2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

S-STEM: Cultivating Success: Career Development and Student Retention through Scholarships and Academic-Industry Partnerships

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session I

The underrepresentation of low-income, academically talented students in engineering remains a barrier to broadening participation in STEM and meeting national workforce needs. Civil engineering and engineering management graduates are critical to addressing infrastructure priorities, yet retention and graduation rates for these students remain below institutional averages. Prior work in the literature underscores that financial barriers, limited networks, and a lack of structured support contribute to attrition (Tinto, 2012).

Funded by NSF’s S-STEM program, this project at the [Anonymous University] aims to increase the number of low-income students completing degrees in civil engineering and engineering management by combining scholarships with evidence-based academic, social, and career readiness supports. Over six years, the program will provide $15,000 annual scholarships to 10 first-year students organized into cohorts that participate in structured activities designed to foster sense of belonging, STEM self-efficacy, professional identity, and career readiness. Key components include faculty and industry mentorship, a two-day orientation retreat, co-enrollment in first-year learning communities, and engagement in work-based learning through internships and a required cooperative education (CO-OP) experience. Faculty mentors receive professional development in developmental advising, metacognition, and coaching strategies, and scholars meet with mentors multiple times per semester in their first year.

The project employs a mixed-methods evaluation using validated instruments to measure belonging, self-efficacy, professional identity, and career readiness (Ahlqvist et al., 2013; Mamaril et al., 2016). This data will be complemented through narrative interviews and participatory narrative inquiry to capture students’ evolving identities and experiences. Findings will inform strategies for reducing attrition among underserved students and provide a model for integrating academic-industry partnerships into STEM education. This poster will present an initial look at the project, including the program structure and recruitment outcomes.

Authors

Dr. Shelly Gulati http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3284-442X University of the Pacific [biography]

Dr. Shelly Gulati is Professor of Bioengineering and Associate Dean for Student Success in the School of Engineering and Computer Science at University of the Pacific. She has been at Pacific since 2010. She received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD in Bioengineering from University of California, Berkeley. She also spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow in London at Imperial College. Her research interests are in biomicrofluidics as well as engineering education. Her recent projects have focused on creating engaging learning environments that promote students' sense of belonging, persistence, and success in engineering.
Dr. Sebastian Dziallas University of the Pacific [biography]

Sebastian Dziallas is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of the Pacific. He previously served as a founding faculty member at Fulbright University in Vietnam. He received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Kent and a B.S. in Engineering from Olin College of Engineering. His research interests in computing education research include using narrative methodologies to understand student experiences and exploring novel work-based learning approaches.
Dr. Mehdi Khazaeli University of the Pacific [biography]

Mehdi Khazaeli is an Associate Professor in School of Engineering and Computer Science at University of the Pacific. He also serves as Director of Pacificâ€™s Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TIE) Program. He teaches courses in Building Info

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

« View session