2025 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD)

Diversity in STEM: Strategies of Professional Engineering Organizations in Recruiting and Retaining Women from Minority-Serving Institutions

Presented at Track 7: Technical Session 4: Diversity in STEM: Strategies of Professional Engineering Organizations in Recruiting and Retaining Women from Minority-Serving Institutions

Professional engineering organizations play a pivotal role in supporting women from Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Social capital via resources gained from networking, connections, and mentorships significantly impacts women’s persistence and transition into the STEM workforce. However, a critical gap exists in the literature on the diverse retainment and recruitment strategies these organizations employ. This study addresses this gap by interviewing staff and members engaging in recruitment activities with MSIs for the 2023-24 academic year, members attending these institutions, and MSI students newly recruited into a professional engineering organization. Our research question is: How do professional engineering organizations implement and tailor diverse recruitment strategies to effectively recruit and retain women from Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) into their membership base? We seek to identify the challenges and lessons learned by both organizations and MSI students during recruitment and engagement. Moreover, evaluate how various recruitment strategies via best practices by key stakeholders contribute to maintaining a diverse membership base within their professional engineering organization. The findings from this study provide practical yet effective strategies that could be widely implemented across other organizations to support the inclusion and success of women from MSIs, ultimately contributing to a more diverse and equitable STEM workforce.

Authors

Rebeca Petean Society of Women Engineers [biography]

Rebeca Petean is a Research Analyst for the Society of Women Engineers and a Doctoral candidate in Sociology at Portland State University, specializing in crime, law, and deviance. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology. Her expertise lies in qualitative and quantitative research that addresses systemic inequalities through an intersectional lens.

Rebeca has conducted extensive field research, leading over 70 interviews and 18 focus groups across 7 disciplines. She has also delivered more than 46 unique asynchronous higher education courses across 8 disciplines—driving measurable outcomes in student success and institutional growth.

Her research focuses on disrupting cycles of inequality, such as the school-to-prison pipeline and homelessness, through targeted research and actionable policy recommendations. With extensive experience in program management, she leverages data-driven strategies to improve stakeholder engagement and drive systemic change.

Rebeca collaborates with educators, policymakers, and non-profits to amplify the impact of STEM education initiatives, fostering pathways that bridge gaps in educational spaces and professional opportunities, particularly for underrepresented communities. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates sociological research, STEM advocacy, and educational equity.
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.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on February 9, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on February 11, 2025

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