ENGagED Research experience for undergraduate.

The 2021 ENGagED Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) introduced a virtual opportunity for engineering undergraduates to gain experience conducting engineering education research early enough to inform career trajectories. The goal of this ENGagED REU was to provide a rich exposure to and research experience in engineering education with a focus on underrepresented students, specifically for Black and Latinx students who have traditionally been underrepresented in engineering. Having a broad range of projects anchored in engineering education research with threads of broadening participation woven into their framework served to familiarize students to the vast topics covered through the engineering education taxonomy. ENGagED was led by Arizona State University (ASU) and University of Florida (UF) to provide a shared experience for engineering undergraduate students to engage in engineering education research and establish a visible pathway to careers in the field eventually. The 10-week REU was held virtually May 17 – July 30, 2021 and at the end each student presented their work through a poster presentation. Also, we created a robust network of mentors and mentees, so that students from underrepresented groups have access to mentorship and they get accustomed to the discourse of higher academic research.