February 15, 2021: Examining Marginalization in Engineering Education

February 8, 2021
4:00 p.m.
For Zoom credentials, please email cloan@vt.edu
Dr. Walter Lee, Virginia Tech

 Abstract: Creating learning environments that empower diverse student groups in their pursuits of engineering degrees is a national imperative. To support this goal, colleges and universities provide numerous forms of support intended to increase the success of their students. However, student outcomes and previous research reveal the need for more responsive student support tailored to individual student’s needs. To support this effort, Dr. Lee’s research focuses on advancing the extent to which the engineering community understands how marginalized students navigate undergraduate engineering degree programs. Dr. Lee will discuss an ongoing effort to establish a theoretical foundation for a recently-awarded NSF CAREER project aiming to critically examine the experiences of marginalized students in engineering. By better understanding their experiences, we can create educational environments that are more responsive to the cultural backgrounds of the student populations. 

Bio: Dr. Walter Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education and the Director for Research in the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity, both at Virginia Tech. Dr. Lee is broadly interested in inclusion, diversity, and educational equity—particularly as it relates to students from groups that are historically underrepresented in engineering. He has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University, an M.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech. His career vision is to be a driving force in the national efforts to diversify engineering and ensure that institutions provide students with the necessary support to succeed regardless of their background.