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We propose a panel discussion on the topic related to women in engineering academia at predominantly undergraduate institutions. Apart from intersectionality of gender and ethnicity, we discuss the issues related foreign born/foreign trained (FB/FT) status and its impact on advancement of women. 

Persons Excluded due to Ethnicity and Race (PEERs) remain underrepresented in university faculties, particularly in science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEMM) fields, despite increasing representation among students, and mounting evidence supporting the importance of PEER faculty in positively impacting both scientific and educational outcomes. In fact, the ratio of PEER faculty to students has been steadily dropping since 2000. In our case study, we examine the factors that explain creation of an unusually diverse faculty within a biology department. We analyzed nearly 40 years of hiring data in the study department and show that this department (the study department), historically and currently, maintains a significantly higher proportion of PEERs on faculty as compared to two national datasets. Additionally, we identify factors that contributed to hiring of PEERs into tenure and tenure-track positions. We observed a significant increase in the hiring of PEERs concurrent with the implementation of a co-hiring policy (p= 0.04) which allowed a single search to make two hires when at least one candidate was a PEER. In contrast, three key informants at sister departments reported that co-hiring policies did not result in PEER hires, but instead different practices were effective. In line with one of these practices, we observe a possible association between search committees with at least one PEER member and PEER hiring (p = 0.055). Further, the presence of particular faculty members (Agents of Change) on search committees is associated with PEER hiring. In this case study the combination of a co-hire policy based on the principle of interest-convergence to redress hiring inequities, along with the presence of agents of change, increased faculty PEER representation in STEMM departments. 

Mentoring interventions, particularly mentoring that incorporates networking, have been effective at meeting the professional needs of women and under-represented minority (URM) faculty. However, women, especially URM women, in STEM careers report feeling left out of networks and thus face decreased social and administrative support. The isolation of women, especially URM women, in engineering in the California State University (CSU) System is apparent in the fact that many CSU engineering departments have only a few women faculty and no more than a single URM woman faculty. Thus, despite current mentoring programs at each CSU campus, there is only a few (if any) other women within their engineering department with whom they may discuss shared experiences. As part of the NSF funded ADVANCE Partnership grant, “Kindling Inter-university Networks for Diverse (KIND) Engineering Faculty Advancement in the California State University System”, in order to address this isolation and to provide mentoring and networking opportunities for women engineering faculty in the CSU system, particularly woman who identify as URM, a series of virtual (to enable cross-campus mentoring), small group setting (to incorporate networking) mentoring events was organized. Another aspect of this initiative emphasizes foreign-born (FB) or foreign-trained (FT) women, a unique focus. Although the speed mentoring events are open to all engineering faculty in the CSU system, there is specific emphasis on those who are normally excluded from formal mentoring. In this paper, the post-event survey results which include the demographics of the participants are reported and the importance and impact of these events are discussed. 

The number of engineering doctoral degrees awarded to foreign-born (international) students has increased in the past three decades. It has resulted in an increase in the foreign-born professoriate across the USA. To address gender parity and address the needs of a diverse student population, many universities are increasingly recruiting foreign-born women faculty. While their immigration status is their transitional identity, they do have a distinctive racial/ethnic identity. Unfortunately, issues of foreign-born faculty, especially women, are understudied. A pilot study was carried out at the California State University System to assess the needs of women faculty. A survey was administered to the engineering faculty (all identity groups) across California State University System. This paper examines the tenure navigation of foreign-born women faculty to identify their needs to attain tenure and promotion successfully. Resource satisfaction between the populations based on gender and foreign-born status are compared. Based on the evidence presented, the authors argue that foreign-born status should be considered as one of the parameters in planning retention programs and addressing intersectionality for engineering academics. Some ongoing efforts at the California State University System are also reported.