02/2004

Center for Embedded Networked Sensing Aims to Improve Gender Diversity in Engineering

Women @ CENS: A Research System represents a national program to enhance opportunities for women in engineering, computer science, and the physical sciences. Although we have seen some progress over the last few decades, the numbers of women entering engineering and the physical sciences still lag far behind that of their male counterparts, especially at the doctoral level. The pre-college and college experiences of women in science and engineering have been the focus of both intervention and research endeavors. Undergraduate research opportunities represent one popular form of intervention intended to encourage continuation into graduation school. However, despite the increase in undergraduate research programs across the country, little is known about what makes a successful undergraduate research experience.

The Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS), an NSF Science and Technology Center (STC) headquartered at the University of California, Los Angeles, has expanded its work in diversity through an NSF Gender Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education grant. The undergraduate research experience framework under development focuses on increasing retention rates and persistence to graduate school for women, specifically in the fields of electrical engineering and computer science. Our partners include the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, Mills College, Harvey Mudd College, the UCLA Center for Excellence in Engineering and Diversity, and faculty members affiliated with CENS.