Engineers!
Dr. Trina L. Fletcher is an Assistant Professor of Engineering and Computing Education at Florida International University within the College of Engineering and Computing. She is very passionate about increasing access and exposure for low-SES and students of color to STEM education activities. For her dissertation research, Dr. Fletcher conducted a case study analysis of African American women and girls and experiences during out-of-school time (OST) STEM programs. Among her related publications are “Ignored Potential: A Collaborative Roadmap for Increasing African American Women in Engineering” and “Maximizing Accessibility: Providing summer engineering experiences for racially, ethnically, and economically underrepresented youth.” She holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University, a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), a Master’s in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a second Master’s in Engineering Management from George Washington University. Her industry experience includes engineering and management positions within 2 Fortune 500 companies and a director-level role managing all K-12 programming for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Her research areas of interest include K-12 STEM education for Black and African American students and the role of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) on the production of Blacks in engineering and computing. Dr. Fletcher is also looking into how proven industry-based business methodologies and best practices, such as Six Sigma, can be used to recruit and retain women and minorities in engineering and computing for both higher education and industry. Her honors include being named an Inspiring Woman by the WNBAs New York Liberty and, most recently, receiving the Brown Girls Rock award from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for her community engagement and education work within her home state of Arkansas.