Underrepresented Engineering Students: Travel/Training Grant to Attend the International Microwave Symposium

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

U.S. continued competitiveness in the global economy of the 21st century relies on maintaining a well-trained science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. The last two decades have focused on the U.S. lag in terms of the per capita graduates in STEM-related disciplines compared to an increasing number of European and Asian countries. A more pressing need and new for the first time in U.S. history is that the emerging majority of K-12 U.S. students are first-generation and from minority groups, who are significantly under-represented in engineering and other STEM -elated fields. The participation of underrepresented groups of women and minorities in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is far below their percentage representation of the population as a whole. This reality points to both systemic problems within the discipline in terms of attracting students to the field and suffers from the on-going discussions about achievement gaps in the K-12 education. The identification of appropriate role models and mentors within ECE in particular is deemed necessary to increase the efficiency of participants staying with the profession. The objectives of Project Connect are to directly address the aforementioned problems by exposing underrepresented students to exciting opportunities and potential mentors within the IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS) community related to broad technology areas such as electronics and communications. These objectives will be met through the IMS 2018 and 2019 programming effort of Project Connect, which brings underrepresented university students to the symposium to engage with the university and industry professionals for exposure, guidance, and development in technical areas ranging from research and development, to applications and near-term industrial initiatives. The three primary objectives for the IMS Connect Program are to provide the following:(1)education about the rf/microwave industry,(2)awareness on career opportunities and expectations, and (3)access to and guidance from role models and potential mentors who are active in the field as educators, practitioners, researchers, and industry leaders. The support being requested from the National Science Foundation is for travel stipends for the student participants in IMS Connect for 2018 (Philadelphia, PA) and 2019 (Boston, MA). IMS is the largest conference in the world for RF/microwave engineers. Students who are selected to participate in IMS Connect will attend the conference for four days, in which they will participate in several professional development activities, learn about student activities for aspiring microwave engineers, and meet and network with other engineering students, professionals, and leaders in the field. Selected student participants will also learn about microwave industries and local cultures in the conference location region.