EXPERIENCES OF SCHOLARS IN THE REINVIGORATING ENGINEERING AND CHANGING HISTORY PROGRAM: A CASE STUDY OF THE FIRST GRADUATE STUDENT COHORT

摘要

The focus of this paper lies in the understanding of the experiences of five scholars from underrepresented groups in the Reinvigorating Engineering and Changing History (REACH) Program using a case study framework. Fieldnotes of the REACH scholars' activities and meetings and one-on-one interviews with REACH scholars were the main data sources to understand scholars' experiences in the REACH program. Their experiences include transitioning from undergraduate to graduate school, mentoring through and outside of the REACH program, and professional development trajectories. Findings from our case-by-case analyses offer a unique perspective on the challenges in their transitioning from undergraduate programs to graduate engineering programs, their mentoring experiences throughout the first year of graduate school and the different supports they received from REACH or other programs. The findings on the scholars' experiences provide direct feedback for the REACH program and also inform our next steps in the evaluation effort. Moreover, implications from this study offer practical suggestions for the transitioning from undergraduate to graduate programs and the development of mentoring support for graduate students.