A Planning Grant to Support Intergenerational Mentoring Among African American Women in the Engineering Academy

工程学对一个国家的健康和活力的影响与其他任何职业都不同，工程学的未来和美国的全球竞争力与扩大社会最高层中代表性不足群体的参与密不可分。非裔美国女性在工程学院的人数最少，这一群体面临着独特的挑战，影响了她们在学院的留任。这个项目的结果将促进我们对非裔美国女性在所有级别的工程学院中成功的阻碍和促进因素的理解。该项目的资金将用于为非裔美国女性、工程学院举办一系列活动，其中包括：与美国工程教育学会（ASEE） 2019年年会同时举行的为期半天的研讨会；一项研究来验证和阐明当前的文献关于挑战，障碍和成功的促进因素根据那些非裔美国女性，工程学院每天面临的问题；以及随后为期两天的研讨会的提案。研讨会将为工程学院中最缺乏代表性的人群之一提供一个机会，让他们在一个安全的空间里聚集在一起：讨论他们所经历的共同挑战；反思和头脑风暴的策略，以帮助他们的成功；在非裔美国女性教师中建立一个全国性的网络，鼓励和支持她们在学术界的进步，并进入国家工程领导职位；在有相似个人经历和兴趣的同事之间建立一个指导网络。全国网络的形成将提供指导、角色示范和其他形式的社会心理支持的背景，有助于保留代表性不足的工程学院。这对于建立多样化的技术劳动力，维持我们的全球竞争力和国家繁荣是必要的。在高等教育中扩大代表性不足的群体参与工程是国家的优先事项，非裔美国女性教师在工程项目中的成功对于在这一感兴趣的领域取得进展至关重要。虽然现有的文献中充满了这一人口统计学在不同学术级别上面临的独特挑战，但代际指导方面的学术研究为本次提议的研讨会提供了基础，该研讨会主要关注非裔美国女性工程学院在不同学术级别上的保留和成功问题。采用融合平行混合方法研究设计，本研究将使用定性和定量证据来充分了解个人因素、环境因素、制度实践、程序和政策可能对非裔美国女性、工程学院的持久性产生不利影响。由于这个项目，研讨会和随后的研究，我们将获得必要的信息，以建立一个非裔美国女性工程教师联盟，并制定一个蓝图，以创建一个教育研究议程，重点是扩大参与，确保非洲裔美国女性工程教师的成功发展。本研究将作为更大规模后续研究的基础。这项研究的见解将同时推进多个工作机构。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Engineering affects the health and vitality of a nation unlike any other profession, and the future of engineering and the global competitiveness of the U.S. is inextricably connected to broadening the participation of underrepresented groups at all highest levels of society. African American women are among the least represented among engineering faculty, and a demographic that faces unique challenges that affect their retention in the academy. The outcomes of this project will advance our understanding of the inhibitors and promotors of success among African American women among the engineering faculty across all ranks. Funding from this project will be used to host a series of activities for African American women, engineering faculty, some of which include: a half-day workshop held in conjunction with the 2019 annual meeting of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE); a research study to validate and elucidate the current literature on the challenges, obstacles and facilitators of success in light of those that African American women, engineering faculty face on a daily basis; and a proposal for a subsequent two-day workshop. The workshop will provide an opportunity for one of the most underrepresented populations of engineering faculty to come together in a safe space to: discuss common challenges they experience; reflect and brainstorm strategies to aid in their success; launch a national network among African American women faculty to encourage and support their advancement in the academy and into national engineering leadership positions; and develop a mentoring network among colleagues with similar personal experiences and interests. The formation of a national network will provide a context of mentoring, role modeling, and other forms of psychosocial support that contribute to retention of underrepresented engineering faculty?something that is necessary for building the diverse technical workforce that maintains our global competitiveness and national prosperity.Broadening participation of underrepresented groups in engineering across higher education is a national priority, and the success of African American women faculty in engineering programs is essential in making progress in this area of interest. While existing literature is replete with the unique challenges to retention that this demographic faces across academic ranks, scholarship on intergenerational mentoring provides a basis for this proposed workshop that focuses on issues of retention and success among African American women engineering faculty across academic ranks. Using a convergent parallel mixed methods research design, this study will use qualitative and quantitative evidence to fully understand individual factors, environmental factors, institutional practices, procedures, and policies may adversely affect the persistence of African American women, engineering faculty. As a result of this project, workshop and subsequent research we will be armed with the necessary information to develop a consortium for African American women faculty in engineering, and a blueprint for creating an education research agenda focused on broadening participation and ensuring successful advancement of African American women faculty in engineering. This study will serve as the basis for a larger follow-up study. The insights from this study will advance multiple bodies of work simultaneously.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.