FACES: Facilitating Academic Careers In Engineering and Science

1. FACES: Facilitating Academic Careers In Engineering and Science Gary S. May Dean, College of Engineering Project Director

2. Background • Despite some progress, the proportion of women and minority freshmen in engineering has been declining. • Although absolute numbers have increased for women, Hispanics, and underrepresented minority engineering freshmen, the numbers for men and non-minority freshmen have been increasing at a faster pace. • the number of African American freshmen has declined from 8,552 in 2001 to 7,338 in 2008 – a drop of 14%. Source: ASEE Data Mining Tool

3. Engineering Master’s Degrees Source: NSF

4. Engineering Doctorates Source: NSF

5. Demographics of Academia Full-Time S&E Ph.D. faculty (2008): • African American: 3.5% (8,800) • Hispanic American: 3.7% (9100) • American Indian: 0.2% (600) [SOURCE: Women, Minorities, and Person with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, NSF, 2011] Number of S&E doctorates graduating (2008): • African American 4.9% (983) • Hispanic American 5.8% (1162) • American Indian 0.5% (102) [SOURCE: Women, Minorities, and Person with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, NSF, 2011]

6. FACES Overview Two majority institutions (Emory University and Georgia Tech) and two minority institutions (Spelman College and Morehouse College) combine to form one alliance – FACES, Facilitating Academic Careers In Engineering and Science. GOAL: Systemic changes for increasing the number of underrepresented minority (URM) engineering and science PhDs, as well as those choosing academia.

7. Majority Institutions • Georgia Tech • Colleges of Computing, Engineering, and Sciences recommend meritorious candidates for supplemental financial or mentoring support. • Fosters an added vested interest on the partof the school/department co-investing in the student. • Emory University • A post-baccalaureate program (PREP) serves as a secondary path to research training and careers for URM students . • Currently developing a program to continue the mission of FACES, as well as a program targeting undergraduate students. • FACES works to keep issues of student and faculty diversity on the agenda of university decision-makers and thought-leaders. • By providing supplemental funds, FACES is able to help a larger number of students.

8. Minority Institutions • Morehouse College • Research Careers Office (RCO)supports the training of undergraduate STEM students and their participation in research training programs. • The international research collaboration with Georgia Tech through FACES has catalyzed the STEM community’s interests to develop more opportunities for all science and engineering students. • Spelman College • Office of Science, Engineering and Technical Careers (OSETC) recommends that all undergraduate students pursue a research internship beginning the summer after their freshmen year. • Participationprovides the students with a competitive edge when applying to graduate school.

9. Recruitment Georgia Tech’s enrollment of URM students in graduate engineering and science programs has risen by approximately 50% since FACES started in 1998. Bolstering the pipeline: Upperclassmen undergraduates are provided research experiences to promote their interest in research and graduate school. All four alliance partners are instrumental conduits for the undergraduate talent that is trained in research. Upward trend in enrollment since the inception of the FACES program.

10. Recruitment Concerted national recruitment: Using the “success breeding success” theme, current URM faculty and graduate students interact with prospective graduate students at national events, such as the GT FOCUS program and the National Society of Black Engineers annual convention. FACES supplemental fellowships: FACES funds and programmingoffer schools and departments a strategic enhancement to their ability to recruit prospective URM graduate students. Recruits may be offered additional tangible (i.e., the financial supplement) and intangible (i.e., mentoring) support.

11. Retention The FACES alliance has directly aided the retention of over 160 (and counting!) URM science and engineering fellows. Term progress reports: Georgia Tech FACES Fellows are required to give a tangible account of their progress via reports at the beginning of each academic term. The students’ research advisors and FACES Steering Committee must agree with these reports in order for the students to receive fellowship installments. The reports keep the students, advisors, and FACES administration mutually engaged in student observation.

12. Retention Rapport-building “socials”: Periodic social events facilitate a sense of “community” amongst FACES fellows and administration. Fellows are brought together from different majors and research thrusts to bond with and encourage each other. Additionally, the fellows experience the engagement of the FACES Steering Committee, which is primarily comprised of URM faculty. Complementary Mentoring: The FACES program also fosters mentoring between URM STEM faculty and URM FACES fellows (graduate students). This allows faculty and fellows to interact in fulfillment of FACES’ objectives to facilitate the students’ progress toward attaining their Ph.D. and gaining insight about the professoriate.

13. Increase in Select Faculty Diversity • FACES has been a significant part of the continued diversification of STEM departments within the alliance members. • Georgia Tech • The FACES program integrates with GT’s FOCUS Fellows Initiative, in which URM engineering and sciences Ph.D.recipients are invited to departments in search of new faculty. • Four participants have joined the Georgia Tech faculty: • Sam Graham (Mechanical Engineering) • Tequila Harris (Mechanical Engineering) • Ayanna Howard (Electrical and Computer Engineering) • Mitchell Walker (Aerospace Engineering) GT ECE Associate Professor Ayanna Howard

14. Transition into Academia Career Initiation Grant (CIG)/“Portable post-doc”:The FACES program provides $30,000 Career Initiation Grants (CIGs) to new and recent URM doctoral graduate students of the alliance that accept tenure track faculty positions in engineering or science at a U.S. college or university. Alternatively, the Portable Post-Doc Program provides a talented Ph.D. engineering or science graduate (from the alliance) with a stipend of $35,000 that serves as a one-year post-doctoral fellowship. Both funding mechanisms are novel incentives and catalysts for a “newly minted” Ph.D. to have expedited success in academic roles. FACES Career Initiation Grant (CIG) awardee Dr. Ron Metoyer (center) with CIG coordinator Prof. Reginald DesRoches (left) and former Georgia Tech President G. Wayne Clough (right).

15. Transition into Academia FACES has directly supported the academic preparation and/or financial support of 32 URM GT engineering and science Ph.D. recipients who went into academia as tenure-track professors. Teaching practicum: Selected FACES Fellows are exposed to all aspects of teaching a course under the supervision and mentorship of the course’s responsible professor. This opportunity involves potential syllabus direction, lectures preparation and delivery, test and assignment formation and evaluation, and other core instructional activities. FACES enrichment seminars: FACES Fellows are required to attend monthly enrichment seminars throughout the academic year. Although a number of seminars address conventional preparatory topics (i.e., faculty interviewing, successful research proposal development), a key impetus is placed upon illuminating fellows about the lesser-known advantages of the professoriate.

16. 10 Early Career Awardees Georgia Tech’s FACES beneficiaries that entered STEM academia in tenure tracks. As of 2012, each of the highlighted individuals have received meritorious early career awards. (e.g., NSF CAREER/PECASE, NIH and AFOSR young investigator awards). A. Asa-Awuku- University of California, Riverside R. Beyah- Georgia Institute of Technology T. Brown - Michigan State University T. Clegg - University of Maryland, College Park J. Coombs-Reyes - Norfolk State University J. Ejae - University of Trinidad and Tobago J. Fairley - Emory University S. France - Georgia Institute of Technology D. Geddis - Norfolk State University A. Gordon - University of Central Florida S. Graham - Georgia Institute of Technology M. Griffith - Kennesaw State University J. Hickman - Southern Poly University M. Hite - Morgan State University A. Johnson - Morehouse College W. Johnson - Armstrong State University M. Lewis - Cornell University C. Liddell - Cornell University J. Matthews - Howard University J. Mendenhall - Morehouse College R. Metoyer- Oregon State University J. Mcnair - University of Florida E. Moore - Georgia Tech Savannah J. Owino - University of Tennessee-Chattanooga D. Paris - Savannah State University A. Parker - Northeastern University M. Platt - Georgia Institute of Technology W. Robinson - Vanderbilt University G. Triplett - University of Missouri C. Vance-Harris - West Chester University F. Williams - Norfolk State University H. Wooten - University of California, Davis

17. Summary: FACES Impact • Goal: “Changing the FACE of the Engineering and Science Professoriate” • Multi-university collaborative effort • Initiated in 1998 ($2.5M NSF grant)Renewed in 2004 ($7.8M NSF grant) • 373 URM STEM Ph.D. graduates at GeorgiaTech since FACES started • 32 URM faculty produced – 13 received promotion and tenure • 10 received CAREER Awards • 3 received PECASE Awards

18. Georgia Tech: National Rankings • 1st in the nation in number engineering Ph.D. degrees awarded to African Americans • 4th in the nation in number of engineering M.S. degrees awarded to African Americans • 2nd in the nation in number of engineering B.S. degrees awarded to African Americans • 2nd in the nation in total number of engineering degrees awarded to African Americans • 1st in the nation in number of engineering Ph.D. degrees awarded to Hispanic Americans • 4th in the nation in number of engineering M.S. degrees awarded to Hispanic Americans • 1st in the nation in number of engineering Ph.D. degrees awarded to underrepresented minorities • 5th in the nation in number of engineering M.S. degrees awarded to underrepresented minorities • 2nd in the nation in total number of engineering degrees awarded to underrepresented minorities • 1st in the nation in total number of engineering degrees awarded to women