This three-manuscript dissertation in practice used improvement science as the methodological approach of disciplined inquiry into a problem of practice--the discrepancy of male and female participation in engineering design-based (EDB) courses and clubs in Starr School District. Manuscript 1 centered around diagnosing the problem and delved into…

Engineering graduates are called on by society to work with others to address wicked problems which incorporate a wide range of socio-technical considerations. One promising approach to more wholistically prepare students for the demands of engineering-related work and positively contributing as citizens is community-engaged learning. To help this…

This mixed-method study explored female students' sense of belonging while studying in a mechanical engineering program. Mechanical engineering has one of the lowest proportions of women and remains one of the least chosen majors of female engineering students. To start to understand why, it is important to have research focused specifically on…

The symbolic reference to being in the "beyond" captures how individuals occupying the hybrid space create identities and cultures that extend beyond the dominant pathways recognized in engineering. The fundamental understanding of the cultural theory suggests that hybridity emerges when two cultural identities overlap that were…

Spatial ability represents our ability to mentally arrange, rotate, and explore objects in multiple dimensions. This ability has been found to be important for engineers and engineering students. Past research has shown that many interventions can be created to boost an individual's spatial ability. In fact, past research has indicated that…

Humans are arguably the most interesting subjects in computer vision. Modeling human 3D geometry from images captured by highly sophisticated production level cameras (10-100 cameras with precise calibration) enable a number of applications, e.g. telepresence, virtual try-on, motion analysis, etc. Despite its production level quality, the…

At the highest level, this dissertation is a case study on how bias can become encoded into the tools used to measure a construct and into the very definition of the construct itself. In this case, the construct is spatial ability. This dissertation focuses on the validity and accuracy of spatial tests and illuminates gender bias that is…

Biological engineering includes a higher representation of women (Yoder, 2015) than most science, technology, engineering, mathematics and information technology fields, while computer science has seen a precipitous decline in women's representation. However, disciplines like biological engineering are becoming more computationally intensive…

Engineering students are expected to develop professional skills in addition to their technical knowledge as outcomes of accredited engineering programs. Among the most critical professional skills is the ability to work effectively in a team. Working effectively in teams has learning benefits and also provides an environment for developing other…

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) will drive the economy of the West in the future. The competitiveness and strength of the U.S. economy are reliant on a workforce with the skillset necessary to ensure that the nation remains a powerful force in the global economy. As a result, the under-representation of women in STEM is a…

Historically, girls and women have experienced gender disparity in access to, and persistence in, STEM education. Though women comprise 50% of the total workforce, they occupy only 25% of STEM-related occupations. STEM degrees and occupations have been linked to economic prosperity, both for individuals and the nation as a whole. However, women…

This dissertation investigates several topics in state merit-based financial aid research. The main research content includes three separate studies, primarily using the administrative datasets from the Missouri Department of Higher Education. The first study is an empirical paper that examines the effects of the Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship…

This dissertation utilized survey research to examine the classroom climate in introductory science, engineering, and mathematics courses and its impact on students' desire to remain in engineering, academic success, academic confidence, and enjoyment of their major. Data were collected from 161 engineering students that completed their second…

Although national interest has been focused on increasing STEM graduates, calculus courses still pose a challenge for most STEM major students. As recent statistics show, only half of the students are successful in calculus courses. Many times, students in these courses do not see the relevancy of the material to their future careers and this…

This qualitative research study applies a bounded agency model in investigating the career decision making process of engineering PhD students at a large, public research university in the United States. Through a gender analysis of the career decision-making of men and women PhD students in engineering, this study sheds light on the reasons why…