2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Board 197: An Exploration of How Faculty Advising Influences Doctoral Student Psychological Safety and the Impact on Work-Related Outcomes

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session

Faculty advisors perform a vital role in doctoral students’ experiences in their programs, but they often lack training in how to provide essential psychosocial support to their doctoral advisees. This can result in negative graduate experiences, especially for underrepresented groups. While research into psychological safety in the corporate world has highlighted its importance, the importance of psychological safety is less understood in academia, particularly in the context of graduate engineering education. This study seeks to understand how engineering faculty advisors influence the psychological safety of doctoral students they advise and the impact of psychological safety on the student’s graduate experience. We use a mixed methods design and in-depth qualitative study to address the research aims. The mixed methods design uses a survey followed by exploratory interviews. Additional narrative interviews will be conducted to gather rich data on student experiences with psychological safety and how they evolve over time.

Authors

Larkin Martini http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7549-7144 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Larkin Martini is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. She received her BS in Geological Engineering and MS in Humanitarian Engineering and Science from Colorado School of Mines. Her research interests include neurodivergence in engineering, corporate social responsibility, and creative pedagogy.
Dorian Bobbett University of Michigan [biography]

Dorian is a 1st-year Engineering Education Research Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May 2023. Dorian currently works with Dr. Karin Jensen at the University of Michigan on projects related to mental-health and well being. She was previously involved in Engineering Education Research under the supervision of Dr. Grace Panther and Dr. Heidi Diefes-Dux on projects related to faculty development, adaptability, and educational research methods.
Jeanne Sanders http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8865-5444 University of Michigan [biography]

Jeanne Sanders (she/her/hers) is a researcher in Engineering Education. She graduated with her Ph.D from North Carolina State University in the Fall of 2020. She currently works as a researcher at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Karin Jensen http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9456-5042 University of Michigan [biography]

Karin Jensen, Ph.D. (she/her) is an assistant professor in biomedical engineering and engineering education research at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include mental health and wellness, engineering student career pathways, and engagement of engineering faculty in engineering education research.
Dr. Mark Vincent Huerta http://orcid.org/https:// 0000-0003-2962-0724 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [biography]

Mark Huerta is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. He earned his PhD in Engineering Education Systems & Design at Arizona State University and has a BS/MS in Biomedical Engineering. His research focuses on exploring and understanding engineering learning environments. He harnesses these insights to propose solutions that encourage the creation of safe and inclusive educational environments conducive to learning, professional development, and innovation. His research interests include graduate student mentorship, faculty development, mental health and well-being, teamwork and group dynamics, and the design of project-based learning classes.

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