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Previous research shows that the inherent systemic inequities present in STEM higher education impacts minority participation negatively as evidenced by phenomena like, low sense of belonging, isolation, low self-efficacy, and attrition. Thus, minoritized populations (persons who identify as Black, Latinx, Native Alaskan, Indigenous, or Asian Pacific Islander) have had to overcome many barriers to participation in STEM higher education. In addressing this participation, some research uses deficit frameworks that assume minoritized students lack coping skills (for e.g., how to balance work and classes), and these can be provided for them, for example, through intervention programs. However, there is a general lack of understanding regarding how these students cope from an assets-based lens. This study reports on the coping strategies of 31 minoritized students, and is guided by the research questions: 1) what personal coping mechanisms do minoritized undergraduate students use to navigate STEM fields? and 2) how do mentees leverage assistance from mentors in order to navigate STEM fields? The data was examined through critical race theory and mentoring frameworks. Preliminary results indicate that the participants used various forms of coping strategies including: mentoring, academic support, avoidance/distancing, family, social support, and self-care. These findings can help provide information about mental health resources to support these students, as well as the need for intentional mentoring and advising by faculty and staff. These efforts may have broader implications towards increasing minoritized participation in STEM fields. 

Undergraduate and graduate students need professional development skills to form expertise applicable to any job or future career. Mentoring is a way that students can learn how to engage in professional development. Likewise, students can learn professional development skills from mentors who they look to for expanding their knowledge base. To help address the needs of undergraduate and graduate students in engineering, the principal investigator developed and facilitated the Mentoring and Professional Development in Engineering Education (MPD-E2) Program. For this study, we examined the program’s general functions and elements using session notes and discussion of our observations. The guiding research question for this study is: what are some elements of a mentoring and professional development program that students value? In this work, we present details about the elements of the program that support student development and insights about potential future opportunities for these types of programs.