Topic: Is there a way to bridge the racial and gender gap within the Aerospace engineering field, by implementing STEM Programs in disadvantaged neighborhoods?

Know: There’s not a lot that I know about my possible research topic. However, it’s a known fact that most Aerospace engineers are either Asian or Caucasian men as they were given better opportunities to succeed vs the other racial groups who are placed at a disadvantage when it comes to getting a job in the aerospace engineering industry. In my opinion, lack of representation plays a major role in the gender and racial gap that we see today in the Aerospace Engineering field. Growing up I was really interested in becoming an Aerospace Engineer but there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me, represented in the media so I kind of lost interest.

Want:

  1. Other than racism and systematic oppression, what contributed to the racial and gender gap within the Aerospace engineering field?
  2. What we as everyday citizens can do to somewhat bridge the racial and gender gap within the Aerospace engineering field?
  3. What can the Government do to ensure that everyone who wishes to enter the Aerospace engineering field is provided with equal opportunities?

Research:

When studying the gender and race intersectoral effect in the U.S. engineering workforce, researchers found that women only represent 15% of the engineering workforce. While women are also more likely than men to leave engineering altogether. This study further analyzes this situation, recognizing that women are a demographically varied group and questioning how differences among them might be reflected in engineering participation outcomes. http://genderandset.open.ac.uk/index.php/genderandset/article/view/588

When studying students’ choice and persistence in Aerospace Engineering, researchers found that Hispanic men and women starting in engineering choose aerospace engineering at the highest rates of respectively 13.3 and 12.0%. Aerospace engineering graduation rates lag other disciplines, at best, by nine percentage points among Hispanic females and, at worst, by 24 percentage points among Black females. Even though aerospace engineering has a low graduation rate in general but for black students, the rate is even lower, less than 12%. It’s estimated that one black woman graduates per program every 12.5 years.

https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/1.I010343

Learned:

My research highlighted the thing I already suspected to be some of the contributions to the racial and gender gap in the Aerospace engineering field. However, I learned that more people of color entering STEM programs are most likely to choose Aerospace Engineering as a major, yet they are less likely to graduate with a degree in their intended field.

Still want to know:

  1. What deters people of color from getting a degree in aerospace engineering?
  2. Other than racism and systematic oppression, what contributed to the racial and gender gap within the Aerospace engineering field?