To broaden participation in engineering, there is a need to move beyond examining the variables that differentiate underrepresented students from majority students and take a systemic approach. As part of a larger project, this research begins closing that gap by examining systemic variables that influence enrollment in 4-year University engineering programs. Situated in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this work in progress analysis examines interviews with principals at a single case site to identify proximal and distal influences on engineering career choice pathways. In addition to identifying factors consistent with current literature, this analysis expands current literature by articulating how the same factor can be perceived differently within different schools in the same case site region.
Andrew L. Gillen is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Northeastern University in the First Year Engineering Program and an affiliate faculty member to Civil and Environmental Engineering. He earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech and B.S. in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University.
Cheryl Carrico is a Research faculty member for Virginia Tech. Her current research focus relates to STEM career pathways (K-12 through early career) and conceptual understanding of core engineering principles. Dr. Carrico owns a research and consulting company specializing in research evaluations and industry consulting. Dr. Carrico received her B.S. in chemical engineering from Virginia Tech, Masters of Engineering from North Carolina State University, MBA from King University, and PhD in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech. Dr. Carrico is a certified project management professional (PMP) and licensed professional engineer (P.E.).
Dr. Holly Matusovich is the Associate Dean for Graduate and Professional Studies in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech and a Professor in the Department of Engineering Education where she has also served in key leadership positions. Dr. Matusovich is recognized for her research and leadership related to graduate student mentoring and faculty development. She won the Hokie Supervisor Spotlight Award in 2014, received the College of Engineering Graduate Student Mentor Award in 2018, and was inducted into the Virginia Tech Academy of Faculty Leadership in 2020. Dr. Matusovich has been a PI/Co-PI on 19 funded research projects including the NSF CAREER Award, with her share of funding being nearly $3 million. She has co-authored 2 book chapters, 34 journal publications, and more than 80 conference papers. She is recognized for her research and teaching, including Dean’s Awards for Outstanding New Faculty, Outstanding Teacher Award, and a Faculty Fellow. Dr. Matusovich has served the Educational Research and Methods (ERM) division of ASEE in many capacities over the past 10+ years including serving as Chair from 2017-2019. Dr. Matusovich is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Advances in Engineering Education and she serves on the ASEE committee for Scholarly Publications.
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