Prepared by: Kavitha Chandra and Susan Tripathy April 15, 2019 · women engineers and scientists...

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Research,AcademicsandMentoringPathways(RAMP)toSuccessFrancisCollegeofEngineering

UniversityofMassachusettsLowell

ProgramDesignandOutcomesReportforSummer2018Launch

Preparedby:KavithaChandraandSusanTripathy

April15,2019

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TableofContents

EXECUTIVESUMMARY 3

1.0INTRODUCTION 5

2.0RAMP2018PROGRAMDESCRIPTION 52.1SUMMERBRIDGEPROGRAMSREVIEW 52.2RAMPPROGRAMGOALS 72.3RECRUITINGSTRATEGY 72.4RAMPPROGRAMPERSONNEL 82.5RAMPSCHEDULEANDPROGRAMCOMPONENTS 92.5.1ACADEMICS 92.5.2RESEARCH,ENGINEERINGDESIGNANDCOMPUTINGEXPERIENCE 92.5.3ON-CAMPUSPANELSESSIONSWITHINDUSTRYPARTICIPANTS 112.5.4INDUSTRYVISITS 132.5.5MEETINGUMLADMINISTRATORS,STAFFANDFACULTY 132.5.6SOCIALEVENTS 132.6RAMPEVALUATIONPROCESS:KEYGOALSANDMETHODS 142.6.1EVALUATIONMODEL:PARTICIPATORYACTIONRESEARCH&SURVEYS 142.7RAMPPARTICIPANTDEMOGRAPHICS 152.8RAMPSURVEY1 162.9RAMPFOCUSGROUPSSUMMARY 172.9.1FOCUSGROUPONE:WHATISONETHINGYOU’REEXCITEDABOUTLEARNING/DOINGATRAMP? 172.9.2FOCUSGROUPTWO:HOWCANYOUKEEPYOURENGINEERINGCAREERINORBIT? 182.9.3FOCUSGROUPTHREE:WHATISSOMETHINGTHATSURPRISEDYOUABOUTRAMP? 212.9.4FOCUSGROUPFOUR:“TREE”VALUESEXERCISE:ROOTS,TRUNKANDLEAVES 212.10FINALSURVEYRESULTS 233.0CONCLUSIONSANDFUTUREDIRECTIONS 24

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 25

BIBLIOGRAPHY 26APPENDIXA:RAMPDAILYSCHEDULEOFEVENTS 27APPENDIXB:RAMP’18PARTICIPANTEXPERIENCESINTHEIROWNWORDS 30

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ExecutiveSummaryRAMP is a six-week summer program proposed for increasing the

enrollment,retentionandsuccessofnewfemaleengineeringstudentsintheFrancisCollegeofEngineeringattheUniversityofMassachusettsLowell.ItwasdesignedintheSpringof2018and launchedduring thesecondsummersession fromJuly9–August 16, 2018. Following an intensive recruiting strategy twenty-two studentswereacceptedintotheprogram.ThisrepresentsthirtypercentofthefemaleswhoenrolledintheCollegeofEngineering.Twentystudentssuccessfullycompletedtheprogram. The program goals included academic success, psychosocial anddepartment level goals. The objectives were to encourage research participation,improve student content knowledge in gateway courses such as Calculus, andimprovetheirsenseofbelonging,preparednessandself-efficacy.Atthedepartmentlevel,thegoalwastoincreasetheretentionoffemalesinElectrical,Computer,Civil,Mechanical,PlasticsandChemicalengineeringdisciplines.

Participants got an early start earning six credits towards their degree bytakingCalculus1andtheIntroductiontoEngineeringcourses.Theymetagroupoffacultywho involved them in researchanddesignprojects in areasofbiosensors,robotics,acoustics,materialsprocessingandenvironmentalengineering.Computingskillswereintroducedineachoftheseprojects,providingthemanearlyexposuretoC, Python and MATLAB programming languages. The students networked withwomen engineers and scientists from industry at three on-campuspanel sessionsthat addressed topics on Workplace Dynamics and Effective CommunicationStrategies, Computing in the Engineering Workplace and Careers in Engineering.They were invited to visit and see the operational structure of three differentengineeringcompanies: NewBalance,BAESystemsandAutoguideMobileRobots.TheyalsomettheUniversityleadershipatvarioussocialevents.Adetailedscheduleofthesix-weekprogramisprovidedinAppendixA. Faculty from the sociology department implemented a novel formativeprogram evaluation using a participatory action research (PAR)model. The PARframeworkprioritizestheviewsandparticipationofthosewhoaredirectlyaffectedbytheproblemorissueunderinvestigationandprovidesanempoweringcontexttothe research process. All participants in a PAR project are valued and have theopportunity to have their voices heard. Online surveys and four focus groupsinvolved theparticipants in topicson (i)what theywereexcitedaboutdoingandlearninginRAMP;(ii)howtokeeptheirengineeringcareerinorbit;(iii)whatwassomethingtheyweresurprisedaboutduringRAMP;and(iv)atreevaluesexercisethathadthemidentifytheircorevaluesandtheskillsneededtosupportandgrowthem. Analysis of the evaluation data from the aforementioned activities showedthat thestudentshadsetacombinationofacademic, socialandprofessionalgoalsfor themselvesandemphasizedtheneedtohavesocialconnectionstogetusedtolifeoncampus.Tokeeptheircareerinorbit,theyexpressedtheneedforguidance

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or reference points and highlighted the value in developing connections withprofessors and establishing professional connections outside of academe. Theymaintained that a balanced life with time for family and friends as being veryimportanttokeeptheminorbitinschool.Theywerecandidinexpressingconcernsabout certain program elements such as the computing exercises and the longschedulethatoverlappedacademicandresearchcomponents.Ascorevalues, theyidentified inorderof importance,happiness,growth, intelligencechallenge, familyandlove.Severalacademicandnon-academicportionsoftheRAMPprogramwerethenalignedashelpingthemanchorthesevalues. RAMP includes a longitudinal component of maintaining contact andinvolvingtheparticipantsincollaborativeactivitiesduringtheacademicyear.Theevaluationprocesswillbeongoinganddatawillbecollectedatperiodicintervals.Mostalloftheparticipantshavebeenperformingwellacademicallyandnearlyhalfhaveidentifiedresearchgroupsandfacultymentors.Theirself-expressednarrativeshavebeen included inAppendixB. Theresults fromtheseevaluationstudieswillcontinuetoguidetherefinementoftheprogramforitssecondyearimplementation,scheduledforJuly8–August15,2019.

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1.0IntroductionRAMPisanewsummerprogramdesignedinthespringof2018forincoming

freshman female engineering students to become knowledgeable about themanyopportunities that UMASS Lowell and the Francis College of Engineering [1]inparticularhavetoofferduringtheirensuingyearsinthecollege.Theprogramgoalis to ensure that this new cohort is aware of the varied resources available tosuccessfullynavigatetheiracademiccourseworkandhaveabetterunderstandingoffutureeducationalandcareerpathways that theycanbegin toexploreasearlyaspossible. RAMP also highlights the importance of building skills in research,computing and technical communication. The program builds on studies thatidentify the specific barriers experienced by females and minority students inengineering programs and implements the necessary interventions that helpstudentsovercomesuchbarriers.Byprovidingaweekly forum forparticipants tocandidlypresenttheirindividualexperiencesinthisprogramandidentifyingwaystoalleviatetheirconcernswasanimportantcomponentofRAMP.

TheFrancisCollegeofEngineeringattheUniversityofMassachusettsLowellisthelargestpublicundergraduateengineeringprograminthegreaterBostonarea.In the Fall of 2017, the student population in the college included 2,943undergraduateand822graduatedaystudentsand166undergraduatesenrolledinthe continuing education program. This includes an admitted cohort of 669freshman day students and 208 transfer students. The percentage of femaleundergraduates and underrepresented minorities (URM) enrolled in engineeringhashoweverremainedaround16%and14%respectivelysince2016.Whilethesenumbersreflectthetrendsobservednationwide[1][2]inpublichighereducationalinstitutions,themissionofthecollegeistobuckthistrendthroughimplementationofevidence-basedprogramsandallocationofresourcestorecruit,retain,trainandmentor female and minority students in a supportive environment that includesformativeevaluationofsetgoalsandobjectives.TheRAMPprogramwaslaunchedtoaddressthismission.

2.0RAMP2018ProgramDescription

2.1SummerBridgeProgramsReviewSummerbridgeprogramsarebeing implementedatUniversitiesacross the

nationwiththegoalstoimproveretentioninScience,Technology,EngineeringandMathematics(STEM)disciplinesanddiversifythestudentpopulationinthesefields.Ashley et al. [3] provide a comprehensive review of published reports on STEM

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bridgeprograms inthe literature.Fiftypercentof thesereportsaddressprogramsdesignedforengineeringstudents.Examplesofbridgeprogramsthataredesignedfor females include the Women in Applied Sciences and Engineering (WISE)programatArizona StateUniversity,McDonnellDouglasAccess toEngineering atUniversity of Missouri-Saint Louis and Washington University and the SummerBridgeprogramattheUniversityofNewMexico.OtherprogramstargetURMsandacademically underprepared population of students. The Meyerhoff ScholarsProgramattheUniversityofMarylandBaltimoreCounty,MAisasuccessfulbridgeprogramforhighlyacademicallypreparedURMstudentsacrosstheSTEMfieldsthathasawellpublishedrecordofitsgoalsandachievements.

ThebridgeprogramsreviewbyAshleyetal.[3],classifiestheprogramgoals

as belonging to: (1) Academic Success (2) Psychosocial and (3) Department-levelgoals.Table1furtherdelineatestheprogramobjectivesunderthesebroadergoalsoftheprogram.

AcademicSuccessProgramGoals

PsychosocialProgramGoals

DepartmentLevelGoals

Remediation:ProvidingstudentswithfoundationalknowledgeinaSTEMdomain

Increaseinterestinthemajor

Recruitstudentstomajor

Improvingstudentcontentknowledgeinadiscipline

Improvingstudentsenseofbelonging

Enhancediversityinthemajor

MaximizingstudentGPA Increasingstudentsenseofpreparedness

Increaseresearchparticipation

Increasingstudentself-efficacy

Increasestudentretention

Networkingwithstudents

Increasestudentgraduation Networkingwithfaculty

Table1:Generalclassificationofbridgeprogramgoals

Thereviewshowsthatvariedsuccessacrossprogramswithrespecttogoals

articulatedintheirpublishedreportswiththeexceptionoftheMeyerhoffprogramwheresetgoalsandthesuccessinachievingthemhavebeenwelldocumented.The

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studyconcludeswithimportantrecommendationsforfuturedirectionsofsummerbridgeprograms.Theseinclude:(1)Acalltodocumentandpublishbridgeprogramdescription, goals and outcomes; (2) Reporting lessons learned from prior(unsuccessful) iterations to guide the development of more successful futureprograms;(3)Reportingmoreinformationaboutthedetailsofimplementingbridgeprograms;and(4)AligningBridgegoalsandmeasuredoutcomes.ThedesignoftheRAMP program is guided by best practices identified in the successful summerbridgeprogramsimplementedatseveralhighereducationalinstitutions.

2.2RampProgramGoalsThe goals of the RAMP program included aspects of academic success,

psychosocial and department level objectives. It was primarily driven by thepsychosocialobjectivesidentifiedinTable1thathavebeenfoundtobekeyfactorsinhelpingbroadentheparticipationoffemalesinengineeringandcomputingfields.Among the academic success goals, RAMP addressed the objectives of increasingresearchparticipationandimprovingthestudentcontentknowledgeinadiscipline.At the department level, the goal was to increase the retention of females inElectrical,Computer,Civil,Mechanical,PlasticsandChemicalengineering.

As indicated by the program name, RAMP objectives are: (i) connecting

participants to research opportunities; (ii) building skills for being successful inacademics; (iii) identifying potential faculty mentors for each participant in theprogram.Toaccomplishthesegoals,participantswhileintheprogramenrollforsixcredits towards their degree requirements. This includes a four credit Calculus 1andatwocreditIntroductiontoEngineeringcourse,bothofwhichwouldtypicallybe taken in the first semester of their freshman year. The Introduction toEngineeringcoursewasdesignedtoprovideexposuretoresearchproblemsacrossdifferentengineeringmajorsandanintroductiontobasiccomputingskills.

2.3RecruitingStrategyTheprogramwasfirstproposedmid-waythroughthespringof2018.Atthis

stageoftheadmissionprocess,earlyactiondecisionshadbeenmadeandadmittedstudentsdatawasprovidedbytheUMLadmissionspersonnel.TheRAMPwebsite1wasdesignedandanon-lineregistration formwasmadeavailable forstudents toindicate their interest.Advertisingbegan inApril 2018at thevariousopenhouseevents and at the Society of Women Engineers luncheon for admitted femaleengineering students. Post-cards were also mailed out to all eligible admittedstudents.InmidMay2018,personnelintheCollegeofEngineeringmadetelephonecalls to each admitted female student who had chosen a major in Civil,1https://www.uml.edu/engineering/RAMP

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Environmental,Electrical,Computer,Mechanical,Plastics,Chemicalengineeringorhad not declared a major. This pool included 352 admitted freshman femaleengineering students. At final count, 84 students belonging to the RAMP eligiblegroup had made deposits to join UMass Lowell. Each of these students wascontactedbyphoneagaintoadvisethemofbenefitstojoiningthesummerprogramand encouraging them to register their interest on the web site. Twenty-eightstudentsappliedtojointheprogram.

InthesecondstageoftheRAMPrecruitingstrategy,anapplicationformwas

sentouttoeachofthestudentswhohadregisteredonline.Theapplicationprovideda clear set of requirements for the attendees. These requirements includedattendingtheCalculusclassfrom8–9:30am,participatinginresearchanddesignprojects for the Introduction to Engineering class from 10 – 12 pm, followed bylunchandthenbeingpresentforavarietyofprogramactivitiesrangingfrompanelsessions,workshopstoindustryvisitsintheafternoon.Inaddition,theapplicationaskedforabriefessayonthefollowingquestions:(i)Whoorwhathasinspiredyouin your decision to become an engineer; (ii) What is your long-term goal? Forexample,whatwouldyouliketobedoingprofessionallytenyearsfromnow?;(iii)Tell us why we should select you for participation in the RAMP program. Thedeadline for returning the applicationwas set to June 13, 2018. The applicationcompletion rate was 90%. Assoc. Dean Chandra and Michelle Smith, SeniorAssociateDirector of Scholarships and Financial Aid,who provided advise on thefinancialeligibilityforeachstudentreviewedtheapplications.Approximatelysixtypercentofthestudentsdesiredtostayoncampusduringthesix-weeksessionandtheir eligibility for support towards reduced housing rate was determined.Although all students had varying levels of financial need, forty percent of theapplicantswerefoundtodeservingoffullfinancialsupportforparticipatingintheprogram. Twenty-five students were officially admitted into the RAMP program.Three students later indicated that they could not join due to the program datescoincidingwithservinginthereserves,vacationwithfamilyorotherconflicts.

2.4RAMPProgramPersonnelTheRAMPprogramwasdirectedbyAssoc.DeanChandraandsupportedby

facultymembersProf.SusanTripathy(Sociology,CollegeofFineArts,Humanities&Social Sciences), Prof. Charles Thompson (Electrical and Computer Engineering),Prof. Gulden Camci-Unal (Chemical Engineering ), Prof. Yan Gu & Prof. IoannisRaptis (Mechanical Engineering), Prof. Xiaoqi Zhang (Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering)andProf.CarolBarry(PlasticsEngineering). Post-doctoralassociateDr. Nicholas Misiunas from the Center for Advanced Computation andTelecommunications (CACT), served as the instructor for Introduction to

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Engineeringcomponentoftheprogram.AdditionalsupportinorganizingthemanylogisticalcomponentsoftheprogramwasprovidedbyMs.LeslieOuellet,ProgramCoordinator in theFrancisCollegeofEngineering. Serving aspeermentors to theRAMP participants were a diverse group of six undergraduate and graduatestudents from the CACT. They assisted the participants during computing andresearchprojects andalsoprovided thenewstudents theirownperspectives andexperiencesonstudyingengineeringatUMASSLowell.

2.5RAMPScheduleandProgramComponentsThe program was designed to engage the participants in a diverse set of

activitieswith thegoalofprovidingaholisticviewofopportunitiesoncampus. Inaddition, the program aimed for each participant to reflect and voice their ownaspirationsso that theprogramdirectorscould identify theappropriateresourcesto enable them to seek out their individual interests. A detailed schedule of theRAMP program implemented from July 9, 2018 – Aug. 16, 2018 is shown inAppendixA.Abriefreportoftheprogramcomponentsisprovidedinthefollowingsections.

2.5.1AcademicsEighteen students enrolled in the four credit Calculus 1 class and two

selectedtoenrollinCalculus1AwithintwoweeksafterfindingthattheywerenotpreparedforthematerialinCalculus1.TwosectionsofCalculus1wereofferedandtaughtby twodifferent instructors fromtheMathematicsdepartment. TheRAMPparticipantswerepartofageneralstudentpopulationinbothsections.Dr.ChandraconductedsessionsofCalculussupportatvarioustimesasshownintheschedule.She collaborated with the instructors who shared the course material andhomeworkassignmentsaheadoftime.Therewasawiderangeofproficiencyinthemathematics background that the students had gainedwhile in high school. As aresult,thesesessionshaddifferinglevelsofimpactonthestudents.Approximately30–40%ofthestudentsneededahigherdegreeofsupport. Allbutonestudentsuccessfully completed the Calculus requirement. In the next implementation ofRAMP,aredesignof theCalculussupporthourswillberequiredtoensurethatallstudentsareequallyoccupiedduringthisperiod.

2.5.2Research,EngineeringDesignandComputingExperienceTheresearch,designandcomputingexperiencewas

built into the Introduction to Engineering course. Sixfaculty members designed modulesaligned with their research andengaged the participants in smallprojects. Duringweekone, Prof. GuldenCamci-Unal, Assistant

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Professor of Chemical Engineering introduced students to ideas on low cost bio-sensors and their application to point-of-care diagnostics. Students built a sensorusing paper and the folding principles of origami. They tested the channelproperties of the sensor and studied concepts of wicking through hydrophilicchannelsandcapillaryaction.

In week 2, students explored computing in robotic

designusingtheroboticoperatingsystem(ROS)environmentanditsassociatedsimulationcapability.GuidedbyProf.Raptis,

Prof. Thompson and Ph.D student LejunHu, they learnt how to design a simplecontrolalgorithmtomovearobotongiventrajectory.

Duringweek3,studentsexplored issuesrelatedto the

environment through the research of Prof. Xiaoqi Zhang. Thetopic of study was wastewaterprocessing and associated chemicalprocesses. Students undertook a trip

to the wastewater processing plant in the City of LowellwithProf.Zhang.Duringthisweek,students also explored with Prof.Yan Gu of the mechanical engineering department themotor selection for a soft exoskeleton project through asimpledynamicmodelingofbalanceinahumanbody.The

project was motivated by the application of robot-assisted human walking.StudentsexploredassociatedmathematicalmodelsusingMATLABcomputing.

Inweek 4, the focuswas on research problems

related to Plastics Engineering. Guided by Prof. CarolBarry,studentshadopportunitiestorunasequenceofexperimentsonmachinesthatinvolvedextrusion,blowand injectionmolding.Theycollecteddataand learnedhowtoconductastatisticalanalysisoftheobservations.

In week 2, students explored computing in roboticdesign using the robotic operating system (ROS) environmentand its associatedsimulation capability. Guided by Prof. Raptis,Prof. Thompson and Ph.D student LejunHu,they learnt how to design a simplecontrol algorithm to move a robot on given trajectory.

Duringweek 3, students explored issues related to theenvironment through the research of Prof. Xiaoqi Zhang.Thetopic of study waswastewaterprocessing and associated chemicalprocesses.Students undertook a tripto the wastewater processing plant in the City of Lowellwith Prof. Zhang.During this week,students also explored with Prof.Yan Gu of the mechanical engineering departmentthemotor selection for a soft exoskeleton project through asimple dynamic modeling of balance in a human body.Theproject was motivated by the application of robot-assisted human walking.Students explored associated mathematical models using MATLAB computing.

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The fifth weekpresentedexamplesofaudiosignal processing withstudents learning to recordsegments of voiced and

unvoiced speech and comparing the features ofcorresponding spectrograms.MATLAB functionswere applied in this task.Duringthisweekafewstudentswhowereinterestedinbuildingtheirowncomputerweredirected on sourcing the components, building and configuring a personalcomputer.

During the finalweek of theRAMPprogram, participantswere engaged in

designingandpresentingaposter thatdocumented theirown goals and objectives for pursuing an engineeringeducation. They were provided guidance on creating ahybrid technical andaspirational presentation.Bygoing through iterative

practice sessions with their peers, they receivedfeedback, refined their talks and gained confidencein their work. The posters were presented on the

final day of the program during the industry panelsessiononengineeringcareers.

2.5.3On-CampusPanelSessionswithIndustryParticipantsThreepanelsessionsaddressingdifferentthemeswereheldon-campus.The

theme of the first session was entitled Workplace Dynamics and EffectiveCommunicationStrategies.ThepanelistswereDr.EllenFerraro,DirectorResearchand Technology from Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Ms. Susan Peckham,

Director, Hardware Technologies, BAE Systems and Ms.StephanieLivsey,Manager,EngineeringDevelopment,BAESystems. They addressed topics ranging from the diverseengineeringworkenvironments,acquiringoptimalskillsetfor success in the workforce and ways to diversify the

engineeringworkforce.

The fifth weekpresented examples of audiosignal processing withstudents learning to recordsegments of voiced andunvoiced speech and comparing the featuresofcorrespondingspectrograms.MATLAB functions were applied in this task.Duringthis week a few students whowere interested in building their own computer weredirectedon sourcing the components, building and configuring a personalcomputer.

During the final week of the RAMP program, participants were engaged indesigning and presenting a poster that documented theirown goals and objectives for pursuing an engineeringeducation. They were provided guidance on creating ahybrid technical andaspirational presentation.By going through iterativepractice sessions with their peers, they receivedfeedback, refined their talks and gained confidencein their work. The posters were presented on thefinal day of the program during the industry panelsession on engineering careers.

Three panel sessionsaddressing different themeswere held on-campus. Thetheme ofthe first session was entitledWorkplace Dynamics and EffectiveCommunication Strategies.The panelists were Dr. Ellen Ferraro, Director Researchand Technology from Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Ms. Susan Peckham,Director, Hardware Technologies, BAE Systems and Ms.Stephanie Livsey, Manager, Engineering Development, BAESystems. They addressed topics ranging from the diverseengineering work environments, acquiring optimal skill setfor success in the workforce and ways to diversify theengineering workforce

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The second panel was charged with a moretechnicaltopicrelatedtoComputingintheEngineeringWorkforce. The panelists were Denise Dumas fromRedHatEnterprise,RoxannBroughton-BlanchardandLaura Fegley from Analog Devices Corporation. Theyaddressednotonlythetechnicalaspectsoftheirworkwith respect to computing skillsbut also theways inwhich they had to aquire new skills as technologydirectionsevolvedintheirindustry.

Thethirdpanelwasheldontheconcludingday

of the RAMP program. The themewasCareers in theEngineeringWorkforce. The panelists were a diverse

groupofninewomenfromRedHatEnterprise(AnagaVijayakumar,DoreenAlongi,Courtney Pacheco, Whitney Chadwick, CatherineRobson, Pallavi Ravishankar and Denise Dumas),Skyworks Solutions (Michelle Lewis) and UnitedTechnologies (Kimberly Kinsley). They provided notonly perspectives of their own careers as product,marketing and user design experience managers, quality and performanceengineers,vice-presidentsanddirectorsbutalsohowtheyworkacrossteamswithmultidisciplinaryexpertise.

Thepanel sessionswerenotedby theparticipants asbeing veryhelpful in

understanding the dynamics of the engineering workplace. It was observed thatwhereas the level of interactionof the studentswith thepanelistswas somewhatlimited during the session, there was a high degree of one-on-one engagementwithin smaller groups after the formal panel discussion ended. During theseinteractions, the participants engaged the panelists on several questions andconcernspertainingtotheirownfuturecareeroptions.

The second panel was charged witha moretechnical topic related toComputing in the EngineeringWorkforce. The panelists were Denise Dumas fromRed Hat Enterprise, Roxann Broughton-Blanchard andLaura Fegley from Analog Devices Corporation.Theyaddressed not only the technical aspects of their workwith respect to computing skills but also theways inwhich they had to aquirenew skills as technologydirections evolved in their industry

The third panel was held on the concluding dayof the RAMP program. The theme wasCareers intheEngineeringWorkforce. The panelists were a diversegroup of ninewomen from Red Hat Enterprise(Anaga Vijayakumar,Doreen Alongi,Courtney Pacheco, Whitney Chadwick, CatherineRobson, Pallavi Ravishankar and Denise Dumas),Skyworks Solutions(Michelle Lewis)and UnitedTechnologies(Kimberly Kinsley). They provided notonly perspectives of their own careersasproduct,marketing and user design experiencemanagers, quality and performanceengineers, vice-presidentsand directors but also how they work across teams withmultidisciplinary expertise.

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2.5.4IndustryVisitsRAMP participantswere invited to visit three companies in the local area.

ThefirstvisitwastotheNewBalancemanufacturingfacilityand factory store in Lawrence, Massachusetts where thestudents came to understand the variety of roles thatengineers can be involved in the design andmanufacturingprocess of sports shoes. The visit to BAE systems at theirNashua, NH facility gave students a close-up view on thestages involved in the design of high-technology systems and the opportunitiesavailable for engineers to contribute in this field. Finally, the visit to AutoguideMobileRobotsinChelmsford,MA.,showedaclose-upviewonthedesignofroboticsystems for manufacturing facilities such as automobile industry. In all of thesevisits, the companies provided access to their engineers, scientists and businessmanagers someofwhomwere alumni fromUMASSLowell and generated a greatsenseofcommunitythatparticipantscanbepartofinthefuture.

2.5.5MeetingUMLAdministrators,StaffandFaculty OneofthehighlightsfortheRAMPparticipantswasmeetingseveraladministratorsandstaffwhocametotheprogram location and met withthe students in informal settings.This includedmeeting ChancellorMoloney, Provost Vayda, Vice

Provost JulieNash,DeanofEnrollmentManagementKerriJohnston and Dean Hartman. Additionally leaders inFinancial Aid (Michelle Smith), Centers for Learning(KristenRhymer),CareerandCo-opCenter(WendyHyatt)visitedandprovidedanoverviewoftheservicesofferedintheirdepartments.Thestudentsalsometwithassociateco-chairsoftheirrespective

departments and got great advise on planning theirfreshman year and learnt of the varied opportunitiesacross the departments. Additionally, students learntabout the role ofmentors, expectations of thementoringprocess and best practices for students to benefit in a

mentoringrelationshipthroughalecturegivenbyProf.Thompson.

2.5.6SocialEventsTheintensityoftheRAMPprogramrequiredthat

a balance of social events be well integrated to allowstudents to relax and get to know each other. To

RAMP participantswere invitedto visitthreecompanies in the local area.The first visit was totheNew Balancemanufacturing facilityand factory storein Lawrence, Massachusetts where thestudents came to understand thevariety ofroles thatengineers can be involved in the design and manufacturingprocess of sports shoes.The visit to BAE systems at theirNashua, NH facility gave students a close-up view on thestages involved in the design of high-technology systems and the opportunitiesavailable for engineers to contribute in this field. Finally, the visit to AutoguideMobile Robots in Chelmsford, MA., showed a close-up view on the design of roboticsystems for manufacturing facilities such as automobile industry. In all of thesevisits, the companies provided access to theirengineers, scientists and businessmanagers some of whom were alumni from UMASS Lowell and generated a greatsense of community that participants can be part of in the future.

One of the highlightsfor the RAMP participants wasmeeting several administrators and staff who came to theprogram location and met withthe students in informal settings.This included meeting ChancellorMoloney,Provost Vayda, ViceProvost Julie Nash, Dean of Enrollment Management KerriJohnston and Dean Hartman. Additionally leaders inFinancial Aid (Michelle Smith), Centers for Learning(Kristen Rhymer), Career and Co-op Center (Wendy Hyatt)visited and provided an overview of the services offered intheir departments.The students also met with associate co-chairs of their respectivedepartments and got great advise on planning theirfreshman year and learnt of the varied opportunitiesacross the departments.Additionally, students learntabout therole of mentors,expectations of the mentoringprocessand best practices for students to benefit in amentoring relationshipthrough a lecture givenby Prof. Thompson.

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accommodate this once a week, an afternoon social event was created using theBritish afternoon tea as amodel.A kayaking trip on theMerrimack river was also a welcome respite at weekthreeofthesummersession.InthenextdesignofRAMP,careful consideration should be given to create a morebalanced experience that can help energize theparticipants during the rigor of the academic andresearchsessions.

2.6RAMPEvaluationProcess:KeyGoalsandMethodsRAMPincorporatedanovelevaluationprocessthatwasmotivatedbythe

followingthreegoals:1) To provide an opportunity to listen and learn from student perceptions,experiences,valuesandgoals,andusethisknowledgetoinformandmakechangesintheRAMPprogramasitunfolded,aswellasassessaccomplishmentsattheend,thusincorporatingbothformativeandsummativeevaluation.2) To create an empowering, self-reflective learning and evaluation process forengineeringstudents,helpingthemtoidentifypersonalgoalsandactionstepstheycantaketoimprovetheirownlearningandpersonalwell-being.Thisgoalrequiresforegrounding issues such as communication skills, voice and values, as well ascreatingopportunitiestoforgestrongconnectionswithotherstudents,allofwhichareoftenleftoutofanengineeringcurriculum.Theultimateaimhereistoprovidestudentsadegreeofself-sufficiencysotheyhavetheskillstonavigateandseekoutresourcesproactivelythroughouttheirengineeringeducationandcareer.3) To assess academic accomplishments by collecting quantitative data such asattendanceandcompletionratesandscoresonCalculusexams.

2.6.1EvaluationModel:ParticipatoryActionResearch&SurveysWith the aforementioned goals in mind, the evaluation process utilized a

mixed-methods approach, combining approaches commonly utilized inParticipatoryActionResearch(PAR)withonlinesurveys.

PARisaresearchframeworkthatprioritizestheviewsandparticipationof

thosewhoaredirectlyaffectedbytheproblemorissueunderinvestigation.Becausethesestakeholderviewsarebeingprioritized,PARprovidesanempoweringcontextto the researchprocess; rather thanbeing treatedas “subjects” tobeanalyzedby“experts,”allparticipants inaPARprojectarevaluedandhavetheopportunity tohavetheirvoicesheard.

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PARhasbeenusedsuccessfullyinmanydifferentcontextsworldwide,from

health to education, especially in situations where inequities exist and change isrequiredtobringaboutadesiredoutcome.Thisapproachhasalsobeenappliedtoaddress problems and inequities in engineering education. For example, Denson,Avery&Schell(2007)[4]usedPARtoilluminateurbanAfrican-Americanstudents’perceptionsofengineering,andHahn&Werpetinski(2010)[5]usedPARtostudystudent learning and collaboration with faculty members in Engineers WithoutBorders.BothofthesestudiescommentontheabilityofPARnotonlytofacilitateresearch,buttoempowerparticipantsaswell:

“A purpose of many, often quantitative studies is to justifypre-existingprogramsbasedonpre-determinedcriteria...Incontrast, PAR is characterized by an emergent process thatempowers students to engage in discovery, reflection, andactionthatcanleadtoselfdeterminedimprovementsaswellas contribute to generalized knowledge” (Hahn &Werpetinski,2010)[5].

ForRAMP, theproblembeingaddressed is the lowrateofparticipationby

womenandminoritiesinengineeringdegreeprograms,andsubsequentlowrateinengineering careers. A related issue is the lower level of active participation inclassroomdiscussionsbywomenascomparedwithmen[6](Nayee,2015).ByusingPAR,we intend not only to learnmore about the perceptions and experiences ofwomen in engineering programs, but also to create empowerment strategies thatwillhelpthemtosucceedacademicallyandfosteroverallwellbeing,thusincreasingthe likelihood that they will stay in an engineering pathway well beyond theirundergraduatedegrees.

InadditiontoorganizingfocusgroupsusingPARapproaches,onlinesurveyswereadministeredduringthemiddleandendoftheprogram,togatheravarietyofdata from RAMP students, including demographic characteristics, interest inengineering,andreactions to theprogram.Dr.SusanTripathy, from theSociologydepartmentatUMASSLowellfacilitatedtheevaluation.

2.7RAMPParticipantDemographicsTwenty-twostudentsbegantheRAMPprograminJuly2018.Twodroppedoutwithinthefirstfewweeksduetolackoftransportationandworkloadrelatedissues.Theremaining20completedtheprogram.TheRAMPstudentswereallwomenwhowereenteringfirstyearstudentsineightdifferentengineeringmajorsatUMass

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Lowell.Table2capturesthedistributionacrossthesevenmajorsandthoseenrolledwithanundeclaredmajor.Table2:DemographicsandCharacteristicsoftheRAMPParticipants*Totalnumberofrespondentswas20;threeparticipantschosemorethanonerace/ethnicity. Quantity PercentTotalparticipants 20 100.0EngineeringMajor Electrical 5 25.0Chemical 2 10.0Plastics 2 10.0Environmental 1 5.0Computer 3 15.0Civil 3 15.0Mechanical 3 15.0Undeclared 1 5.0Race/Ethnicity* Latina 1 5.0Asian/PacificIslander 8 40.0White 8 40.0Black/AfricanAmerican 4 20.0NativeAmerican 1 5.0Haitian 2 10.0Other 1 5.0Highestlevelofparent’seducation Highschool 4 20.0CommunityCollege 1 5.04yearCollegeorUniversity 7 35.0Masters 3 15.0Doctorate 5 25.0

The participant groupwas racially diverse. The educational attainment oftheirparentsorguardiansrangedfromtwenty-fivepercentcompletinghighschooland community collegedegrees, to50%with a four-year collegedegree and25%withterminaldegrees.

2.8RAMPSurvey1Inasurveyconductedwith18RAMPparticipantsseveralweeksintothe

program(July20-27),theirlevelofinterestinanengineeringcareerwasqueried.Table3capturestheirresponsestothefollowingstatements:

(1)Wouldliketohaveacareerinengineering.(2)Theirfamilyencouragedthemtostudyengineering.(3)Engineersmakeameaningfuldifferenceintheworld.

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Table3:Survey1Results

Sooverall,themajorityofRAMPparticipantsispositiveaboutthevalueofengineeringandhaveastrongdesiretoworktowardsacareerinthisfield,inmostcaseswiththeirfamily’sencouragement.

2.9RAMPFocusGroupsSummaryFour focus groupswere designed and implemented at bi-weekly intervals,

each organized around a different theme. Some of the models were drawn fromeffective practices and suggestions from staff at agencies such as Ekjut, a NGOlocatedinJharkhand,IndiathatusesPARmethodsextensively2.

TheRAMPcohortwassplit intotwodifferentgroups,with8-10studentsineachgroup, resulting in eight focus groupmeetingsduring the six-weekprogram.Thediscussionscenteredonthefollowingquestionsorexercises:

(1)FocusGroupOne: Introductionsandwhat is theone thingyou’reexcitedaboutlearning/doingatRAMP?(2)FocusGroupTwo:Howcanyoukeepyourengineeringcareerinorbit?(3)FocusGroupThree:WhatissomethingthatsurprisedyouaboutRAMP?(4)FocusGroupFour:“Tree”valuesexercise:Roots,TrunkandLeaves.

2.9.1FocusGroupOne:Whatisonethingyou’reexcitedaboutlearning/doingatRAMP?

The first focusgroupwasorganized toget toknoweachotherandexplainthe main purpose of these groups: to listen and learn from student experiencesduring RAMP. After having each student talk with a partner and then introduceeachother,thefacilitatoraskedstudentstothinkofonethingtheyareexcitedaboutlearningand/ordoingatRAMP.

The responses emphasized academic, professional, and social goals, and astwostudentscommented,“gettingaheadstartoneverything”wasanoverarching

2http://www.ekjutindia.org

Stronglyagreed Agreed Somewhatagreed Neitheragreednordisagreed

Somewhatdisagreed

1 83%(15) 11%(2) - 6%(1) -2 33%(6) 28%(5) 17%(3) 11%(2) 11%(2)3 78%(14) 22%(4) - -

http://www.ekjutindia.org

18

theme. Academic skills students hoped to learn and/or accomplish includedprogramming, completing Calculus credits, mini-projects, working with othermajors in projects, and coding. Social skills connectedwith academics includedgetting to meet and connect with professors and mentors. Professional goalsincluded visiting companies such as New Balance, meeting environmentalengineers,meetinginspiringpeoplesuchaspanelparticipantsdrawnfromseverallocal companies, and improving communication skills. Finally, several responsesemphasized social connections and getting used to life on campus, such asmaking new friends, finding their way around campus, meeting roommates andgoingkayaking.

2.9.2FocusGroupTwo:Howcanyoukeepyourengineeringcareerinorbit?Focusgroup2wasorganizedaroundthequestion,“Howcanyoukeepyour

engineering career inorbit?”Toprepare for this exercise, studentswereasked tochooseacardwithaphotoofoneoftheplanetsinthesolarsystem.Theywerethenasked the question: Just as these various planets are all in orbit around the sun,whatwillhelpyoustayinorbitalongyourengineeringpathway?

Mainthemesthatemergedfromthediscussionincludedacademicskillsandpersonalattitudes,professionalconnections,financialsupport,balancedlife,dealingeffectivelywithmaledominance,andgivingbacktofutureRAMPstudents.A.AcademicSkillsandPersonalAttitudes

For academic skills, the discussion divided broadly according to whatstudents need to do, such as studying, asking questions, etc., and what teachingfacultyandadvisorsshouldprovide.

Using tutoring services,workinghard,havingpeople to studywith, stayingafter class to ask questions, studying daily and having a goal to achievewere allmentioned as ways students can help keep themselves “in orbit.” In addition,personalattitudesconnectedwithacademicsuccesswerealsonoted–suchasbeingpositive,self-motivated,ambitious,passionateaboutone’smajor,open-minded,andwillingtomakemistakes.

Severalstudentsmentionedtheimportanceofstudygroupsandtutoringfordifficultsubjects,especiallyCalculus.DuringRAMP,manyofthestudentsdidformstrong connections in study groups, especially thosewhowere living on campus.Acquiringacademicskillsalongwiththerestofthegroupwasconsideredcrucialforstayingon track – as one student explained, “I thinkoneof the reasons studentsdecidetochangemajoriswhenthey(find)outtheyareleftbehindfromothers.”

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As for what faculty should provide to help keep students in orbit, having

interesting/relevant materials to study, portraying engineering topics across abroad spectrum, offering opportunities to explore different facets of engineering,andincludinghands-onactivitieswereemphasized.

Severalstudentsalsomentionedprovidingopportunitiesforgoodmentoringandformingstrongrelationships.Forexample,onestudentdescribedtheneedfor“guidanceorreferencepointssoyoudon’tfeellostoroverwhelmedandknowthatyou’reontherightpath.”

Overall, students were very aware of the value of developing connectionswithprofessorspriortofallsemester,“sowehavethatbackgroundtostandon.”Atthesametime,alongwiththisrecognitionoftheneedforclearguidance,atleastone student noted her desire for “freedom to bemy ownperson, learn theway Ineedto...makemyownchoicesandthefreedomtogrow,failandsucceed.”

Withregardtowhatistaughtintheclassroom,studentsfeltfacultyshouldbecareful toprovidetheoverallcontextandrelevanceofwhatwasbeing learned,aswellasprovidemoreopportunitiesfor“hands-on”work.B.ProfessionalConnections

Studentsstressedthevalueofnetworking,opportunitiestolearnfromotherwomen in engineering, internships/co-ops, and exploring different facets ofengineering as important to keeping them in orbit. Providing these types ofopportunitieswasseenasakeystrengthoftheRAMPprogram.

Asonestudent suggested, “Get in touchwithpeople thatare involvedwithwhat you want to do. Get their feedback, and try the things they recommend.”However,anotherstudentalsostressedtheneedforasufficientlevelofknowledgetotakefulladvantageofsomenetworkingopportunities.C.FinancialSupport

Financial supportwas cited as being critical, but onlymentioned by a fewstudents. Work-study and scholarship opportunities, as well as meeting withfinancial services counselors were all discussed. One international studentcommentedhowimportantscholarshipswere,“...becausewheneverIrealizehowmuchmoreinternationalstudentshavetopayandhowhardtheopportunitiesare,Itendtogetdiscouraged.”

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D.ABalancedLifeApartfromtheirpersonalattitudes,studyhabits,thecontributionsoffaculty

andprofessionalconnections,andfinancialsupport,studentsemphasizedtheneedfor abalanced life to keep them on their pathways–-in otherwords, not focusingsolelyonacademics,butinteractingwithfamilymembers,friends,andpets.Inonestudent’swords,“...youhavetofindabalancebetween(academicsandsociallife),especiallybeinganengineeringmajor,becauseit’sveryheavilyacademic.”

Studentsalsofeltitwouldbehelpfulto“havefriendsin(their)classes,”“domoreteambuildingactivitieslikekayaking,”andhave“freetimeforourselves,we need to be away from academics sometime.” Personal health – “emotionally,spiritually, andphysically”was also stressed, including theneed to go to the gymandexerciseafewtimeseachweek.

Finally, communicating with family and friends regularly was consideredcrucial, “because they love you,” and students noted the need to be “moreappreciativeoftheirimpact.”Theimportanceofpetssuchasdogsandguineapigswasalsomentioned.E.DealingEffectivelywithaMale-DominatedField

When we discussed how women should deal with male domination inclasses,onestudentquicklyresponded:“Fightback!”Severalstudentscommentedonthevalueofhavinga“communityofwomen”toprovidehelpandsupport.

On theotherhand, twostudentsmentioned that theyhadenjoyedworkingwith male engineering students from another summer program on campus (theBridgeProgram),because theyweredoingsome interesting “hands-on”work thatinvolvedmakingunderwatersubmarinedevices.F.GivingBacktoNextYear’sGroupofRAMPstudents

While most of the points above focus on what the RAMP students can dothemselvestohelpstayinorbit,orhowtheycanreceivehelpfromothers,thislastpoint focuses on how they can “give back” to the UMass Lowell community andspecifically, to next year’s group of RAMP students. Several students were veryeageraboutthevalueofcreatingaconnectionwiththesenewstudents,comingupwith ideas such as writing a group letter welcoming them to the program andofferinghelpfulsuggestions,orhavingapaneldiscussion. In thisway,RAMP students recognized their ownpotential power to forge

21

helpful connections and share knowledge with students less experienced thanthemselves, thus extending a helping hand to the next group of women enteringengineeringmajorsatUMassLowell.

2.9.3FocusGroupThree:WhatissomethingthatsurprisedyouaboutRAMP?For this focus group, students were given time to think silently about the

question, “What is something that surprised you about RAMP?” After this, eachpersonsharedtheirresponsewiththegroupandofferedcommentsfordiscussion. Some students commented on personal successes that were surprising tothem, such as getting a good grade in Calculus. Students also reflected on theirexperience in RAMP as compared with their experience in high school, notingespeciallyhowgreateropportunities inRAMP for studyingwith friendshelped toalleviatestress.

Other aspects of the program students found surprising were stories toldduring the panel presentations regarding personal educational and careeropportunities–especially“howtheycontinuedtogrowandfindnewopportunities,”andnewinsightsaboutthe“manyfacets”ofengineeringcareersgainedonfieldtripstoindustrysitessuchasNewBalance.

2.9.4FocusGroupFour:“Tree”valuesexercise:Roots,TrunkandLeavesFor the final focusgroup, studentswerepresentedwitha large sketchofa

treeonseverallargepiecesofpapertapedonthewall.Theywerethengivenalistof over 120 different core values, such as “ambition, humor, intelligence, power,resourcefulness, and zeal,” and asked towrite down 10 values from this list thatresonatedwiththem(Thisexerciseutilizedthevaluelistandmodifiedinstructionsfrom“LiveYourCoreValues:10minuteExercise to IncreaseyourSuccess” (Carr,2013)3.

Aftermaking this list, studentswereasked to choose threevalues they feltwere most important, write them on sticky notes and place them in the “roots”portionofthetree.Forthetrunkofthetree,studentswereaskedtowriteskillstheywere learningatRAMPthatconnectedwiththesecorevalues(i.e., roots). Finally,for the leaves, theywere asked towrite dreams and aspirations, and for the sun

3 Downloaded from https://www.taproot.com/live-your-core-values-

exercise-to-increase-your-success/)

https://www.taproot.com/live - your - core - values - exercise - to - increase - your - success/

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helpingthetreetogrow,tomakenotesaboutpeoplewhoinspiredandsupportedthem.

The core value that was mentioned the most was happiness (5 times),followedbygrowth (4 times) intelligence (3 times), challenge (3 times), family (3times)andlove(3times).RAMPactivitiesthatwereperceivedassupportingthesevalueswereasfollows:Happiness:

• Beingabletosolvecomputingproblemsondifferentplatforms• Friendship• Lunch• Whennotcoding

Growth:• Learninghowtohandlelifeandadjusttobeingmoreindependent#adulting• Taking chances and challenges. To grow and be successful you have to

challengeyourlimitsIntelligence:

• Beingchallenged• LearninghowtobuildstudyhabitsbyanacceleratedCalccourse

Challenge:• Coding!• Steppingoutofourcomfortzones• CodingandCalculus

Family:• ThebondsI’vemadewiththegirlsI’vemet• More prepared before the school; decreased dropping, increased be an

engineer,increasedtoearnmoremoneytotakecareoffamilyLove:

• Makingnewfriends

As can be seen from this list, several of these values and linking activitiesoverlappedwitheachother,andincludedbothacademicandnon-academicportionsof the RAMP program. The word “challenge,” in particular, is used to describelinking activities for the core values of intelligence and growth and is alsomentioned as a separate core value, and friendship is linkedwith three differentcore values: happiness, family, and love. Interestingly, the most commonlymentioned core value, “happiness,” is linked with activities that include a breakfrom academics (“lunch” and “not coding”) as well as one centered on academicwork(“beingabletosolvecomputingproblemsondifferentplatforms”).

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Dreamsandaspirationsmentionedmostfrequentlyreferredtocareer,personal

and community goals, and connectedwith the following themes: gainingpersonalknowledge, doing well in school, and graduating; being involved in engineeringprojectsandjobs;earningalotofmoney,helpingtoinspireothergirls/womentobeengineers and giving back to the community; maintaining happy and healthyfamiliesandrelationships(includingpets),havingagoodoverallworkenvironment,andtraveling.

Themost frequently cited category of peopleRAMP students felt inspired andsupported themwere family members (including parents, grandparents, siblings,etc.),whichwasmentioned26times,followedbyprofessors(12times),andfriends(9times).

2.10FinalSurveyResultsForthefinalonlinesurvey,RAMPstudentswereaskedtorankaspectsofthe

course on a scale from “not helpful” to “very helpful.” Aspects of the courseconsideredmostunhelpfulwere:IntroductiontoEngineering(5),calculussupport(4), and focus groups (4). Aspects of the course considered most helpful were:Calculus class (14), studyingwith classmates (14), industry visits (13), and panelpresentations(11).

In addition to this ranking, studentswere asked to respond to threeopen-endedquestions:

1)WhatdoyoufeelcouldbeimprovedabouttheRAMPprogram?2)WhatwasmostchallengingforyouduringtheRAMPprogram?3)WhatdidyouaccomplishduringRAMPthatyouaremostproudof?

Forthefirstquestion,whatdoyoufeelcouldbe improvedabouttheRAMP

program, students responses emphasized the following: 1) the daily programshould be “shorter and more focused” with “more structure” and the whole dayshouldn’tbespentinoneclassroom;2)morehands-onprojectsshouldbeincluded;3) the Introduction to Engineering Class should be reorganized to have a clearerstructure and perhaps combined with another major-specific engineering course,and4)“nomorefocusgroups.”

As for the second question,whatwasmost challenging for you during theRAMP program, the most common responses mentioned difficulties with coding,calculus,timemanagement,andbecomingtiredfromthelongdays.

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WhenaskedaboutwhattheyaccomplishedduringRAMPthattheyaremost

proud of, student responses were diverse and included the following: finishingCalculusandreceivingagoodgrade, transitioning fromhighschool tocollegeandmaking friends, connecting with women in industry, networking at engineeringplaces and with professors and peers, improving communication skills, learningmoreaboutprogramming,andfiguringoutchallengingengineeringproblems.

3.0ConclusionsandFutureDirections Theprogramcoordinators (ChandraandTripathy)have continued tomeetwith the RAMP participants once a month during the last Fall 2018 and currentSpring2019semesters.Thecalltomeetasagrouphasbeenoptionalbutwehaveseenparticipationby60–70%oftheparticipantgroup.However,attheindividuallevel, participants have been in contactwith Dr. Chandra as andwhen they haveneeded direction or resources with respect to their academic and researchpathways. The registrar has enabled the program coordinators to observe theacademic performance of this cohort. We are pleased to report that 85% of thestudentsarecurrentlyingoodacademicstandingwithseveralqualifyingaspotontheDean’s list. We requested the participants for a summary of their experienceduring their freshman year and received the ten narratives that are included inAppendixB.Severalstudentshavealreadyconnectedwithafacultymentorandarebeginningtoexploreresearchproblems.Withthehelpofprofessionaladvisorswhoworkwithfreshmanstudents,wehavealsobeenabletoidentifythosefewstudentsexperiencingdifficultiesintheircoursesandremedialactionshavebeenproposed.

AsdeterminedbytheresultsofthesurveysandfocusgroupsthereareafewareasofimprovementthatneedtobeconsideredforthesecondimplementationoftheRAMPprograminsummerof2019.Theseinclude:(i)creatingamorefocusedandstructuredexperienceforbuildingcomputingskills;(ii)focusingononeuniqueengineering design and research project that builds the required skills across thesix-weeksession;(iii)changingthevenueoftheprogramforthedifferentprogramcomponents to afford location diversity; (iv) integrating more social events forstudentstonetworkwithfacultyandpeers.

The chancellor has directed that the program double in capacity for 2019.Thiswill requirenotonlyamore structuredprogrambutalsoone that can sharecertain program elements between two or more bridge programs being run oncampus.Itwillalsorequiretheinvolvementofagroupoffacultymemberswhocancommit their time and expertise towards the mission of making a significant

25

improvementintheparticipationandsuccessofwomeninengineering.Thesupportfromindustrypartnerswillalsobesoughtoutearlierintheplanningstagesofthisyear’s program through the formation of RAMP advisory board that can providedirection for integrating program components that help young women betterunderstand how engineers can thrive and be successful in a multidisciplinaryworkplace.

AcknowledgementsUMASSLowellandtheRAMPprogramthanktheindustrysponsors★AutoGuideMobileRobots★BAESystems★MACOM★AnalogDevices★NewBalanceSkyworks★RedHatEnterpriseand★UTCAerospaceSystemsfortheirgenerouspersonnelandfinancialsupporttotheprogram.

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Bibliography[1]Anderson, E. L., Williams, K. L. Ponjuan, L., & Frierson, H., "The 2018 Status

ReportonEngineeringEducation:ASnapshotofDiversityinDegreesConferredinEngineering,"Assoc.ofPublicandLand-GrantUniversities,WashingtonD.C.,2018.

[2]Hamrick, K., "Women,Minorities, and PersonswithDisabilities in Science andEngineering: 2019," National Science Foundation, National Center for ScienceandEngineeringStatistics,SpecialReportNSF19-3042019.

[3]Ashley,M., Cooper, K.M., Cala, J.M, andBrownell, S.E., "Building Better bridgesinto STEM: A synthesis of 25 years of literature on STEM summer bridgeprograms,"CBE-LifeSciencesEducation,vol.16:es3,pp.1-18,2017.

[4]Denson, C.D., Avery, Z.K.,& Schell, J.W., "Critical inquiry intoAfrican-Americanstudents' perception of engineering," Utah State University, Reports of CenterStudies2007.

[5]Hahn,L.andWerpetinski,V.Hahn,"Workinprogress-Usingparticpatoryactionresearchto investigatestudent learning inengineerswithoutborders," in IEEEFrontiersinEducation,2010.

[6]Naynee, B., "Why should we care about the gender difference in classroomparticipation?,"SPICE:StudentPerspectivesonInstitutions,vol.10,no.2,2015.

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AppendixA:RAMPDailyScheduleofEvents

Time Monday7/9/18

Tuesday7/10/18

Wednesday7/11/18

Thursday7/12/18

Friday7/13/18

WEEK1

8-9:50 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus110:15-11:15

ProgramOrientation

IntrotoEngineering:ResearchProjectPrep

IntrotoEng.Computing1.0

Computing2.0 Computing3.0

11:15-12:15

ComputerReadiness

12:15-1:15

Lunch Lunch Lunch(FocusGroup1)

WorkplaceDynamics&EffectiveCommunicationsPanel&Lunch

Lunch(FocusGroup2)

1:15–2:00

ResearchProject1:ChemicalEng.



CommunicationsPractice1.0(Writing)

2:15-3:15

Eng.Design(ChE)

EngDesign(ChE)&DeanHartman

EngDesign(ChE)

EngDesign(ChE) Workshop1.0:StrategiesforSuccessatUML

3:30–4:30pm

AssessingMath&ComputingBackground

CalculusSupport

Networking&SocialHour&JulieNash

CalculusSupport WeeklyDebrief

Time Monday

7/16/18Tuesday7/17/18

Wednesday7/18/18

Thursday7/19/18

Friday7/20/18

WEEK2

8-9:50 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1

10:15-12:15

ResearchProject2:ME(ROS)




Computing&DataAnalysis5.0

12:15-1:15

Lunch Lunch Lunch ComputingintheEngineeringWorkforcePanel&Lunch

Lunch(FG2)

1:15–2:00

EngineeringProjectDesign(ME)



CommunicationsPractice2.0(ProjectReadouts)

2:15-3:15

IntrotoEngineeringLecture




Workshop2.0:AccessingresourcesatUML&SocialHour

3:30–4:30

CalculusSupport

Computing&Data4.0

CalculusSupport

Kayaking WeeklyDebrief

Time Monday

7/23/18Tuesday7/24/18

Wednesday7/25/18

Thursday7/26/18

Friday7/27/18

Week One

Week Two

28

WEEK3

8-9:50 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1

10:15-11:15

ResearchProject3:Env.Eng.



IndustryVisit(NewBalance)andLunch


11:15-12:1512:15-1:15

Lunch(FG1)

Lunch Lunch Lunch(FocusGroup2)

1:15–2:00

ResearchProject4:Mech.Eng.





2:15-3:15





CommunicationsPractice3.0

3:30–4:30pm


CalculusSupport


CalculusSupport

Networking&SocialHour

Time Monday7/30/18

Tuesday7/31/18

Wednesday8/1/18

Thursday8/2/18

Friday8/3/18

WEEK4

8-9:50am

Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1

10:15-11:45

CalculusSupport

Instrumentation/Measurements1.0

Instrumentation/Measurements2.0

Instrumentation/Measurements3.0–FreshmenAdvisors

CalculusSupport

11:45-12:45

Lunch(FG1) Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch(FG2)

1:00–3:00

ResearchProject4:PlasticsEngineering




CommunicationsPractice4.0-WorkonPresentations

Iwanttobeanengineerbecause..

3:30–4:30

Whylearncomputing?

CalculusSupport&FA–MichelleSmith

ProblemSolvingusingComputing

Quizonbuildingflowchartsandcomputing

WeeklyDebrief

Time Monday8/6/18

Tuesday8/7/18

Wednesday8/8/18

Thursday8/9/18

Friday8/10/18

8-9:50am

Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1

10:15-11:15

ResearchProject5:ECE



IndustryVisit(BAE)

ResearchProject5:ECE–11-12

Week ThreeTime Monday7/23/18 Tuesday7/24/18 Wednesday7/25/18 Thursday7/26/18 Friday7/27/18

Week Four

Week Five

29

WEEK5

11:15-12:15

&Lunch Freshmanadvisors

12:15-1:15pm

LunchwithAlumni(Razia)

LunchFG1 LunchFG2 LunchwithfacultyMaureenHowley

1:15–2:00

Computing11(SignalProcessing)

Computing12(SignalProcessing)-Autoguidevisit




2:15-3:15




CommunicationsPractice5.0&ProvostVayda

3:30–4:30pm

EngineeringDesign

CalculusSupport–WendyHyatt

Networking&SocialHourChancellor,KerriJohnston

CalculusSupport WeeklyDebrief

Time Monday

8/13/18Tuesday8/14/18

Wednesday8/15/18

Thursday8/16/18

WEEK6

8-9:50am

Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1 Calculus1

10:15-11:15

FinalProjectdiscussion

FinalProjectDiscussion

PosterPreparation

PosterPresentation

11:15-12:15

Program–SurveyReflections

ProgramReflections

12:15-1:15pm

Lunch Lunch Lunch CareersinEngineeringPanel&LunchRedHat,UTC,Skyworks

1:15–2:15

CalculusSupport

DeanHartman Workshop3:Mentoring

2:15-3:15

IntrotoEngineeringLecture&ProjectDesign–WendyHyatt

IntrotoEngineeringLecture&ProjectDesign

IntrotoEngineering&ProjectDesign

3:30–4:30

Week Six

30

AppendixB:RAMP’18participantexperiencesintheirownwordsFreshmanYear:Fall2018&Spring2019

AdriyannaAlbert(EnvironmentalEngineering)Thesepast twosemesters Ihavebeen focusingonschoolandgettingused tocollege life.Theonlyeventful thingIhavedoneso far ishelptheofficeofsustainabilitybyvolunteering foroneof theireventsrevolvingaroundrecyclingat theTsongasCenter. Ialsoplanonhelpingthemfortheirnexteventthatinvolvescleaningupthedorms.Throughmyfreshmanyear,Ihaveunderstoodtheamountofwork that is required inorder togoonwithmymajorandhowmuchmorework Ineedonmytimemanagement. This summer, I am going to be taking Calculus 2 and do some researchwith atransportationengineer,whichisinitselfveryexciting.IamhopingtousewhatIhavelearnedsofartofurtherensuremysuccessnowandintheyearstocome.SalwaAlhawi(ChemicalEngineering)The RAMP program affected all aspects of my life – making me a better student, individual, andleader.Academically,theprogrampreparedmefortheenvironmentIwouldbeexperiencingintheFall. Socially, the program helped me form strong friendships with like-minded, hard-workingwomeninterestedinengineering.Oneofmyfavoriteaspectsoftheprogramwashowwewereabletomeetwithcurrentengineersinourfields,visittheircompanies,andlearnwhatitwasliketobeanengineer.ProfessorChandraencouragedandpushedustoget interested inatopicand learnmoreaboutit.HerinfluenceledmetodiveintoresearchinmyfirstfullsemesteratUML.Currently,Iamamemberofachemicalengineeringresearchlab.InmylabweexperimentonChinesehamsterovarycells to test out therapeutic proteins that are used for pharmaceutical production. I believe thatRAMPhashelpedmetorealizethatIcanachievegreatthingsifIworkhard.CurrentlyIamreceivingveryhighmarksinclasswhiledoingresearchandholdingajobofcampus.Additionally,I,alongwitha fellow RAMP member who is now my best friend, participated in a backpack hackathoncompetitioninthefall.Wewonanawardandprizemoney,werefeaturedinanarticleforUMLnews,and got to meet many interesting and influential mentors. We were very proud of ouraccomplishmentsbecausewewereoneofthesmallestgroups(withonlytwomembers)andoneoftheyoungestandleastexperiencedgroups.IenjoyspendingtimewiththefriendsImadeatRAMP,doingworkinCumnockHallMarketplace,andbeingamemberoftheSocietyofWomenEngineers.Mygoal is tograduatewithachemicalengineeringdegreeandspenda fewyearsaftergraduationgainingexperience inthis field.Then, Iwould liketo furthermyknowledgebygoingtoagraduateschool.IvetteAlvarez(ElectricalEngineering)AfterparticipatingintheRAMPprogram,Ibeganfreshmanyearwithawork-studyatCACT.Ihavebeeninvolvedinresearchonacousticstreaming.Thisresearch,aswellastheguidanceofProfessorChandra and Professor Thompson, has helpedme in developingmymath andmanagement skills.Theseskillshavebeenmirroredintomyperformanceinclasses,asnowIammorecomfortablewithworkingwithothersindevelopingmethodstosolveproblemsandmanageagrouptowardsanendgoal.Otherthantheresearch,Iaminvolvedoncampus.IamcurrentlyamemberofalocalsororitycalledAlphaOmega. I currentlyhold a position as fundraising chair. Essentially, I plan events andworkwithlocalbusinessestoearnmoneyfortheactivechapterandmeetourquota.Thepasttwosemestershavebeenevidenceonhowmuch Ihavegrownasa leader throughmycommunicationwithothersandmynetworkingcircle.Iamhopefulthatthecomingyearswillallowmetocontinuetolearnandgrowasastudent,personandhopefullyachievemygoalofbecominganacademic.SakshiJeena(ComputerEngineering)AfterRAMP,IhavebeentakingcourseswhichIfoundtobeeasiersinceRAMPgavemeaheadstartoverthesummer.Iamdoingfineacademically.Asforresearch,I joinedtheteamattheCACTwithProfessorChandraandProfessorThompson,butdue toschedulingconflicts thesecondsemester Iwasunabletoproceed.IalsojoinedSWE,whichhelpedmecopeprofessionallywithmymajor,andprovidedmewithmanyhands-onopportunitiesthroughworkshopsandvolunteeringwork.Overall,

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RAMP helpedme start outmy freshman year smoothly by helpingme excel academically, and byshowingmethemanyopportunitiesthatmymajorholdsforme.AnnieKelley(MechanicalEngineering)SinceRAMP, Ihave learned tobettercode inMATLABwhichhelpedme inmy Intro toMechanicalEngineeringproject.TheprojectwastobuildandmovemultipleCNCmachinestoperformatask.MypartnerandIbuiltaScreenCleanermachineandwepitchedourideatoDifferenceMaker.Ourideadidnotwinanything,butitwasagoodexperience.LaterintheFallsemester,IwasinductedintoPiTauSigma,theInternationalMechanicalEngineeringHonorsSociety.Finally,thisSpringsemesterIhave secured an Immersive Scholars research opportunity for Fall semester 2019 with ProfessorChrisHansen.JadeMan(CivilEngineering)I am a civil engineering major at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. The summer before Iofficially became a freshman, I participated in the RAMP program which allowed me to exploreengineering,andbuildupconnections.AlthoughIamjustafreshmanthisyearatUML,Iwashonoredto joinProf.TzuyangYu’sStructuralEngineeringResearchGroup. Iamparticipating inoneof theprojectswherewearetryingtouseSARimagetodetectdefectsinconcrete.Ialsobecameoneoftheambassadors of the Francis College of Engineering which helpspromote the development ofrelationships with the university’s current and potential students, alumni, staff, faculty, and thecampuscommunity.SamushaNaijuuko(ComputerEngineering)AftertheRAMPsession,IcontinuedwithmyeducationatUMassLowell.MyclasseshavebeengoingwellsofarandIalsomadeittotheDean’slistlastsemester.IreceivedtheChancellor’sscholarshipaward,whichwasveryexcitingandveryhelpfulfinanciallytowardsmyacademicexpenses.Ijoinedclubs outside of school work such as HASA and the international dance club. These clubs areinteresting and help me cope with the school activities and help me make friends in general. IcurrentlyworkwithMrs.LindaBarringtonontheSLICEproject formyworkstudywhich isaboutserviceandlearningintegrationinthecommunityofengineers. Ialsostudybasicresearchskillsatthe Center for Advanced Computation and Telecommunications with Professor Chandra andProfessorThompson.Currently,my timeatUMassLowellhasbeenvery interestingand Iamveryanxiousformoreactivitiestocomealongtheway.FloreNorcéide(ComputerEngineering)After finishing theRAMPprogram, I startedutilizing someof the skills I learnt throughout the sixweeks in the program. Almost all the classes I took during the fall semester required me to useMATLAB,C,orPython.SinceIhadbeenexposedtothesesubjectsinthesummer,itmadeiteasiertoadapt.DuringmyfirstsemesteratUMassLowell,IjoinedtheCenterforAdvancedComputationandTelecommunications (CACT)where I started exploring research topics such as acoustic streamingandacousto-fluidics.Ihavenotdonemuchyetbutithastaughtmealotaboutwhatundergraduateresearchentails,inwhichIhopetoeventuallydiveinmore.Iwasalsooneof6firstrecipientsoftheinauguralOprahWinfrey Inaugural Scholarshipwhere I got tomeet her in person. I am currentlypart of theHonors College, secretary ofHASA (HaitianAmerican StudentAssociation),member ofNSBE (National Society of Black Engineers), and the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and ElectronicsEngineers)whereIappliedtobetheVice-President.GraceRemillard(ElectricalEngineering)AfterRAMPended, I have continuedmyeducation, andwith thehelpof theprogram, I amnowasemester ahead inmy studies. I am on the Dean’s list and a part of the Honors college. Betweenstudying, hanging out with friends, and classes, I do research in a group in CACT on passivetransducersandplanonhavingmynamepublishedbytheendoftheschoolyearonapaperaboutsaidtransducers.Overthesummer,IwillbeinterningatcustomMMIC,whohavegivenme,notonlyaninternship,butahighlygenerousscholarshipformystudiesatUML.

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KatherineVail(MechanicalEngineering)DuringmyfirstsemesterofschoolafterattendingRAMPIwasabletoaccomplisha lot,asidefromjustfocusingonmyclasses.IjoinedtheDesignBuildFly(DBF)team,whichispartoftheAmericanInstitute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Chapter at the school and was later appointed VicePresident. We are designing an airplane, which can complete certain tasks during flight and willcompete at a competition in Arizona in the upcoming weeks. During my second semester I havecontinuedwiththeDBFTeamandhavealsoreceivedanHonorsFellowship,whichhasallowedmetoconduct research under Dr. David Willis, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering andAssociateChair forUndergraduateStudies.ThisresearchprojectassessestheviabilityofusingSoftRobotics tocreateabio-inspiredwing.Rightnow, IamworkingondesigningaMcKibbenactuatorwhichwill be able to control the shapeof thewingduring flightusing custombraidbiaseson theoutside of the actuator that promote elongation, twist and combined elongation and twist. I amresearching,prototyping,andtestingthistheoryandwillcompletetheFellowshipbywritingapaperon theproject aswell aspresentingmywork in frontof theHonorsCollege staff,mymentor, andmembersoftheMechanicalengineeringdepartment.IhavealsobeeninvitedtopresentmyresearchattheAmericaEastConferenceResearchSymposiuminApril.ThisFellowshiphashelpedmelearnhowtoplanandstructurearesearchprojectandcarryouttheexperimentsandwritinginvolved.Ihavelearnedamazingthingsthroughalltheseopportunitiesandamverygratefultohavebeenabletobeapartofthem.ThissummerIwillcontinueworkingtowardsmydegreeinGermanyaspartofthe“EngineersMadeinGermany”program.Iwillbetakingthreeclassesandexploringthecountrywithourmentorswhile I amnot studying.When I return, Iwill continue toworkonmy researchproject under Dr. Willis to create a working prototype and test it in the Wind Tunnel at theuniversity.

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Prepared by: Kavitha Chandra and Susan Tripathy April 15, 2019 · women engineers and scientists...

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