2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Navigating the Personal and Professional: How University STEM Mentorship Programs Support Women in Austria and Germany

Presented at International Division (INTL) Technical Session: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The underrepresentation of women in STEM fields, including engineering and technology, remains a significant issue, even in progressive countries like Austria and Germany. University STEM mentorship programs are considered essential in addressing this gender imbalance by facilitating the advancement and success of women in these fields, while also helping them balance their personal and professional lives. This research aims to investigate the impact of university STEM mentorship programs on gender equality, women's growth in STEM, and the intricate interplay between their personal and professional spheres, specifically within Austria and Germany. To conduct this study, a qualitative research approach will be employed, utilizing a case study design. The research will focus on mentorship initiatives implemented at four institutions, two in Austria and two in Germany. Data collection will primarily involve conducting interviews with program participants, coordinators, and other stakeholders relevant to the STEM mentorship programs. These interviews will offer insights into program design, effectiveness, challenges encountered, and successful strategies employed. The analysis will identify distinctive themes and patterns within the collected data, allowing for the extraction of lessons learned, best practices, and evidence-based recommendations aimed at enhancing similar mentorship efforts on a global scale.

Authors

Rebeca Petean Society of Women Engineers [biography]

Rebeca Petean is the Research Analyst for the Society of Women Engineers and a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at Portland State University. Her work bridges research, advocacy, and equity in STEM education. Rebecca collaborates with educators, policymakers, and nonprofits to maximize the impact of STEM initiatives. Her dissertation focuses on the school-to-prison pipeline, specifically examining school safety strategies in K-12 school spaces. She explores how the integration of school safety strategies with disciplinary practices, often under zero-tolerance policies, blurs the lines between them, suggesting that both are byproducts of the school-to-prison pipeline.
Dr. Roberta Rincon Society of Women Engineers [biography]

Roberta Rincon, Ph.D., is the Director of Research and Impact for the Society of Women Engineers. She is responsible for overseeing the research activities for the organization, including collaborative research projects with external researchers and dissemination of SWE research through academic conferences, the SWE Research website, and the annual SWE State of Women in Engineering magazine issue. She is the Principal Investigator for the NSF INCLUDES-funded Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative, whose mission is to work cooperatively with other organizations to provide resources to create a supportive, encouraging, and inclusive environment in the engineering workplace. Her SWE research centers on equity issues in STEM education and the workplace, with studies on gender bias, the development of an engineering identity, and the community college transfer pathway. Prior to joining SWE, she worked in higher education policy research and on programs focused on faculty productivity and student success. She received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, MBA and M.S. in Information Management from Arizona State University, and Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Planning from UT Austin.

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