PECASE: An Examination of Graduate Education's Role in Preparing Egnineering Students for Careers in Academia and Industry

该职业奖旨在研究工程研究生，并使用混合方法来了解如何有效地为这些学生在学术界和工业界的职业生涯做好准备。使用三阶段混合方法的方法，本研究的目标是（1）确定，在学术界和工业界，规范，技能和属性，工程研究生必须拥抱在不断变化的学术界和社会;（2）设计，试点，并验证一个评估工具，代表学术界和工业界的观点，这些规范，技能和属性;以及（3）评估学生在研究生学习中的专业发展经验与他们在工业和学术界获得职业所需的规范，技能和属性之间的关系。研究和教育的整合将通过课程模块的开发和反映研究成果的印刷材料，在研究生工程研讨会和课程中实施这些模块，以及本科生和研究生参与数据收集，数据分析和模块开发超过5年的项目。这项研究涉及各种利益相关者，包括代表性不足的人口，在博士工程教育的实证研究。它还提供了一个研究生教育的未来国家研究的基础，涉及各种机构和不同的人口在多个教育水平。这项研究对社会的潜在好处可能包括有目的地培训工程人员;未来的教师谁是知识的机会在学术和非学术工作;根据这项研究的实证研究结果资助的STEM政策;和增加公众的了解工程师的作用通过传播结果在外行新闻出版物。该项目由工程局和教育和人力资源局共同资助。

This CAREER award proposes to study engineering graduate students and uses a mixed methods approach to understand how to prepare these students effectively for careers within academia and industry. Using a three-phase mixed methods approach, the goals of this research are to (1) identify, within academia and industry, the norms, skills, and attributes that engineering graduate students must embrace within a changing academy and society; (2) design, pilot, and validate an assessment tool that represents both the academic and industrial perspectives of these norms, skills, and attributes; and (3) evaluate the relationship between students' professional development experiences within graduate study and their acquisition of norms, skills, and attributes needed for careers within industry and academia. The integration of research and education will occur via the development of course modules and print materials reflecting research findings, the implementation of these modules in graduate engineering seminars and courses, and the involvement of undergraduate and graduate students in data collection, data analysis, and module development over the 5 year project. This research engages a variety of stakeholders, including underrepresented populations, in an empirical study of doctoral engineering education. It also provides a foundation for future national studies of graduate education involving a variety of institutions and diverse populations across multiple educational levels. Potential benefits to society as a result of this research may include a purposefully trained engineering workforce; future faculty who are knowledgeable of opportunities within academic and nonacademic jobs; STEM policies that are funded based upon the empirical findings of this research; and increased public understanding of the roles of engineers via dissemination of results in lay press publications. This project is co-funded by the Directorate for Engineering and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources.