Laura Hirshfield

My research sits within the field of engineering education, leveraging quantitative and qualitative research methods to assess and support equity, inclusion, and wellness in the engineering student experience. More specifically, I investigate how students develop skills and engineering identity through their participation in various communities throughout the educational experience, considering how that development and participation varies based on a student's personal identities. This includes projects like:

• Investigating student perceptions of equity and inclusion across engineering majors
• Supporting inclusive mentoring in research groups
• Exploring factors that contribute to dissatisfaction for women in project teams
• Understanding the relationships between confidence, team satisfaction, gender, and task choice in team experiences
• Assessing the impact of engineering programming on inclusion, identity, and mental health
• Examining the experiences of rural students starting engineering degrees
• Investigating the formation of community and identity for LGBTQIA+ students
• Identifying opportunities for curricular innovation in chemical engineering through student, alumni, and faculty perceptions
• Assessing student engagement with the chemical engineering curriculum