An official website of the United States government
Purpose The underrepresentation of women in engineering has important consequences for meeting the need for a larger, talented scientific and technological labor force. Increasing the proportion of women faculty in engineering will help increase the persistence probabilities of women undergraduate and graduate students in engineering, as well as contribute to the range and diversity of ideas toward innovations and solutions to the greatest engineering challenges. This study aims to examine the association among gender, family formation and post-PhD employment patterns of a cohort of engineering doctorates. Design/methodology/approach Using the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Doctorate Recipients data, 2001–2010, descriptive and multinomial logit regression analyses are conducted to illustrate the career trajectories of engineering PhDs over a ten-year period. Findings The career trajectories of engineering PhDs are nonlinear, and transitions between employment sectors commonly occur over the ten-year time period studied. Although women engineering PhDs with young dependents are less likely to be employed initially after PhD completion, they tend to enter the workforce in the academic sector as time progresses. Early post-PhD employment as a postdoctoral researcher or in the academic sector contributes to the pursuit of the professoriate downstream. Originality/value While previous studies tend to focus on the early career outcomes of science and engineering students, this study contributes to the literature by focusing on the long-term career outcomes of engineering doctorates. Research findings provide engineering PhD students and PhDs with more information regarding potential post-PhD career trajectories, highlighting the multitude of career options and transitions that occur over time. Research findings also provide higher education administrators and doctoral program stakeholders with foundational information toward designing and revitalizing professional development programs to help PhD students prepare for the workforce. The findings have the potential to be applied toward helping increase diversity by shaping policies and programs to encourage multiple alternative career pathways to the professoriate.
more »
« less
Enhancing Dissemination of Evidence-Based Models for STEM PhD Career Development; a Stakeholder Workshop Report
Sustainability of the scientific enterprise requires being able to recruit, retain, and prepare ongoing generations of PhD-trained scientists ready to adapt with the evolving needs of the scientific workforce and society. This necessitates a broadened, trainee-centered view in doctoral and postdoctoral training—including a prominent focus on career planning, science across sectors, and development of professional skills. Although there is energy and movement to enhance graduate and postdoctoral training, actions remain disparate, leading to inefficiencies in implementation and lack of systemic change. In 2019, an emerging national initiative, Professional Development Hub (pd|hub), hosted a workshop to bring organizations and individuals together across stakeholder groups to discuss enhancing the development, dissemination, and widespread implementation of evidence-based practices for STEM graduate and postdoctoral education, with specific emphasis on career and professional development for PhD scientists. The fifty workshop participants represented nine key stakeholder groups: career development practitioners, scientific societies, disseminators, education researchers and evaluators, employers of PhD scientists, funders, professional associations, trainees, and university leaders and faculty. In addition, participants spanned different races, ethnicities, genders, disciplines, sectors, geographic locations, career stages, and levels of institutional resources. This report presents cross-cutting themes identified at the workshop, examples of stakeholder-specific perspectives, and recommended next steps. As part of the collective effort to develop a foundation for sustainable solutions, several actions were defined, including: incentivizing change at institutions and programs, curating and disseminating resources for evidence-based career and professional development educational practices, expanding evidence for effective training and mentoring, establishing expectations for STEM career and professional development, and improving communication across all stakeholders in STEM PhD education. Furthermore, the report describes national-level actions already moving forward via pd|hub in the months following the workshop. Building on a decade of reports and gatherings advocating for a shift in graduate and postdoctoral education, this workshop represented a key step and catalyst for change toward a more impactful future.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 1848789
- PAR ID:
- 10210467
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- pd|hub Publications, University of Massachusetts Medical School
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
The knowledge and technologies that move our society forward and preserve our international competitive advantage rely upon a highly skilled workforce that is adept at conducting complex scientific and technical research—and in translating its outcome into useful products and services. “Use-inspired” research is driven by specific needs and interests and naturally focuses on socioeconomically advantageous application, whereas academic research tends to be driven by an intrinsic quest for new knowledge. Each has its role in overall technological development, however, the skills and knowledge crucial for success in these domains can differ significantly. To integrate these two approaches in doctoral training in STEM fields, a national workshop of ~100 leaders of industry, academia, funding agencies and non-profits was held with the goal of developing a robust understanding of the current status of the pipeline from graduate degree programs in STEM into professional research environments. At the conclusion, the Workshop participants identified gaps in the present training of STEM doctorates. Then they endorsed the Pasteur Partners PhD (P3) track recently established at Lehigh University as a new model for student-centered workforce training based on use-inspired research in partnership with industry. Here, we present the key outcomes of the workshop and describe the four distinctive features of the P3 program: 1. Pre-program summer internship; 2. Co-advising of students by a university faculty member and an industry researcher; 3. Instructions for developing essential professional skills; 4. Industry Residency (as in medical school). In this context, ‘Industry’ is defined broadly to include private corporations, national labs, defense organizations, healthcare institutes, etc., which hire PhDs. Collectively, we consider this as a model for the much needed redesigning of the US STEM doctoral education to create a national workforce of technical leaders. Finally, challenges to the implementation of the P3 track are identified. Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. https://peer.asee.org/44062more » « less
-
An instrumental case study (Stake, 1995) explored the messages STEM postdoctoral scholar women receive about balancing an academic career with a family. Concerningly, women with children are less likely than men with children, or women and men without children, to be offered tenure-track positions or to be promoted (Bird & Rhoton, 2021; Cech & Blair-Lory, 2019; Gregor et al., 2021; Williams & Ceci, 2012; Ysseldyk et al., 2019). This reality suggests that motherhood is in opposition to professional legitimacy in academia (Hill et al., 2014; Thébaud & Taylor, 2021). Furthermore, postdoctoral scholar mothers are more likely than their peers to cite children as their primary reason for not entering the faculty job market (NPA ADVANCE, 2011). Interviews were conducted with 22 demographically diverse STEM postdoctoral scholar women to explore how messages about balancing career and family are considered. Using inductive and deductive methods (Silverman, 1993; Stake, 1995), interview transcripts were analyzed using the ideal worker conceptual framework (Kossek et al., 2021). Two themes arose: (1) STEM postdoctoral women receive messages suggesting they must sacrifice family pursuits for an academic career, and (2) positive modeling and support for balancing career and family are vital for retaining STEM postdoctoral women in the professoriate pathway. These findings illustrate a systemic conflict for STEM postdoctoral scholar women. They describe a necessity to sacrifice family desires, yet positive modeling and support for balancing career and family send messages suggesting it is possible to plan for both. This research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP; award #1821008).more » « less
-
Deniz, Elif Ulutaş (Ed.)Effective science communication and stakeholder engagement are crucial skills for climate scientists, yet formal training in these areas remains limited in graduate education. The National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) at Auburn University (AU) addresses this gap through an innovative program combining science communication training with co-production approaches to enhance climate resiliency of built, natural, and social systems within the Southeastern United States (US). This paper evaluates the effectiveness of two novel graduate-level courses: one focused on science communication for non-technical audiences and another combining co-production methods with practical internship experience. Our research employed a mixed-methods approach, including a comprehensive analysis of course catalogs from 146 research-intensive universities and qualitative assessment of student experiences through surveys and descriptive exemplars. Analysis revealed that AU’s NRT program is unique among peer institutions in offering both specialized science communication training and co-production internship opportunities to graduate students across departments. Survey data from 11 program participants and detailed case studies of three program graduates demonstrated significant professional development benefits. Key outcomes included enhanced stakeholder engagement capabilities, improved science communication skills, and better preparation for both academic and non-academic careers. These findings suggest that integrating structured science communication training with hands-on co-production experience provides valuable preparation for climate scientists. The success of AU’s program model indicates that similar curriculum structures could benefit graduate programs nationwide, particularly in preparing students to effectively communicate complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences and engage with stakeholders in climate resilience efforts.more » « less
-
The Hispanic Serving Institution Advanced Technological Education Hub 2 (HSI ATE Hub 2) is a three-year collaborative research project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that builds upon the successful outcomes of two mentoring and professional development (PD) programs in a pilot that translates foundational theory related to culturally responsive pedagogy into practice using a 3-tier scaffolded faculty PD model. The goal of HSI ATE Hub 2 is to improve outcomes for Latinx students in technician education programs through design, development, pilot, optimization, and dissemination of this model at 2-year Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). The tiered PD model has been tested by two faculty cohorts at Westchester Community College (WCC), an HSI in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. In year one, Cohort A piloted the PD modules in Tier 1 which featured reflective exercises and small culturally responsive activities to try with their STEM students. In year two, Cohort A piloted the PD modules in Tier 2 and peer-mentored Cohort B as they piloted optimizations introduced to Tier 1 from Cohort A feedback. Three types of optimizations came from faculty feedback. The first considered feedback regarding delivery and/or nature of the content that influenced a subsequent module. The second involved making changes to a particular module before it was delivered to another faculty cohort. The third takes into account what worked and what didn’t to decide which content to bring into virtual webinars for the broader advanced technician education community. Dissemination of the tiered PD model has been achieved in annual webinars with the broader ATE community and at conferences for advanced technician educators to achieve broader impacts in the ATE Community. Longer term, providing professional development in culturally responsive pedagogy and practices can help existing and future faculty learn to productively engage their students in more inclusive ways. As faculty mindsets shift to asset-based thinking and a climate of mutual respect is developed, the learning environment for all students in technician education programs will improve. When students learn in a supportive environment, their chances for success increase. The professional development provided in the HSI ATE Hub 2 project will lead to longer term improvements in four ways: 1) Retainment of Culturally responsive practices by those directly engaged after the project ends; 2) Inserting top activities from the PD into national webinars to extend the reach of the training; 3) Strengthening grant proposals as faculty integrate culturally responsive strategies, knowledge and experience within their ATE proposals to the NSF; and 4) Meeting industry demand for a diverse technician workforce. This second paper in a three-part series describes ongoing progress and lessons learned in developing and piloting the 3-Tier PD model with two Cohorts of STEM faculty at a 2-year HSI.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.13028/79a5-ym66
