DEE Speaker Series

Redefine and Redirect: Transforming Broadening Participation Efforts through an Innovation Mindset

trina-fletcher headshot.

Presented by Dr. Trina Fletcher

Assistant Professor, School of Universal Computing, Construction, and Engineering Education at Florida International University

March 8, 2023 | 2 - 3 p.m. | 107 Capen Hall

Abstract

The number of degree programs and research funding within engineering and computing education (ECE) continues to rise alongside increased spending and programmatic efforts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at the K-12 level. Yet, enrollment and degrees attained by diverse groups has remained stagnant or even declined. Dr. Fletcher argues that engineering and computing education should elevate the use of an innovation mindset to reach the transformative broadening participation results our community is working to achieve. This type of transformation will require us to redefine and redirect our goals and approaches linked to student academic success and persistence. This talk will cover Dr. Fletcher’s journey across academia, industry, entrepreneurship, and the non-profit sector and highlight how she is redefining and redirecting her efforts in this space. Knowledge on how she uses asset-based strategies such as equity-centered collaborations, industry-proven best practices, innovative approaches to problem solving and continuous process improvement (CPI) as a part of her process will be shared. ​

Biography

Dr. Trina L. Fletcher is the founder of m3i journey, a start-up focused on holistic financial well-being, the co-founder of Fletcher Education Solutions, and an Assistant Professor of Engineering and Computing Education at Florida International University. Her research and programmatic portfolio consist of asset-based studies on women and people of color in STEM, financial literacy for low-income and first-generation students, and continuous process improvement across the educational ecosystem. Dr. Fletcher uses a mixed-method approach incorporating existing data to drive qualitative analysis focused on her target populations. Most recently, she received the National Science Foundation Early Faculty CAREER award to develop a national, large-scale longitudinal database on STEM professionals' experiences who participated in out-of-school K-12 programs. Additionally, Dr. Fletcher recently completed a 3-year rotation as an elected steering committee member for EngineerGirl, the leading initiative for the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) to increase the number of girls pursuing engineering. She serves as PI, Co-PI, or lead researcher for several federal and foundation-funded grants from companies including Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, and Motorola. Prior to academia, Dr. Fletcher's experience includes engineering and operations positions with two Fortune 500 companies and serving as the Director of Pre-college Programs for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).