View article

The challenge of increasing diversity in engineering is usually framed as a problem of representation with solutions and interventions aimed at increasing the numbers of underrepresented groups. Historically, and in the present moment, the field of engineering has not been the most diverse in terms of race and gender. As of 2014, only 19.8% of all engineering undergraduate students in the United States identified as female, down 0.7% from 2004 [1]. Compared to this percentage, the University of Virginia’s engineering school had a 31% female undergraduate enrollment in 2017 [2]. Yet, nationally females represent greater than 50% of all college students. Recent efforts have initiated means to strengthen an atmosphere of inclusion, but there is more work to be done to bridge the identified gaps.

Reasons for the gender gap can be found within different engineering disciplines. One of the most commonly-cited reasons for why systems and industrial engineering attracts more women than other engineering disciplines is that it is perceived as having more feminine qualities. Brawner et. al [3] surveyed 70,000 students and concluded that feelings of “warmth” and the idea that systems engineering is more generally applicable to a career led women to choose the concentration. Blosser [4] made a similar conclusion, presenting evidence that systems engineering is seen as feminine while mechanical and electrical engineering are seen as more masculine pursuits. Other research suggests that math confidence, a common explanation used by researchers to explain why women choose not to pursue engineering in general, is inadequate to explain the …