This research full paper explores how Asian cultural tenets and engineering culture may affect Asian engineering student mental health conditions and help-seeking attitudes in the U.S. context. This exploratory qualitative study framed under social identity theory and intersectionality used one-on-one interviews with eleven Asian-identifying students to explore their experience with mental health conditions, the strategies for support they would seek, and the different types of stigma that most commonly affect their help-seeking attitudes. Students reported on experiencing depression, stress, and anxiety, which were often intertwined with their experiences of the high demands of an engineering degree, which provides additional evidence for the problematic aspects of engineering culture and contributes to the eradication of the model minority stereotype. Friends and family were often cited as the hypothesized first barrier of support for most participants in the study, highlighting the relevance of opportunities to create strong networks of support and destigmatization of MHCs. Social interactions, along with acculturation to Western society, are also shown to be a deciding factor in positive help-seeking attitudes among international Asian students. Finally, cultural, familial, and self-stigma were identified in students' attitudes towards help-seeking, which demonstrates that there is still a lot of work to do across culturally relevant destigmatization of MHC.

The motivation for this work comes from the tension that students experience when considering participating in co-curriculars and meeting their curricular obligations. There is evidence highlighting a range of benefits from student involvement in co-curricular experiences, including cognitive gains, development of professional competencies, and sense of belonging. Despite these benefits, many undergraduate students have little or no co-curricular involvement. This research seeks to better understand how engineering undergraduates balance their time and navigate educational opportunities. Using the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) as a guide, we implemented a daily time-tracking survey and piloted it in a first-year engineering course. The survey included 14 items to capture data on how students spend their time. As part of coursework focused on time management, students were asked to complete the survey once-per-day for five days during the fourth and seventh weeks of their first semester. These weeks were intentionally selected to allow students to be acclimated to the university experience while avoiding weeks of peak work. We used statistical analysis (n=75) to investigate two questions: How do first-year engineering students use their time? How do students' time-use profiles evolve during the semester? Using k-means clustering, analysis of variance, and pairwise comparisons we found three different time-profiles (assignment flexible, downtime flexible, and regulated), which generally held the same characteristics over the two weeks. Additionally, we found that nearly half of the students transitioned between clusters from between the fourth and seventh weeks. No clusters reported co-curricular involvement as a significant activity. Limited engagement in co-curriculars has been attributed to the rigors of the engineering curriculum and students' perceptions about the time required for involvement. Yet, little is known about how students spend their time, limiting our ability to develop interventions or policies that improve access to co-curriculars. While exploratory, our analysis suggests that even as time necessary for curricular obligations fluctuates, students may lack interest or ability to allocate time to co-curriculars. Situated among first-year students, one implication of this work is that supporting engagement in co-curriculars may best be accomplished through interventions that help students in developing routine. Additionally, implications as it pertains to pedagogical design and developing more equitable engineering programs are considered.

This work in progress paper aims to present a first effort in measuring elements of engineering culture that can interact with student well-being. Engineering culture has been under significant scrutiny during the last couple of decades, especially as it has been extensively documented to be exclusionary for marginalized groups. Significant and valuable efforts exist characterizing engineering culture qualitatively, however, less of such efforts have been oriented toward generating a quantitative approach to gauge it. Therefore, studies that aim to measure engineering culture often use established measures for diversity and inclusion as the closest proxies. Derived from our own need to have a quantitative way of measuring engineering culture within a larger longitudinal and multi-institutional project, we embarked on an attempt to do so through two components that have been documented as being part of the engineering ways of thinking and doing, the perceptions of meritocratic beliefs and competitive attitudes. In this paper, we present five items that we have used to measure engineering culture as they relate to competition and meritocracy beliefs. Our research goal was to use Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to investigate the factorial structure of the proposed items. We report on the results from the EFA and CFA for these items using a dataset with responses from more than one thousand students participating in a multi-institutional online survey. Preliminary results show a limited performance of the items in a two-factor structure. We report on a variety of performance measures including congruence measures. While the factor structure does not result reliable, the consistency of results across datasets provides a good step forward on this space of research. Due to the longitudinal nature of the larger project, we plan to iterate on this instrument, including additional aspects of engineering culture. We envision offering a starting point for the challenge of quantitatively gauging elements of engineering culture that have been documented to be problematic to the advancement of the field. Keywords-engineering culture, meritocracy, competition.

This research category full paper aims to contribute to the body of research in the motivation of engineering students to engage in sociotechnical problems. Students' characteristics are in constant evolution and the core of those currently enrolled in college belong to Generation Z, who have been documented to be more identified with sustainability goals, and with higher civic engagement than previous generations. In addition, research has shown that students with marginalized identities are more interested in engaging in engineering to contribute to solving complex social problems. While engineering has significant potential to contribute to sustainability, engineering education has often failed to strengthen such orientations for students. To explore the capital of students motivations at their time of entry to an engineering program we engage in a qualitative study of student artifacts generated within a first-year engineering seminar in Fall 2022. This study aims to gauge their interest when they start their engineering degrees and explore the differences in such interest by their intended engineering major and demographic characteristics. We used the reflections of 481 first-year undergraduate engineering students to explore which aspects of care guided the type of problems they were interested in tackling in the world. Framed under Ehrenfeld's taxonomy of concerns for sustainability we found that many students were motivated by one or more forms of care, care for the world, care for others, care for self. There was some overlap between the considered caring spaces; however, 21% of the students in our study were motivated by purely technical issues, demonstrating the need for strengthened connections between the teaching of engineering design and the ways that such a design may impact or create meaning in society The identification of problems that interest and motivate undergraduate engineers brings valuable insights into the preparation of more thoughtful and effective engineers.

This research category full paper aims to contribute to the body of research in sense of belonging in engineering education through a qualitative participatory research design in which students with minoritized identities contribute to an institutional goal of designing initiatives that address local problems of exclusion. While a lot has been explored about the dynamics of sense of belonging in the classroom, and faculty have been identified as key actors to enhance such sense of belonging, it is important to recognize that perceptions of exclusion or lack of sense of belonging can take place in any institutional space, and that institutions can have the leverage to enact inclusionary policies that can enhance student sense of belonging. Therefore, the overarching goals is to integrate the voices of minoritized students in the creation of potential solutions as a particular engineering institution in the U.S. northeast. This paper focuses on the descriptions of negative experiences described by our participants, responding to the research questions, where did racially minoritized students describe having had exclusionary experiences? And who were the actors involved in such exclusionary experiences? Our results show that while a significant number of exclusionary experiences (i. e. when students felt like they did not belong) still happen in the classroom, many of them are also taking place in alternative academic settings that have less accountability and can lead to enacting exclusionary cultures such as labs, office hours, and libraries. In addition, participants reported having exclusionary experiences in areas of student living, such as dining halls and student residences. These experiences included episodes of sexism and racism and shaped how minoritized students perceived their belonging at an engineering school and the whole institution. Furthermore, faculty were not the only actors involved in exclusionary experiences, but graduate teaching assistants, staff, and peer students were also part of such episodes. These results bring policy making possibilities to institutions that want to enhance equity and inclusion.

The purpose of this work-in-progress paper is to identify barriers and drivers occurring in academic institutions aiming to diversify their engineering faculty. We recognize that institutions of higher education are complex systems driven by a multitude of internal and external forces that play a role when trying to enact institutional change. Examples of these factors are limited resources, conflicting needs of multiple stakeholders, and different academic cultures. To better understand how these factors affect change, we consider engineering education as a complex system. In this early-stage project, we are using literature, existing theories, and ASEE data to identify causal loops that illustrate a particular space of institutional change related to faculty diversification in terms of gender, through the evaluation of the effect of ADVANCE initiatives. The goal is to explore the feasibility of using the complexity theory method of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify leverage points and persistent barriers to change. We will summarize the potential of QCA as a methodology to explore the challenge of faculty diversification in STEM, and other intricate problems in higher education.

This work contributes to a better understanding of computing teachers' perceptions of themselves as role models. Role models are described as important to address under-representation, yet there is little in-depth research on how role modeling works and what university teachers in computing can model to broaden participation in the discipline. We will analyze teachers' reflections on how they may, or want to, be perceived by their students, particularly in terms of professional competencies, emotions and attitudes towards well-being. We will use and further develop an already existing framework on role modeling in computing, and we will relate our findings to existing research on computing and science identities. Modeling aspects outside the computing norm can help provide students with a wider notion of what it means to be a computer scientist. Besides developing the theoretical understanding of computing teachers as role models , our work can support various ways of developing computing teachers' competences and departments' teaching culture. The results are one way to contribute to student diversity and equitable access, and more broadly increase the relevance of computing education for sustainability.

Mental health has only recently come to the forefront of conversations in the media and academia. Mental health conditions are often triggered by environmental factors like academic stress, interpersonal conflicts, financial pressure, and career concerns. Students living with mental illness may drop out of college due to experiencing a mental health crisis at school. At the same time, engineering is a demanding profession that requires rigorous training. Therefore, the educational and professional experiences of engineers can be overexerting. This challenge can be even higher for engineering students and professionals who struggle with a diagnosed mental illness. Furthermore, the heightened stigma that surrounds mental illness might deter this group from seeking help and persisting in engineering. However, little is known about the experiences of people with a diagnosed mental illness while navigating the training and culture of engineering. Acknowledging and understanding the challenges faced by engineering students and professionals living with a mental illness is the first step towards implementing change in engineering education that would provide adequate support for these students to reach their goals. This work-in-progress reports on the first stage of a larger exploratory study aiming to describe the experiences of engineering students and professionals living with a mental illness and to understand how the engineering culture has impacted their experiences. Results will inform future research on student persistence and will inform engineering programs that want to support students who live with mental illness. Ultimately, this work will help eliminate stigma in engineering education and support the success of those living with mental health conditions.

This literature review describes the current landscape for research around Asian-American female engineering faculty using an intersectionality framework of race, class, and gender. Analysis of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) database on engineering programs is coupled with a systematic search for scholarly articles in several literature databases using a combination of the key terms “Asian,” “Asian-American,” “faculty,” and “engineering.” Findings reveal that while racial stereotypes like `model minority' may apply to multiple Asian-American ethnicities, more research on issues pertaining to socioeconomic class and gender should be investigated within each ethnicity. Findings contribute to furthering the research on Asian-Americans in engineering, as well as provide important information to stakeholders to develop potential interventions to increase retention of Asian Americans in engineering faculty positions.

This literature review explores the state of research on the factors affecting the persistence of Latina faculty. Although its focus is on engineering, it also draws from research on Latina faculty in other areas of science. The results are analyzed through Intersectionality Theory, which considers overlapping identities related to gender, race and class and their interactions to promote or hinder the advancements of Latinas in academia. The synthesized research identifies the influence of factors such as group identity, familismo, value of community, resilience, availability of role models and mentors, financial barriers, as factors most affecting Latina faculty during their education and academic careers. Although current literature explores factors and paradoxes surrounding strategies for and barriers to Latina success in STEM careers, this synthesis finds a lack of literature examining the multiple identities of Latina women, and few reports considering the intersectionality of identities as it pertains to Latina underrepresentation in Engineering. This critical literature review concludes with opportunity areas for future research to be conducted.

Employers worldwide are seeking engineers who possess a more complete professional skillset that could be useful in the constantly changing globalized economy. For this reason, engineers are expected to have leadership, communication, and teamwork skills, in addition to analytical skills. Furthermore, they are also expected to have attributes of global competency, which would help them thrive in the global workforce. A plethora of information and studies exist on undergraduate students and how institutions are helping students increase their global competency through methods such as international exchange and study abroad programs. Despite these efforts, there is little information on engineering doctoral students and methods for increasing their levels of global competency. Doctoral students are at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation and discoveries, so it is critical that they are trained to work effectively in diverse environments. This study comparatively examines the intercultural experiences of a) engineering Ph.D. students from the U.S. who traveled abroad, and b) international engineering Ph.D. students who traveled to the U.S. Findings indicate that students tended to prepare themselves for travel abroad in various ways, and that negative experiences of domestic students abroad are related to a mismatch between pre-travel expectations and actual experiences. International students more frequently mention cross-cultural differences, and those with greater levels of support tended to report easier adjustments. Findings can be applied toward helping U.S. and international academic institutions identify strategies to develop graduate students' global competency levels.

The ability to work effectively in teams is a critical learning outcome for engineering students. It is among the ABET requirements and a skill desired by employers for it is integral to innovation, product development, and to a positive working environment. Many engineering courses provide students with opportunities to develop their team skills through projects, in-class activities, and other assignments. Peer assessment of team skills increases student accountability to teammates, helps students gauge what is expected from them, and assists instructors in assigning course grades. However, there are few studies examining whether gender bias occurs during peer assessment. This work aims to address this gap. Using a randomized experiment, this study examines whether there are differences in how students evaluate the performance of male and female team members. The survey participants include 590 first-year engineering students at a research institution in the Midwest. Each participant rated and evaluated the skills and qualities of a fictional team member. The description of the fictional team member is exactly the same, except the name assigned to the fictional member was randomly depicted as female or male. The results indicate that there is no difference in how students evaluate male and female fictional team members. The female team members, however, received higher ratings related to their contributions and punctuality. These findings are consistent with previous research on gender bias on teaming evaluations at the undergraduate level, and suggest that peer assessments may be a useful method to provide students with additional feedback regarding their team skills.

Engineering education researchers have been trying to improve the quality of engineering education. Related to these efforts, it is important to revisit and better understand the definition of engineering education. As part of our PhD coursework, we were required to create a short video depicting our understanding of the definition of engineering education. For this purpose, we created “a letter to the future engineer” that presented a holistic view of the challenges and opportunities involved in the professional practice of engineering. To write our letter, we collected real letters of advice from practicing engineers with varying demographic characteristics and experiences. Thematic analysis of the letters uncovered some country-level differences in terms of priorities, perceptions, and the professional life of the contributing engineers. The aim of this work-in-progress paper is to describe our experience of generating this letter of advice and to comment on the patterns we identified during this process. This idea calls for more in-depth studies to reveal the influence of culture and geographic regions on the engineers' perceptions of their profession.