Using a research center-based mentoring program to increase the participation of African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans in engineering

University Of Kentucky Research Foundation, Lexington KY

Investigators

Abstract

This engineering education research project focuses on involving underrepresented engineering undergraduate students in mentored research activities within research centers with the intent to improve retention and create pathways for academic and research careers. Students have an assigned department based counselor and a research mentor based in the Center for Applied Energy Research. The proposed activity will advance our knowledge of how to include research center faculty, staff and facilities in efforts to support the undergraduate educational mission of the institutional home of the center. The PI seeks to capitalize on the low student to researcher ratio within the center and the focus on research activities that will excite the student and enhance their learning. The broader significance and importance of this project is in its intent to build relationships between the undergraduate students and the research center staff. The cutting edge research being performed on a national level within research centers has the potential to help students see beyond what they learn in the classroom environment, helping them to see the applications of what they are learning to both basic and applied research in their discipline. This in turn reinforces the importance of their undergraduate curriculum leading to increased interest in, and efforts to, learn new material. As a result of this project students will become more engaged in learning and will consider careers in research. This project overlaps with NSF's strategic goals of integrating research and education to support development of a world-class engineering and science workforce.