Exploring Career Trajectories for Women of Color in Engineering: The Experiences of African American and Latina Engineering Professors

The goal of this study was to focus on how critical events, people, and situations influenced the career trajectories of African American and Latina women in engineering. We used a critical race feminism framework, focusing on the areas of intersectionality, identity as the other, and employment and discrimination to explore the experiences of 11 African American and Latina women engineering professors. In analyzing the data, we found four major themes; i.e., familial influence and support, high school enrichment experiences, university experiences (undergraduate and graduate), and professional experiences in industry. This study is important because it helps to identify the many areas in which engineering career trajectories of women of color can be influenced by a variety of people, experiences, and contexts.