Leading the Way: Increasing Engineering Diversity

LEADING THE WAY: INCREASING ENGINEERING DIVERSITY

USF Leads the Way in Increasing Diversity in STEM Graduate Studies The University of South Florida (USF) has an enduring commitment to diversity and inclusion, striving to fulfill our responsibility to provide leadership and demonstrate our active commitment to creating a civil, humane and compassionate society. This commitment is more important than ever to not only address today’s pressing diversity-related issues but also to improve racial disparity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

As the U.S. population grows increasingly diverse, failure to engage and retain underrepresented groups (largely African-American and Hispanic/Latino) in STEM fields represents a loss of opportunity for individuals, a loss of talent in the workforce, and a loss of creativity in shaping the future of the country.

Inspiring and broadening participation in STEM of the next generation of leaders (or NextGen leaders) from these groups is critical to advancing the U.S. competitiveness in innovation, maintaining its technical and science knowledge base, and reenergizing our 21st century economy.

USF has been focused on recruiting and mentoring underrepresented graduate students for more than a decade. Working with faculty and external mentors, USF has been unique in recognizing and nurturing the “unrealized potential” of students, and changing the trajectory of their lives. One student at a time, this activity is reimagining the nation’s STEM workforce.

One primary driver for enhancing the participation in STEM at all levels of education is cultivating diverse and inclusive STEM faculties at research universities. Research has consistently shown that students from underrepresented groups are inspired to even higher levels of achievement when they have role models and mentors who may look them and are from similar backgrounds.

Recent data from the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), has indicated that individuals from African-American/Black and Hispanic/Latino backgrounds accounted for just six percent of all engineering faculty in 2018.

At the doctoral level, the numbers are even more challenging, as according to the National Science Foundation (NSF), despite recent gains, African-American/Black and Hispanic/Latino students represented less than five percent of engineering and computer science doctorates earned in 2016. “By these numbers, it is clear we do not yet have a national STEM faculty that reflects the demographics of the students who are being educated,” says Robert Bishop, Professor and Dean of the College of Engineering. “In addition, as demographics continue to change, there is a need to avoid falling further behind.”

The University Center of Exemplary Mentoring “Where Opportunity and Inclusive Excellence Converge” Through scheduled gifts from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 2005-2023, the University Center of Exemplary Mentoring (UCEM) was created in USF’s College of Engineering. USF is the only non-AAU institution as well as the only university in Florida to receive the prestigious Sloan UCEM grant. USF joins Cornell University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Pennsylvania State University, MIT, UC-San Diego, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Duke University in receiving the Sloan funding.

USF was chosen by the Sloan Foundation based on its 15-year record of recruiting and mentoring underrepresented graduate students for careers in academia, industry, and government.

The UCEM’s mission is to help institutionalize a culture of inclusive excellence within USF STEM departments where underrepresented graduate students feel welcomed and valued. This is accomplished by recruiting domestic AfricanAmerican and Hispanic/Latino PhD students in the College of Engineering, and providing full support, as well as enhancement funds for professional development and mentoring opportunities.

The UCEM is under the leadership of Dr. Jose Zayas-Castro, Professor and Executive Associate Dean in the College of Engineering; Dr. Randy Larsen, Professor and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Arts and Sciences; Mr. Bernard Batson, Director, Diversity Programs, College of Engineering, and faculty champions from participating departments. With the recent UCEM award, opportunities are being expanded for new doctoral students from the same historically underrepresented groups in Chemistry, Physics, Geosciences, within the College of Arts and Sciences on the Tampa campus.

Strategic support to ensure implementation will be provided by the Deans from all participating Colleges, and USF institutional supporting units (Counseling Center, Office of Graduate Studies, and Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunity).

Over the next three years, at least 32 new students will be recruited and mentored.

The College of Marine Science will continue to be involved as an affiliate with its students eligible to participate in the UCEM mentoring and professional development activities.

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Now more than ever we need to prepare STEM students from diverse backgrounds as the next generation of problem-solvers, thought-leaders, research innovators, and faculty role models to help improve societal well-being as a whole, especially among the most vulnerable and underserved.”

- Dean Robert H. Bishop, PhD USF College of Engineering

How You Can Help Nearly all of the funds, with the exception of programming support, from both the Sloan Foundation and USF, are earmarked directly to the doctoral students $500,000 per year. Sloan Foundation funding for USF will end by 2023, leaving the Center and its important mission in need of alternative sources of support.

To sustain the UCEM in perpetuity and continue USF’s national leadership in minority graduate STEM education, we are embarking on a initiative to raise a minimum of $10 million dollars. This funding will endow the program and allow USF to help the next generation and beyond of African-American/Black and Hispanic/Latino students achieve their dreams of earning a PhD in engineering or computer science to impact the nation as a whole.

There are many ways that you can help us achieve our goal. Gifts of any size are encouraged and appreciated. For those interested in giving at a higher level, numerous naming opportunities exist.

Naming Opportunities Program Naming ($5 Million) Funding at this level will be used to provide support to the students in the program, help fund their overall professional development, and supplement the operation of the Center.

Inclusive Excellence Mentoring Program ($3 Million) This initiative includes a holistic series of activities for minority scholars and faculty, including a Distinguished Minority Scientists Seminar Series hosting faculty champions from AAU member institutions for departmental talks and engagement with College faculty, year-long faculty/ graduate student coaching seminars on effective mentoring and overcoming implicit bias to institutionalize shared responsibility for diversity and inclusion.

Endowed Directorship ($2 Million) The funds generated at this level will be used to run the operations of the UCEM/Center. That includes the possibility of hiring additional staff support or graduate students that support the operation. Other aspects may be necessary travel, marketing and outreach, and provide additional funding to support the key functions of recruiting, retaining and developing the fellows.

Endowed Graduate Fellowships ($1 Million) Endowed graduate fellowships provide students with full tuition and stipend, along with professional enhancement funds to support their mentoring and professional development.

CO N TACT U S Karen Romas Director of Development College of Engineering 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, ENG 030 Tampa, FL 33620 Cell: 330-696-2379 Email: kromas@usf.edu

www.usf.edu/engineering