2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The key factors that motivate young women to pursue engineering careers should be recognized and integrated across the educational system, from K-12 through graduate-level programs. Focusing on motivating factors highlights a fundamental shift from focusing on the obstacles that young women face to emphasizing the positive influences that foster interest and confidence in choosing to study engineering and enter engineering career fields. Current research in this area highlights seven specific factors which are positive influences that can be developed through informal learning experiences, such as clubs or enrichment activities. Prior research shows that young women who choose and stay in engineering:

• show a genuine interest in and positive attitude towards engineering
• value the field of engineering
• demonstrate engineering-related self-confidence
• embrace a STEM identity
• have a robust support system
• leverage personal and cultural resilience
• feel a sense of belonging within the engineering community

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) student chapter at Oklahoma State University (OSU) plays an important role in supporting these seven motivating factors through intentional programming. Three years ago, the chapter overhauled its approach to programming in order to better support a broader perspective of the members’ lives. In the context of the seven factors mentioned above, numerous examples are shown of how the organization provided innovative programming, support, and engaging activities around each motivational area. Additionally, survey data of members’ perceptions of this student organization are included.

As a result of these comprehensive programming efforts, the SWE student chapter achieved a 55% increase in average meeting attendance over the school years 2022/2023 to 2024/2025. When compared with pre-COVID years, the increase is even more impressive – the chapter had 55 members in 2019/2020, experienced a steep decline in numbers after the COVID pandemic, then jumped to 154 members for the 2024/2025 school year. This result underscores the effectiveness of how focused programming in a student organization can impact and empower young women to engage in engineering-related activities which ultimately encourage them to pursue and stay in engineering.