversity.
Salazar, C., Liwanag, A.M., Zheng, J., & Park, J.J. (2022, September 15). Marginality and mattering: Inequality in STEM majors’ relationships with higher education practitioners. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000440.
Peele-Eady,, T. B., & Reid, T. (2023, June), What Difference Does Difference Make? A Case Study of Racial and Ethnic Diversity in a Summer Intensive Research Institute Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44610
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