Diversifying Engineering Education

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Diversifying Engineering Education

• Linda G. Blevins
• Program Director, Combustion and Plasma Systems
• Mechanical Engineer
• National Science Foundation

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New York City Dept. of Environmental
Protection www.ci.nyc.ny.us
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Todays Questions

• Why must engineering education incorporate
  diversity as a strategy?
• What is being done to attract members of
  underrepresented groups into engineering
  education?
• What training or other resources are available?

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National Science Foundation

• Mission To promote the progress of science To
  advance the national health, prosperity, and
  welfare To secure the national defense and for
  other purposes.
• Vision Enabling the Nations future through
  discovery, learning, and innovation.
• Goals Develop People, Ideas, Tools.

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NSF Strategic Goals FY03-FY08

• Broadening participation in the science and
  engineering workforce
• Strengthening core disciplinary research and
  increasing the funding rate for research grants
• Providing broadly accessible cyberinfrastructure
  and world-class facilities to enhance research
• Performance sustaining organizational excellence
  in NSF management practices

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Two NSF Review Criteria
Broader Impacts
Intellectual Merit

• Promote teaching, training, and learning
• Broaden participation of under-represented groups
• Infrastructure enhancement
• Broad dissemination
• Benefits to society

• Importance in field
• Importance across fields
• Qualifications of proposers
• Creative/original concepts
• Conception organization
• Access to resources

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Extraordinary Women Engineers
What they want
What we say

• Enjoyable
• Good working environment
• Make a difference
• Good salary
• Flexibility

• Engineering is tough!
• You need superior math and science abilities

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www.engineeringwomen.org
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Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation
(LSAMP)
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Alliances for Graduate Education and the
Professoriate (AGEP)
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ADVANCE
J. Handelsman Lead Author
Handelsman J., Cantor N., Carnes M., Denton D.,
Fine E., Grosz B., Hinshaw V., Marrett C., Rosser
S., Shalala D., Sheridan J., More Women in
Science, Science 309 (5738) 1190-1191 Aug 19
2005.
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From a Recent Job Ad in the Chronicle of Higher
Education is an Equal Opportunity, Equal
Access, Affirmative Action Employer fully
committed to achieving a diverse workforce.
Women, minority applicants, and dual career
couples are encouraged to apply.
2003-2004 18 of Engineering Ph.D.s awarded
to women 18 of Assistant Professors in
engineering are women
We are making progress
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We must recognize that women are differentially
affected by a hostile climate. Treat a male
student badly and he will think you're a jerk.
Treat a female student badly and she will think
you have finally discovered that she doesn't
belong in engineering These women want it all.
They want full lives. They want important work.
They want satisfying careers. And in demanding
this, they will make it better for their male
colleagues as well. -Shelia Widnall, 2000
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