2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This work-in-progress paper examines the development of intra-occupational gender segregation in academia and identifies the necessary supports to help women faculty. Women are underrepresented in tenure-track (TT) and administrative roles in engineering, with a higher proportion of women holding non-tenure-track (NTT) positions. Some literature suggests the lack of women in TT roles may be due to chilly climates or conflicts with caregiving expectations. Women engineering graduate students are future TT and NTT faculty. Understanding women graduate students’ perceptions of these positions is a key component of understanding the overall ecosystem that results in this intra-occupational gender segregation. The research question we seek to answer is: 1) What are women engineering graduate students' perceptions of TT and NTT faculty roles? In the fall 2025 semester, we recruited (n=15) women in graduate engineering programs at a public, R1 institution to participate in semi-structured interviews over Zoom about their perceptions of TT versus NTT roles and role considerations. Our analysis, which is framed by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), is currently in progress. Specifically, we focus on the career development models of interest and choice as we explore the interests, experiences, and career pathways of women in engineering. Initial findings highlight location, stress, and workplace culture as possible careers within and outside of academia, with many indicating a preference for industry over academic roles. Additionally, we find that many graduate students, regardless of their year in their program, are unfamiliar with the differences between TT and NTT roles.