The Professional Engineering Pathways Study (PEPS), is a three-year collaborative study involving Stanford (lead institution) with a subcontract to Arizona State, Purdue and Virginia Tech (NSF-EEC-1360665, 1360956, and 1360958). The primary aim of PEPS is to better understand how engineering undergraduates’ experiences and beliefs impact their career goals and activities.
The project has two subgoals:
• To investigate how engineering students develop beliefs about their career options and abilities, and how these beliefs influence their career plans and preparation over time, and
• To engage university administrators, faculty, and staff in using insights into early career decision pathways to improve undergraduate engineering programs and career services.
In order to accomplish our objectives, PEPS’ research design consists of two elements: a Research Element whose primary focus is the first subgoal, and a Community of Practice (CoP) Element designed to address the second subgoal. Another paper provided a description of the overall structure and aims of the project. This paper will focus on the CoP element of PEPS.
Ruth A. Streveler is a Professor in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. Dr. Streveler has been the Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator of ten grants funded by the US National Science Foundation. She has published art
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.
Cheryl Carrico is owner of E4S, LLC. E4S, LLC conducts external evaluations, engineering education research, and industry consulting. Her current research focus relates to STEM career pathways and conceptual understanding of core engineering principles. She volunteers on several boards and is president of the Appalachian Council for Innovation. Her evaluation & assessment work includes grants, workshops, and others for a variety of disciplines (>$10M in value). She has worked with over 60 small to mid size businesses to help them grow organically and commercialize products. She has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Masters in Engineering and Business Administration, and a Ph. D. in Engineering Education.
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8607-5959
Arizona State University
[biography]
Samantha Brunhaver is an Assistant Professor of Engineering in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. Dr. Brunhaver joined Arizona State after completing her M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. She also has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University. Dr. Brunhaver's research examines the career decision-making and professional identity formation of engineering students, alumni, and practicing engineers. In addition, she conducts studies of new engineering pedagogy that help to improve student engagement and understanding.
Sheri D. Sheppard, Ph.D., P.E., is professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. Besides teaching both undergraduate and graduate design and education related classes at Stanford University, she conducts research on engineering education and
Helen L. Chen is a research scientist in the Designing Education Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Director of ePortfolio Initiatives in the Office of the Registrar at Stanford University. Chen earned her undergraduate degree from UCLA and her Ph.D. in Communication with a minor in Psychology from Stanford University. Her current research interests include: 1) engineering and entrepreneurship education; 2) the pedagogy of ePortfolios and reflective practice in higher education; and 3) redesigning the traditional academic transcript.
Angela Harris is currently an Associate Professor in the Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering Department at North Carolina State University. Her research group studies the role of the environment in disease transmission, and advances in methods in environmental monitoring and risk assessment. Dr. Harris received her PhD in Stanford's Environmental Engineering and Science Program (Spring 2015), and her Master's degree in the same program in Spring of 2010. She completed her B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Spring 2009.
Rohini Abhyankar is a doctoral student at Arizona State University’s Engineering Education Systems and Design program. Rohini has a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Physics from the University of Delhi, India. Rohini has over ten years of industry experience in addition to extensive teaching experience. Her dissertation focus is on understanding the antecedents to workplace adjustment for engineers and the corresponding influence on job satisfaction and intentions to persist. Rohini's other interests include faculty development and engineering pathways of graduating engineers.
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