Research; okay for the grad assignment

The number of women enrolling in engineering school has increased steadily over the past four decades but the number of women working as engineers hasn’t...

Research shows that class projects and internships reinforce a masculine culture.

Chrisfino Kenyatta Leal never thought he would end up in prison, let alone the tech industry. What he did envision, he tells me, was dying before the age of 25 or 30. “I saw so many people around me dying at such a young age that my long-term vision just wasn’t in focus,” Leal tells me. “I was just focused on what was right in front me.”

Researchers from the University of Missouri and partner institutions are exploring how ethnic and gender variables affect retention rates, goal setting and satisfaction among engineering students. Preliminary findings in the middle of this five-year study found no differences in retention between Latino and white engineering students, but did show differences between men and women. Their study could help shape methods needed to retain students in engineering fields.