Abstracts Book - IMRC 2018

• SF7-O025 Invited Talk
EFFECTIVE MENTORING PRACTICES WORKING WITH DIVERSE
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Abdon Sepulveda 1
1 University of California, Los Angeles, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, United States.
Facilitating collaborative research projects with undergraduate research teams
of two, three or more students diverse backgrounds can be challenging.
Approaches to bridging gaps in student background knowledge and to
facilitating group work can result in positive research experience outcomes.
Specific practices mentoring undergraduates with limited prior research
experience and academic content knowledge, including underrepresented
minority (URM) and community college transfer students, are offered a faculty
perspective. Ways to create a collaborative culture, while building individual
student competencies are presented, with specific examples of successful
mentoring experiences. Once the general research problem is posed, students
are encouraged to explore the literature and pursue a more in-depth
understanding of a specific topic of interest. As students build their knowledge
and skills in this process, they can support the advancement of their peers
proficiencies, helping to fill knowledge gaps different students might have. This
collaborative learning approach allows diverse students to gain ownership of
the scientific inquiry process, to think innovatively and imagine new possibilities,
resulting in each team developing a distinct project within the context of the
Engineering Research Centers broader investigative agenda.
Keywords: education, engineering, menthorship
Presenting authors email: abdon.sepulveda@gmail.com