No abstract

Consistently ranked as home to one of the world's top engineering programs, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is often seen as a model for its undergraduate education programs and research output. However, the school leads in another important way: the Institute also boasts one of the most gender-balanced STEM-oriented undergraduate student bodies in the world.This study helps illuminate the ways in which the Department of Mechanical Engineering has reached near parity in its female undergraduate population: in 2016, women comprised 49.5% of mechanical engineering majors. In contrast, women numbered less than a third of undergraduate mechanical engineering majors back in 2000. In 2016, a cross section of mechanical engineering faculty and staff was interviewed to evaluate how the department has changed over the past 15 years to make the place a much more welcoming program for women now. In addition to the faculty members, the MIT Dean of Admissions was interviewed to understand how the university selects the pool of available undergraduate women who choose to major in mechanical engineering in the first place. Quotes from interviewees are first contextualized, and then interspersed with insights from background research.Thematic analysis of interviews reveals that the gender equality so far achieved by the department has been a result of very deliberate, enduring structural changes, (e.g., hiring processes), and a strong representation of proactive department members with high levels of self-efficacy. These members are aware of gender equity issues, believe in their ability to enact change, and are willing to devote the time and energy to do so. Different but complementary actions, from changing the way the admissions office recruits applicants to broadening the faculty hiring searches, have compounded over time to help produce the current state of near parity in the undergraduate population.It is hoped that the findings in this paper can help other institutions adopt strategies that will lead to improved gender balance in their engineering programs.

The advantages of delivering injections via needle-free methods are numerous. However, conventional methods for needle-free injection lack sufficient control over depth of penetration and shape of injection. Thus, a needle-free injector was designed, constructed, and tested, using a controllable linear Lorentz-force actuator. This actuator allows rapid control of the injection pressure during injections. Using this device, precise control over delivery parameters can be achieved. The injector design was tested for repeatability and evaluated for depth control using acrylamide gel and dye.

Current jet injection devices often utilize compressed air or springs to create a high-pressure fluid jet capable of piercing the skin. However, these devices are limited to a single invariable injection profile based on the impulse created by the compressed air or spring and therefore the parameters that affect injection are not well understood. To determine the effect of injection parameters on jet injection into tissue, including the effect of the fluid ejection profile on the injection, a controllable jet injection device was used to perform experiments into sheep and pig tissue. This paper demonstrates the importance of an initial peak in injection pressure and a subsequent lower follow-through pressure for successful jet injection into sheep and pig tissue.

We present a case study of a flipped classroom for an intermediate undergraduate manufacturing class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Students prepare for lecture by watching pre-recorded videos and then participate in Challenges in pairs during class time. This paper includes the technology used for the flipped classroom and the design of the Challenges is detailed for use by other interested Universities. As a result of the flipped classroom, the instructors noted increased numbers of questions during class time as well as more detailed questions. According to end-of-semester surveys, students preferred the flipped-classroom format (average response: 6.4 out of 7 on a Likert Scale). The students noted their preference for more advanced content in class while the instructors were available for assistance.