Evaluation of Mid-America Engineering Research Center

The purpose of this study is to conduct an evaluation of the Mid-America Earthquake (MAE) Engineering Research Center. MAE is one of three national earthquake engineering research centers established by the National Science Foundation and its partner institutions and is located in Champaign Illinois. MAE is engaged in core earthquake research, research targeted at stakeholder use, as well as education and outreach initiatives. Over 3.5 years of the project, Professors Melkers and Welch used qualitative (case study & interview) and quantitative (survey, bibliometric, and social network) methods in order to capture both interim and longer-term outcomes of MAE activities as well as address impacts on key stakeholders, students, and other entities.

This multi-year project addressed the research question: How and why do networks make a difference in the career outcomes of women in STEM careers? We define a network to be a web of formal and informal relationships among members that allows the exchange of resources, information, and activities. In the first part of the study, data was collected and analyzed from a national random sample of men and women in post doctoral, assistant professor, and associate professor positions in six fields that vary by gender composition. The analysis focussed on the relationships among network access, network participation, and career outcomes. Career outcomes were defined not only in terms of traditional outputs and advancement, but also in other terms such as satisfaction, recognizing that network participation may lead to a complex mixture of benefits and costs. The second phase of the project comprised of a “critical mentor” analysis designed to map and measure network structure and participation for selected mentors and their mentees. Qqualitative and quantitative data from mentor interviews, an in-depth survey of mentees, citation indexes, and mentor curriculum vitae was conducted.

For annual report on this project, click here

Co-PIs: Dr. Julia Melkers, Dr. Eric Welch

Funded by the MAE center, NSF sponsored EERC