Work in progress — Tracking the success of African American women undergraduates majoring in engineering

Abstract

Relatively few studies have focused specifically upon racial and/or ethnic minority cohorts who choose to matriculate within engineering. This research will consider one such underrepresented group, African American women, who are making successful progress toward undergraduate degrees in any of the engineering disciplines. This work in progress examines the following questions: 1) What are the women's reasons for selecting engineering? 2) Having chosen to remain in engineering, what strategies are assisting them in their efforts to succeed and excel? And 3) What are the issues that are of special concern to them as African American women who have chosen a field of study that has traditionally been viewed as overwhelmingly White and male? AUTHOR INFORMATION