Interrogating Covert Mechanisms of Surviving, Thriving, and Departure in Engineering Graduate Students: Crossdisciplinary Impact of Engineering Education Research and Practice in the Disciplines
Amid increasing tensions in federal funding of foundational research and the academy, engineering graduate students continue to represent a critical population as a critical part of the research enterprise and representing future thought leadership in both academia and industry. Historically, though, the limited literature shows that engineering graduate students are not well, with literature documenting often-harrowing experiences that show deep disenfranchisement and are typically not related to research aptitude. In addition to deep personal costs, there ramifications on research timelines that stem either from graduate student duress or attrition from the Ph.D. Attrition rates in engineering are stealthy, with (albeit outdated) estimates ranging from 24-26% for men and women, respectively, with numbers over 50% for historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups. However, attrition is not counted consistently across universities, with most universities capturing the “mastering out” process as a degree conferral rather than a sneaky form of attrition. Attrition-and even the emotional duress invested in considering leaving (whether or not it occurs)-is costly from the point of view of emotional well-being of students; research productivity; and from the point of view of the university and external research sponsors. Together these facts show a complex ecosystem of doctoral education as both an educational space and a workspace, where educational and human subjects research is an asset and investment to traditional engineering departments to enhance the strength and future for innovation. Over time, my research focused predominately on tertiary (post-graduate) education has evolved from considering psychological and sociological perspectives on attrition from the engineering doctorate, to psychosocial, socio-structural, and psycho-structural interactions at the graduate, postdoctoral, and faculty levels. At the same time, being embedded in a traditional engineering department ensures that my research is immediately impactful in real life and provides situated empathy to the multiple stakeholders positioned at odds with each other within the ecosystem. As I highlight findings from multiple funded research projects, including my NSF CAREER grant, I will also “pull back the curtain” on how research happens as a mix of intentional planning and serendipity and demonstrating how I see myself as an ambassador of high quality human subjects research to my traditional engineering colleagues, with specific recommendations for future engineering education researchers in the disciplines.
Bio: Catherine G.P. Berdanier is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. She earned her B.S. in chemistry from the University of South Dakota, her M.S. in aeronautical and astronautical engineering and Ph.D. in engineering education from Purdue University. Catherine is also the director of the online World Campus Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering Program. She directs the Engineering Cognitive Research Laboratory, which focuses attention on graduate-level engineering education research and methodological development. She is a winner of an NSF CAREER grant studying Master’s-level departure from the engineering doctorate, a 2025 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers winner and is PI and co-PI of more than eight other funded research grants. In total, she has over 10 years of experience and expertise in studying graduate-level engineering education, which will be the focus of the featured research presentation.