Trina Fletcher, assistant professor of engineering and computing education at FIU, has been appointed as one of 12 members to the EngineerGirl Steering Committee, a service initiative within the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). The National Academy of Engineering is a private, independent, nonprofit organization that operates engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Fletcher’s appointment is effective July 2019 through June 2022.
Fletcher joined the School of Universal Computing, Construction and Engineering Education (SUCCEED), housed in FIU’s College of Engineering & Computing, in 2018. Her experience includes engineering and management positions within two Fortune 500 companies and a director-level role managing all K-12 programming for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Her research areas 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.
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. 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.”
The mission of the EngineerGirl Steering Committee is to strengthen the contribution of the EngineerGirl program to students, parents, the educational community , and other interested stake-holders. The steering committee advises the National Academy of Engineering about the direction and content of the EngineerGirl website.
