9554196 Brainard An Invitational Conference for Female Faculty and Graduate Students in Engineering will begin to address the low representation of female faculty in engineering in the US. This initiative will increase the awareness of all deans of engineering regarding the need to improve the institutional climate to promote the identification, hiring and promotion of female faculty and to examine the admissions and funding criteria for female graduate students. The conference will focus on the professional development of female faculty and gradate students by identifying strategies to improve grant writing and skills, increase their publications and collaboration with colleagues, and to enhance their mentoring and advising skills which will benefit their students. A total of 30 will be female faculty and 30 female graduate students will participate in the conference. An assessment will be conducted to determine the benefit of the conference and to determine the need to offer this training on a broader scope. The anticipated outcome of this project is to effect a positive change in the engineering infrastructure which will be equally conductive to female and male faculty and graduate students. To this end, conference proceedings including a set of recommendations to facilitate this process will be disseminated to all US deans of engineering, participants and other female faculty who are members of WEPAN, AWIS and ASEE. WEPAN, Women in Engineering Advocates Network will continue to mark, print and disseminate the conference proceedings and recommendations after the grant period ends.
