E2020 Scholars Announced
This fall, Iowa State's College of Engineering will welcome its first E2020 Scholars. These 19 young men and women represent seven states and were chosen from over 200 applicants. E2020 Scholars will take part in the E2020 Learning Community, which will emphasize student professional development in the areas of leadership, interdisciplinary and systems thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship, and global awareness. These attributes are expected to characterize the engineer of 2020. Additionally, each scholar receives a $2,500 E2020 scholarship which is funded by the NSF S-STEM program and renewable up to four years.

E-TEC Program Launched
Thanks to the connection formed between the SEEC project and Iowa State Extension, the Engineering Talent in Every County (E-TEC) program is underway. E-TEC scholarships were rolled out as the first phase of the program. Incoming students from across Iowa were chosen to receive a one-time, $500, merit-based scholarship. Ultimately, the project's goal is to attract students to engineering from each of Iowa's 99 counties. In this first year, E-TEC scholarship winners will represent 28 counties.

SEECing Connections Workshop a Success

Presentations, discussions, and tours were all part of the SEECing Connections workshop

The SEEC project team hosted SEECing Connections, a professional development workshop for Iowa State and DMACC recruitment, academic advising, admissions and counseling staff, plus other interested parties. Nearly 60 attendees gathered at Iowa State to build relationships and learn more about engineering. Information and resources specific to advising and recruiting, with a focus on transfer students, was the key component of presentations given by SEEC team members. Participants also toured Iowa State's engineering section of campus. Faculty and staff from each engineering discipline were on hand to talk about their area and answer questions. A great deal of information was shared during the workshop, and participants are eager for a follow-up session to focus on and discuss areas of specific interest. All went home with new connections and resources to assist students in the engineering transfer process.

SEEC Team Presents
SEEC team members travel the country to share information about the project to a wide variety of audiences.

NASPA Conference (Student Affairs in Higher Education) – Seattle, WA
Understanding Today's Transfer Students: Implications for Practice, Policy, and Research
Presented by Frankie Santos Laanan, Mary Darrow, and Dimitra Jackson � Iowa State

NSF Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) STEP Grantees Meeting � Washington, D.C., Poster Session [pdf]
Presented by Diane Rover, Steve Mickelson, Monica Bruning, Mary Darrow, Frankie Laanan, Mary Goodwin, and Mack Shelley � Iowa State; Harry McMaken, Michael Lentsch, Joe DeHart, Ahmed Agyeman, and Randy Smith - DMACC

Iowa State's Program for Women in Science in Engineering (PWSE) Taking the Road Less Traveled Career Conference � Iowa State University, Ames, IA – Engineering Talent in Every County (ETEC)
Presentation to high school and middle school teachers by Monica Bruning and Mary Darrow

ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition - Austin, TX
A Learning Village: Utilizing a holistic approach to create connections between community college pre-engineering and Iowa State engineering students
Presented by Jackie Baughman, Mary Goodwin, and Mary Darrow Engineering Recruitment and Retention STEP Workshop [pdf]
Presentations by Big 12 NSF STEP Project Leaders (hosted by Iowa State University)

Iowa 4-H Youth Conference �Iowa State University, Ames, IA
E-TEC (Engineering Talent in Every County)
Voyage into Engineering with a Scholarship in Hand!
Monica Bruning will present information about the E-TEC program to high school 4-Hers and advisors.

Partnerships Make It Possible
The following 2008-2009 outcomes were accomplished through the many partnerships established by the SEEC project. Each contributes to the SEEC goal of promoting strategic, sustainable approaches to meet recruitment and retention goals.

• 3 joint SEEC workshops sponsored between Iowa State and DMACC
• 140 community college students attended the Iowa State Engineering Career Fair
• 5 SEEC transfer peer mentors hired by E-APP Program
• Transfer Student Social Network developed
• 55 DMACC students took EGR100
• 70 new E-TEC scholarships available annually
• 24 new E2020 scholarships available annually
• 2 E-TEC Summits conducted including over 100 Extension staff
• 3 recruitment lunches hosted for female STEM students
• 85% participation by incoming students in engineering learning communities
• 60 ISU and DMACC participants attending the SEECing Connections Workshop
• 5 Big 12 NSF Sites participated in the ASEE Big 12 STEP Workshop in Austin, TX
• 30 ASEE attendees participated in the Big 12 STEP Workshop in Austin, TX

Learning Communities Established Throughout Engineering
All Iowa State engineering students now have the opportunity to join an engineering learning community, and it is anticipated that 85% of all incoming first-year and transfer students will take advantage of this. Engineering learning communities have been around since 1996 when the Leadership through Engineering Academic Diversity (LEAD) learning community was formed. The addition of the Materials Science and Engineering learning community last year gave each engineering discipline its own learning community. Next year's plans include adding communities specifically for transfer students and those in the Engineering Leadership Program.

	Mechanical Engineering Learning Teams (MELTS) use their problem-solving skills to create self-propelled catapults for their annual learning team competition

Although learning communities vary in size and scope, each provides new aspiring engineers connections to fellow students, instructors, and industry. "Being part of a learning community gives students a huge advantage in becoming acclimated to Iowa State and to engineering," explained LeQuetia Ancar, Co-coordinator, Technology Learning Community, Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering. Learning communities are comprised of teams ranging from 6 to 20 students. These students take introductory classes together, "play" together in organized social events, and gain insight into engineering careers through industry connections. "Through the learning communities, students get exposure to industry their first year they may not otherwise seek out or get on their own," stated Ancar. For example, Technology Learning Community members have access to industry mentors at companies like General Mills and Pella Windows.

Peer mentors play a large role in helping students connect as well. "Peer mentors give new students someone to talk to and who will listen to them," said Johna Wolfe, Co-coordinator, Mechanical Engineering Learning Team, Department of Mechanical Engineering. "And they can give students first-hand examples of what internships and study abroad classes are like." Peer mentors also arrange events, both social and learning, for their teams. And, of course, learning community members connect with each other. "They find others like them with the same issues and concerns, especially transfer students," stated Wolfe. "Being able to relate their experience is always going to make a connection better."

Studies [pdf] show that learning communities boost retention, tying directly to the SEEC project's overall goal of increasing engineering graduates. Iowa State learning communities were recently honored with NASPA's Promising Practices Award.

Connected!

Jay Staker, Extension Youth Development Specialist

"It's been a very cooperative process," said Jay Staker, Extension Youth Development Specialist for Iowa State Extension, describing the evolution of the Engineering Talent in Every County (E-TEC) program. Indeed, many connections were made between SEEC project personnel and Iowa State Extension employees and volunteers to shape this program. Staker explained that Monica Bruning, SEEC Talent Expansion Director, Carol Heaverlo, Program Director, Program for Women in Science and Engineering, and Mary Darrow, SEEC Program Coordinator, came to him with the E-TEC concept. Jack Payne, Vice President for Extension and Outreach, and Mark Settle, Director, Cooperative Extension Service, were brought into the conversation and Payne agreed E-TEC was a good fit with Extension. Next, Extension personnel from counties across Iowa were brought in via webinars to provide feedback that further defined the program.

The E-TEC Scholarships launched the first phase of the program. "The next step is a 'tool kit' to give county volunteers the resources they need to help youth understand engineering and show them the range of engineering careers available. The goal is to establish connections between engineering and the kids," said Staker. "Once kids are aware of engineering � and like it � volunteers can use E-TEC to help them start to prepare for an engineering career." Thanks to Staker's efforts, the SEEC project has connected to every county in Iowa through E-TEC.