2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Exploring the Potential for Broadening Participation in Engineering through Community College and Minority-Serving Institution Partnerships

Presented at Engineering and Engineering Technology Transfer and the Two-Year College Student Part 2

Community colleges reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S., and a relatively large number of two-year engineering degrees are awarded to Black students. In addition, the limited body of research on the experiences of Black engineering students suggests that they benefit from the learning environments in two-year institutions. Similarly, four-year Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) not only have large populations of Black undergraduates, but often provide a more nurturing environment than many four-year predominately White institutions (PWIs). This work-in-progress study is part of a new five-year research project, which brings together community colleges and HBCUs with the goal of broadening participation in engineering. In this initial paper, we provide quantitative “baseline” data on the current state of community college to four-year MSI pathways. We offer descriptive statistics in the form of engineering transfer data on Black collegians attending approximately four HBCUs from geographically diverse locations in the U.S. The engineering transfer data that we report are specific to Black students, which is noteworthy given that national transfer rates are typically not separated by discipline or other student demographics. In addition, we will provide associate of science degree completion data on undergraduates attending the top feeder institutions for these HBCUs.

Authors

Dr. Bruk T. Berhane Florida International University [biography]

Dr. Bruk T. Berhane received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland in 2003. He holds an M.S. in engineering management from the George Washington University and a Ph.D. in minority and urban education from the University of Maryland. In 2003, Bruk was hired by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL), where he worked on nanotechnology and microsystems. In 2005 he left JHUAPL for a fellowship with the National Academies and researched methods of increasing the number of women in engineering. Later that year, he briefly served as a mathematics instructor in Baltimore City High Schools.

From 2005 through 2018, Dr. Berhane directed engineering recruitment and scholarship programs for the University of Maryland. He oversaw an increase in the admission of students of color and women during his tenure and supported initiatives that reduce the time to degree for transfers from Maryland community colleges. The broader implications of his research are informed by his comprehensive experiences as a college administrator. His areas of scholarly interest include: 1) Broadening participation in engineering through community college pathways and 2) Experiences of first and second-generation African diasporic Americans in engineering undergraduate programs.
Mr. Collins N. Vaye Florida International University [biography]

Collins N. Vaye is a first-generation college student and a native of Liberia, West Africa. Currently, he is a 3rd year Engineering and Computing Education Ph.D. student at Florida International University. His research interests revolve around:
–Effective Technology Integration in Engineering Education.
–Faculty Development, Professional Development, and Technology Supported Learning.
–Broadening Participation in Engineering and Engineering Technology within and from Sub–Saharan Africa.
Mr. Joseph Ronald Sturgess Virginia Tech [biography]

Joseph Sturgess is a PhD student in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he also serves as a graduate research assistant contributing to various projects supporting low-income STEM students and minority-serving institutions. His research interests include community college-minority serving institution partnerships, transfer students, post-traditional students and broadening participation in engineering education. He received his B.S. in electrical engineering from Tuskegee University, a M.S in journalism from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, a M.S. in physics from Fisk University, a M.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Central Florida and a M.Ed. in educational leadership from Texas Christian University.
Mr. Daniel Ifeoluwa Adeniranye http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1907-9463 Florida International University [biography]

‘Daniel Adeniranye’ holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, a joint and dual master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering and Project Development from IFP School, France and the University of Port Harcourt, and a Project Management degree from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom. He is currently a Research Assistant at the School of Universal Computing, Construction, and Engineering Education, Florida International University (FIU) where he seeks to establish remarkable footprints and make an impact that matters.
Prior to joining FIU, Daniel had worked in Dubai for the ministry of Education as a STEM Educator and Lead Instructor. Previous work experience was in the United Kingdom (as an assistant Lead manager) and Nigeria. To date, he has co-authored 2 journal articles, authored 2 Physics textbooks, held many leadership roles and won several awards (one notable one is a World Bank award).

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