2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper describes the experiences and outcomes of undergraduates enrolled in the new Women in Science & Engineering (WISE) Honors’ curriculum, supported by NSF DUE #2012339. Employers consistently rate communication skills and teamwork as critical in the candidate selection process (NACE, 2023) and look for problem solving skills and group projects on resumes (Grey, 2024). To address these needs, we focus on two courses designed to prepare future leaders of the STEM workforce: Service Learning in STEM and Women’s Leadership in STEM. These courses were developed through a unique partnership involving the WISE Program (academic affairs), and Career Center (student affairs), that connects students with real world projects through the Career Center’s community partnerships, and with industry leaders through the Industry Connections Program. Class sizes are small, with 20-35 students per section, to ensure that students have every opportunity to have a voice in class, and be open about their overall experience as women in STEM. Research has shown that such [science] meritocracy myths cause declines in self-esteem, increases in dropout rates, and substantial psycho-logical costs, such as self-blame and imposter syndrome” (Graves et al., 2022, p.5).

In addition to continuous feedback loops in classes, formal assessment was collected through course surveys and focus groups each semester, leading to adjustments to course readings, assignments, and in-class activities. Being in the fourth year of the program, we have integrated lessons learned from the students’ experiences and honed two highly valued courses which provide: active engagement with content, solutions-oriented class discussions, practice having difficult conversations, vision board design, connections to industry and alumni mentors, deconstruction of their experiences working with community partners and/or student organization leadership roles, and significant self reflection. Strategies to overcome discriminatory or biased behavior, a framework for having difficult conversations, language to help them articulate their leadership vision, philosophy, and skills, and a support network of peers and alumni mentors from industry equips students with the skills and confidence they need to thrive in their future career as STEM leaders.

A limitation of the project is the challenge of gathering post-graduate outcomes. To address this, long-term plans include implementation of more targeted alumni outreach strategies, maintenance of updated contact information, leveraging social media, and collaborations with alumni career services. We will also explore existing partnerships with industry and use surveys to collect long-term career data from alumni.

References:

Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, Workplace basics: The competencies employers want, 2020. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/competencies/

Graves Jr, J. L., Kearney, M., Barabino, G., & Malcom, S. (2022). Inequality in science and the case for a new agenda. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(10), e2117831119.

Gray, K. (2024, January 16). The key attributes employers are looking for on graduates’ resumes.
https://www.naceweb.org/talent-acquisition/candidate-selection/the-key-attributes-employers-are-looking-for-on-graduates-resumes#:~:text=Beyond%20these%20attributes%2C%20it%20is,candidates%20for%20a%20job%20opening.

NACE (2023, November). Job Outlook. Bethlehem, PA.