Conference: Reinforcing the future of BPE research through a poster session for BPE NSF Awardees

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

The purpose of the CoNECD (pronounced, “connected”) Conference is to provide a forum for exploring current research and practices to enhance diversity and inclusion of all underrepresented populations in the engineering and computing professions including gender identity and expression, race and ethnicity, disability, veteran, LGBTQIA+, 1st generation and socio-economic status. The CoNECD Conference is dedicated to all the diverse groups that comprise our engineering and computing workforce. The purpose of this project is to provide a forum for research exchange and collaboration. The Broadening Participation in Engineering program of the Engineering Education and Centers Division of the National Science Foundation (EECD) has supported transformative research, conferences, and planning to address the underrepresentation of marginalized groups in engineering. Funding has supported all regions of the United States, including thirty-two states. Awards have supported public and private universities, organizations, and Minority-Serving Institutions. The potential span of impact is apparent. This will be achieved through a poster session to provide travel allowance for NSF PI awardees whose research is in broadening participation; and to provide a venue for presenting their research in a poster session, including exposure to graduate student attendees, to help further develop a community of BPE researchers with a transferable communication skillset to reach practitioners in the space. This conference project will enable cross-sharing of recent BPE research developments by faculty, with engagement from graduate students and practitioners in the space. Engagement of this kind will be critical to continue to foster community and support in the BPE research space. We aim to gain feedback on this type of engagement strategy from participants to determine what continued communication and collaboration is possible, and further any strategic support that is necessary at future venues related to CoNECD. The Poster Session will take place on the first full day of the CoNECD conference. There will be no other concurrent sessions during this time. This provides a formal time to facilitate interactions between the BPE awardees and the broader community, including graduate students, practitioners, and other researchers. The intent is twofold: to broaden the numbers of individuals who learn about innovative research in broadening participation, and increase everyone’s research and professional network, particularly graduate students. Research results in this area must be broadly shared with practitioners and other researchers to reap the full benefits of the research outcomes that have been supported through the BPE Program. NSF PI awardees, BPE practitioners, and junior professionals in graduate programs represent key actors in the goal of full participation in the engineering enterprise. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.