Broadening Participation
in Engineering
National Science Foundation
Division Director: Dr. Gary A. Gabriele
Diversity in engineering, 2000
U.S. Born Foreign Born
Male Female
Source: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2004 (NSF 04-317)
2
Underrepresented minority share of S&E degrees,
by degree level and field: 2000 or 2001
3
Pathway to Engineering
Source: Johnson and Sheppard, “Relationships Between Engineering Student and Faculty
Demographics and Stakeholders Working to Effect Change”, JEE, April ‘04
4
What’s keeping them away?
“They are not prepared”
“It’s too costly”
“ The culture of engineering education”
“The Lifestyle”
Dilbert loves technology for the sake of technology.
In fact, Dilbert loves technology more than people.
He's got the social skills of a mousepad and he'd
rather surf the Internet than Waikiki (which,
considering the physique he developed after years
of sitting in front of a PC screen, is a blessing).
5
How do we keep them away?
 Lack of integration with other parts of the
curriculum, particularly the first two years
 Contributions of women and minorities are virtually
invisible (role models?)
 Nearly all engineering work seems devoid of any
social relevance
 Constrained curriculum with many critcal paths
Busch-Vishniac and Jarosz, “Can Diversity in the Undergraduate Engineering Population be
Enhanced Through Curricular Change?” Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and
Engineering,
Vol. 10, pp. 255-281, 2004
6
It’s a systems problem…
K-12

Support teacher development
Awareness development


www.engineeringwomen.com
Ÿ
Undergraduate

Improve the curriculum through fundamental research
Increase REU opportunities


Graduate

Improve mentoring

Faculty

Provide support and leadership development

Ÿ
Ÿ
Engineering Education Leadership Institute
Women in Engineering Leadership Institute
7
Efforts to Broaden Participation
NSF Diversity Related Programs
•
•
•
•
•
ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation
and Advancement of Women in Academic
Science and Engineering Careers. [ENG]
AGEP: Alliances for Graduate Education
and The Professoriate. [ENG]
CAREER: Faculty Early Career
Development. [ENG]
CIRE: Collaboratives to Integrate
Research and Education. [ENG]
CREST: Centers of Research Excellence
in Science & Technology. [ENG]
•
GRS: Graduate Research
Supplements. [ENG]
•
GSE: Research on Gender in Science
and Engineering. [ENG]
HBCU-UP: Historically Black Colleges
and Universities Undergraduate Program.
•
[ENG]
•IGERT: Integrative Graduate Education and
Research Training Program. [ENG]
•IRFP: International Research Fellowship
Program. [ENG]
•LSAMP: Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority
Participation. [ENG]
•MIE: Model Institutions of Excellence. [ENG]
•MPostDoc: Minority Postdoctoral Fellowships.
•PAESMEM: Presidential Awards for Excellence
in Science, Mathematics and Engineering
Mentoring. [ENG]
•RDE: Research in Disabilities Education. [ENG]
•REU: Research Experiences for
Undergraduates. [ENG]
•RET: Research Experiences for Teachers. [ENG]
•SOARS: Significant Opportunities in
Atmospheric Research and Science.
•TCUP: Tribal Colleges & Universities Program.
[ENG]
Key: ENG = ENG directly funds, co-funds, or actively
participates in the program.
ERC Diversity Policy

All ERCs will:
 Operate with strategic plans that increase their diversity al all
levels so as to exceed national, engineering-wide averages;
 Form sustained partnerships with affiliated deans and
department chairs to enable this enhancement;
 Develop outreach connections with predominantly female
and underrepresented-minority institutions as core or affiliate
partners;
 Develop outreach connections with at least one LSAMP
institution and one or more AGEP, TCUP, CREST, etc.,
institutions;
 Operate a diversity-oriented REU program as well as a precollege program focused on diversity involving teachers and
students.
9
ERC Outreach Results 22 Center
No. of
Centers
Connected with:
6
Predominantly Female Institutions (As Affiliate partners)
5
Underrepresented Minority Institutions (As Core Partners)
14
Underrepresented Minority Institutions (As Affiliate Partners)
14
One or more LSAMP
5
One or more AGEP
6
One or more TCUP
6
Bridge Fellowships to the PhD
1
One or more CREST
1
One or more CIRE
16
Diversity oriented REUs
9
Diversity oriented RETs
Thank you.