P3: Producing Native American PhDs and Professors in Engineering

该项目旨在通过更好地了解美国原住民工程学学生如何以及为什么选择追求(或不选择)学术职业道路，来增加美国原住民在工程学教授中的参与。该项目将从机构的角度解决这个问题，阐明招收美国原住民学生和雇用美国原住民教师的动机和障碍。在全国范围内，美国原住民工程学教师的数量非常少。根据ASEE(2012)的数据，在总人口超过25,000人中，大约有60名教职员工认为所有级别的人都是美洲原住民。从本科生到研究生教育水平的学生数量出现了显著的流失。通过记录这些学生攻读博士学位的障碍和催化剂，该项目将显著提高增加工程学院多样性的能力，为美洲原住民学生提供可见的榜样。具体地说，该项目将使用案例研究和访谈来确定和记录阻碍美国原住民学生获得高级学位的障碍。类似的定性分析将有助于理解为什么获得研究生学位的学生不追求教职生涯。他们将创建一个可复制的计划模式，包括招聘研讨会，以提高对工程学本科生和研究生学习的认识，并为之做准备。此外，他们还将制定和实施一项导师计划，将美洲原住民博士生与三位导师配对，以支持他们的专业发展和成功过渡到学术生涯。导师计划特别强大，因为它包括一名助理教授、一名全职教授和一名获得高级学位的部落社区导师。这个项目的学术价值在于它能够提高对如何增加美洲原住民对工程学院的参与的理解。种族多元化的教职员工为所有学生提供了一个更强大、更丰富的学习环境。该项目更广泛的影响是，它扩大了对美国原住民学生的影响，包括大学预科和本科生，以增加他们的知识，并为工程学学习做准备。

This project is seeking to increase the participation of Native Americans within the engineering professoriate through better understanding of how and why Native American engineering students choose to pursue (or not) an academic career path. The project will address this issue from an institutional perspective, elucidating the motivations for and barriers to Native American student recruitment and Native American faculty hiring. Nationwide, the numbers of Native American engineering faculty are extremely small. According to ASEE data (2012) there were approximately 60 faculty who identified as Native American over all ranks out of a total population of over 25,000. There is significant attrition in the student numbers from undergraduate to graduate education levels. By documenting barriers and catalysts for these students pursuit of doctoral degrees, this project will significantly enhance the ability to increase the diversity of engineering faculties, providing visible role models for Native American students.Specifically, this project will use case studies and interviews to identify and document the impediments that prevent Native American students from earning advanced degrees. A similar qualitative analysis will help understand why students who do earn graduate degrees do not pursue faculty careers. They will create a replicable program model consisting of recruitment workshops to increase awareness of, and preparation for engineering undergraduate and graduate studies. Additionally they will develop and implement a mentorship program pairing Native American doctoral students with a trio of mentors that will support their professional development and successful transition to an academic career. The mentoring program is particularly strong as it incorporates an assistant professor, a full professor and a tribal community mentor who has earned an advanced degree. The intellectual merit of this project lies in its ability to improve understanding of how to increase the participation of Native Americans on engineering faculties. An ethnically diverse faculty provides a stronger and richer learning environment for all students. The broader impact of this project is in its outreach to Native American students, both pre-college and undergraduate, to increase their knowledge and preparation for engineering studies.