2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A New Narrative: The Power of Story in Retaining Underrepresented Populations in Engineering

To increase the diversity of the student population in undergraduate engineering programs, institutions of higher education need to find ways of appealing to the motivations of different demographic groups. This study examines survey data from participants in an international humanitarian engineering project across a five-year period. The objectives of the study were to determine whether underrepresented student populations participated in the program at different rates than their peers and whether there were differences in their experience of the project itself. Initial results showed statistically significant differences in participation for women and LGBTQIA students, as well as statistically significant differences in motivation for program participation and perceptions of career outlook. The study concludes with a call for higher education institutions to broaden their sponsored programming in order to appeal to a broader student population and retain more diverse engineering student cohorts.

Authors

Dr. Susan J Ely University of Southern Indiana [biography]

Dr. Ely began her academic career at the community college level, after having worked as an engineer in areas of manufacturing, distribution, logistics and supply chain. She is the Director of Engineering Technology Programs and Assistant Professor in Manufacturing at the University of Southern Indiana. Research includes student retention and engagement, mentoring and support of women in engineering and lean applications in non-manufacturing environments.
Matthew J. Ely http://orcid.org/0009-0005-2577-8075 Indiana University-Bloomington [biography]

Matthew J. Ely is a Ph.D. student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program at Indiana University. Before beginning his doctoral program, Matthew was a public school teacher. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College and master’s degrees from Drake University and St. John’s College. He is interested in higher education curriculum, particularly among non-traditional institutions.
Dr. Milad Rezvani Rad University of Southern Indiana [biography]

Dr. Milad Rad is an Assistant Professor in the Engineering Department at the University of Southern Indiana. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta in Canada. Besides his specialization in functional thermally sprayed coatings, he explores innovative AI-driven approaches to enhance student engagement in the classroom.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025