Defining, achieving and retaining diversity in undergraduate education continues to be an important focus of research, policy and programmatic efforts in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) community The Research Institute for STEM Education (RISE) contributes to this discourse by identifying factors contributing to the successful completion of an engineering degree at a predominately white, research institution by under-represented and under-served minority students. Additionally, we seek to differentiate the strategies and obstacles affecting the success of students from various ethnicities and backgrounds. To achieve our goals, African American, Hispanic American, Asian American and Native American undergraduate engineering students are interviewed using theoretically grounded qualitative methods As part of the broader project (NSF-DUE 0431642), different members of our interdisciplinary team analyze and report on strands and themes specific to one of four under-represented or under-served populations as well as themes that lend themselves to cross group analysis.
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