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Description
The purpose of this study was to understand the importance of access, equity, inclusion, and diversity in engineering by intentionally focusing on academic career messages for African American women who are tenured and tenure-track in engineering through the lens of Critical Race Theory, Black feminist thought, and intersectionality. This study illuminates within-group differences at the intersection of race, gender, field, and rank, while incorporating a conceptual framework that examines both the macro and micro perception of higher education. There was also a need to transform simultaneous forms of oppression into sources of empowerment. Therefore, this study utilized empirical research to validate the demand to create a new construct, Triumvirate Woman, to encompasses race, gender, and engineering. Findings indicate as of fall 2017, there were 33 (0.12%) African American women full professors, 50 (0.18%) associate professors, and 59 (0.22%) assistant professors tenured and tenure-track faculty in engineering. Although these women represented 0.52% of the faculty, this study determined that they understood the breadth and depth of the historic and current faculty demographics. The academic career messages they experience are both positive and negative; however, they are persistent, resilient, feel a sense of belonging and mattering, and they are here to stay. Key Words: African American women, engineering, engineering education, faculty, tenured and tenure-track, Critical Race Theory, critical race methodology, Black feminist thought, intersectionality, gender, race, diversity, inclusion, access, equity, higher education, faculty demographics, STEM, pipeline leakage, and Triumvirate Woman.
