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Global competition, changes in manufacturing/automation and desire for more sophisticated technology has increased the demand of graduates in STEM fields. Although the graduation of technically competent individuals with diverse backgrounds can help the US regain its competitive advantage, a large percentage of the population is left untapped. In engineering, women, racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities are classified as underrepresented minorities. In addition to the disparity in industry, diversity in faculty and academic administration positions lags, which can marginalize or prevent full participation of underrepresented groups graduating in engineering disciplines. This paper will provide a brief overview of our approach and update of a National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored collaborative project to broaden the participation of underrepresented engineering minorities in engineering academia by providing participants with an improved skill set for entry into a faculty position. The project has completed three, two-week summer intensive professional trainings that provided participants with skills for entry into a faculty position and recently started the third year of mentoring. The first summer intensive professional preparation was held at The University of Akron and had 13 ACADEME (Advancing Career in Academics with Diversity and Mentorship in Engineering) Fellows from The University of Akron, universities in the same geographical region, and from the collaborating institutions. Modifications to the advertising approach were successful; yielding applicants from across the country and increased participation. The second summer professional preparation held at the University of Houston had 27 ACADEME Fellows while the third training held at Mississippi State University had 25 ACADEME Fellows. This paper highlights the assessment results from the three professional trainings, includes details as to which project activities have worked, and first-hand accounts of how the program benefited Fellows securing academic positions.
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Critical Literature Review on the Diversity and Inclusion of Women and Ethnic Minorities in Construction and Civil Engineering Industry and Education
Research about diversity in Construction and Civil Engineering (CCE) has been conducted from both the academic and industrial points of view. Researchers have suggested several strategies to further attract women and ethnic minorities (WEMs) to CCE at both academic and industry levels, mainly due to the skilled labor shortage, as well as to preserve the future success of the U.S. economy. Accordingly, this literature review aims to present the current levels of diversity and inclusion of minorities in CCE at academic and industry levels, while it identifies effective strategies for increasing diversity, recognizes knowledge gaps, and suggests recommendations for future research. The review is conducted by searching relevant papers from leading construction management and engineering education peer-reviewed publications. The findings indicate that although the low participation of minorities in CCE industries and education has been studied a few times from a gender point of view, it has not received adequate attention from the ethnicity perspective, especially at the academic level. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by bringing together information related to the underrepresentation of WEMs in CCE academia and workforce environments and identifying the potential reasons for this low participation.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1733644
- PAR ID:
- 10147163
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Construction Research congress 2020
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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