Women In Science & Engineering Scholarships and Summer Camp Outreach Programs: Year 6

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Project Objective

Support will make scholarships available to minority and women students interested in engineering and science and will increase significantly the number of minority and female students that Missouri S&T can recruit to its science and engineering programs. Recipients of scholarships will also be exposed to career opportunities in transportation.

Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) scholarships are awarded to support female Missouri S&T students studying science and engineering.  Missouri S&T’s WISE program provides a campus focal point for increasing the number of women in science, engineering, math, and technology fields through outreach, recruitment, and retention efforts from middle school age through undergraduate levels.  WISE provides support programs such as mentoring, advising, professional/technical workshops, and social activities, with the goal of providing a rich academic and social experience for young women at Missouri S&T. 

Since the inception of this scholarship program in 2004-2005, women’s enrollment has increased in the following transportation- related fields of study:  architectural engineering-80%, chemical and biological engineering-57%, civil engineering-56%, computer science-37%, engineering management and systems engineering-35%, information science & technology-69%,  materials science and engineering-27%, and mechanical engineering-58%.  Also, the female students who have enrolled in undeclared engineering as freshman has increased by 65%, so those students have the potential to major in a transportation-related field.

Summer Camps and other programs for women conducted by WISE and UTC:

The Women’s “Lock-In” at Missouri S&T: Twice each year, the WISE program and the Society of Women Engineers student chapter host a two-day campus visit program for 30 high school junior and senior women.  The program is designed to give a clear picture of engineering and science careers as a caring and enabling profession.  The young women get to “camp-out” in one of the university residence halls with the other female Missouri S&T students, and participate in staff and faculty discussions on how women succeed in the STEM fields.  The program also includes sessions to acquaint students with college study issues, financial aid and scholarship opportunities and the college admission process.

Expanding Your Horizons…in Math, Science, Engineering & Technology : This national program was established by the Math and Science Network in 1976. It is organized by the Continuing Education department with assistance from the WISE program. Missouri S&T implemented the annual EYH conference in 2000 and today has served over 2000 7^th & 8^th grade girls. The conference attracts over 500 girls annually and is designed to nurture girls’ interests in science and math courses and to encourage them to consider science and math based career options such as engineering, computer science, and biometrics. The students will attend a keynote presentation by a successful women engineer or scientist, participate in hands-on math/science activities, and interact with female students, faculty and practicing engineers and scientists who serve as positive role models.

Summer Solutions Girls Camp : Summer Solutions camp for young women has evolved into a one-week camp which introduces 9^th and 10^th grade girls to the exciting world of engineering and science careers.  Through hands-on laboratory, field trip and interactive learning sessions, the students are encouraged to “get their hands dirty” and discover that female students often enjoy and excel in work that science and engineering careers are focused around. 

It’s a Girl Thing! : This one week middle-school pilot program started in July 2006.  It is designed to provide a fun and introductory engineering experience to girls entering 7^th and 8^th grades.  The students will be exposed to the various STEM career fields and encouraged to explore their personal interests through group projects and design oriented competitions.

Girl Meets Missouri S&T : This 2-day conversion program started in 2006 as a student recruitment event for female high school seniors and transfer students who have been admitted to Missouri S&T but who have not yet made their enrollment deposit and commitment to attend Missouri S&T. The event will allow students to see first hand what life as a female engineering or science student and to gain insight into the opportunities available for a successful undergraduate career at Missouri S&T. 

Girls Go Green :  Starting in 2008, a week-long summer camp for rising juniors and seniors that will give students the opportunity to explore career options that help society while protecting the environment. Students will live in a residential hall, meet current students and professors, participate in team projects and field trips, and gain a better understanding of the science and engineering behind a green environment.

Project Abstract

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Anticipated Benefits

A focus on career development in the areas of technology transfer and transportation engineering, math, science and engineering will be implemented throughout the activities sponsored by the Women In Science & Engineering Program to promote diversity and increase the number of female graduates entering our nations engineering and science workforce. To support the national science and mathematics educational agenda by ensuring that all students are mathematically and scientifically literate so they can play a leadership role in an increasingly technical world.

To ultimately insure a more balanced technical workforce. It is Missouri S&T’s goal to increase the number of female and minority students. These scholarships and programs are the beginning of the pipeline that will assist the campus in yielding those numbers.   Since 2005, overall women’s enrollment in science, technology, engineering and math majors has increased from 978 to 1327, or 36%, due largely to the increased amount of scholarship awards and pre-college recruitment activities that the University Transportation Center has helped fund.  We expect to continue this enrollment trend in order to further the strategic plan goals of the university.

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Technology Transfer Activities

Transportation Research Board Keywords