Emerging Leaders in Engineering Workshop and Travel Grant

University Of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa AL

Investigators

Abstract

In engineering, there is a dearth of women in the professoriate, especially women of color. This project addresses a major impediment to broadening participation in engineering and is closely aligned with current National Science Foundation goals to broaden participation in STEM overall. With a primary focus on women of color, this project involves creating a 1-day workshop targeting underrepresented doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, assistant professors, and associate professors in engineering (e.g., African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans). A key objective of the effort is to provide the aforementioned groups with specific professional development to help foster greater preparation and appreciation for the engineering professoriate and create more opportunities for networking and information sharing with other colleagues around the nation. Other objectives of the workshop focus on leadership, mentoring, and work-life balance. The project includes strong research and evaluation components that aim to generate important information to improve recruitment and retention of women of color in the engineering professoriate. It also includes the development of a comprehensive website to provide information about the workshop and to promote the results from workshop participation.