2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Latinos are projected to become the largest minority demographic group in the U.S. Their increased participation in engineering higher education is beneficial not only for the country's competitiveness but also for broadening inclusivity in engineering. When examining doctoral education, it is evident a Latino participation gap remains for both enrollment and completion. The role of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in supporting Latino graduate students remains unclear. This poster will showcase how this CAREER project investigates the ways in which HSIs support doctoral students beyond mere degree completion. Specifically, we seek to address the following research question: “How do HSIs’ servingness support Latino engineering doctoral student socialization?” This study, currently in the pilot phase, aims to (1) advance the understanding of servingness in doctoral engineering education; and (2) identify and characterize high-impact practices employed by HSIs that effectively support Latino doctoral student socialization.
We frame this study via two theoretical frameworks: a servingness framework that addresses HSIs’ impact on each student and a graduate student socialization framework that guides the analysis of individual students’ socialization within HSIs. Using a comparative case study methodology with embedded units, we compare how two institutions enact servingness and how these ways impact on Latino doctoral student socialization.
Three data sources will be used in this study: First, Longitudinal video reflections will be collected from first-year Latino students via a self-reporting software application. Second, Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with graduate education stakeholders to understand the structure of graduate programs, and student interviews to contextualize the video reflections. Finally, relevant institutional data (internal and public records), will be reviewed to help contextualize the reflections and interviews.
Preliminary data collection will begin in Spring of 2026, followed by full scale data collection commencing in Fall 2026. Data analysis will run concurrently with data collection throughout the five-year project lifecycle. Simultaneously, we will implement the education plan which is founded on a community of practice framework. This plan will drive engaging conversations among the faculty, staff and leadership of the engineering education programs. The primary goal is to develop a community of practice model between the HSIs to share lessons learned towards effectively supporting Latino doctoral students in engineering.
The overarching goal of this CAREER project is to build a preliminary framework for doctoral student servingness and a list of high-impact practices that support engineering Latino student socialization. Anticipated key outcomes include a workshop series for HSI graduate education leadership on research-based strategies for serving Latino doctoral students, and a scoresheet for HSIs to assess their servingness to doctoral students. These resources will help guide institutional policies and practices supporting Latinos in doctoral programs. Both the workshops and scoresheet will drive broader conversations to address access barriers to higher education and promote equity and opportunities for all students.