Latin Students in Engineering : An Intentional Focus on a Growing Population

Winner of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education Edited Volume Book of the Year Award

Winner of the 2026 Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Educational Research Award from the American Educational Research Association

The growing population of engineering students who identify as Latin* are underrepresented in the field of engineering. Latin* refers to an individual of Latin American origin or descent, without restricting to a specific gender. The asterisk (*) includes related identity terms such as Latina/é/o/u/x.There is, however, a rising need to train U.S. students in engineering skills to meet the demands of our increasingly technological workforce. Structurally excluding Latin* students hinders their economic and educational opportunities in engineering. Latin* Students in Engineering examines the state of Latin* engineering education at present as well as considerations for policy and practice regarding engineering education aimed at enhancing opportunity and better serving Latin* students. The essays in this volume first consider, theoretically and empirically, the experiences of Latin* students in engineering education and then expand beyond the student level to focus on institutional and social structures that challenge Latin* students' success and retention. Finally, it illuminates emergent work and considers future research, policy, and practice.
 

LARA PEREZ-FELKNER is associate professor of higher education and sociology at Florida State University, Tallahassee.
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SARAH L. RODRIGUEZ is associate professor of engineering education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

CIERA FLUKER is an associate researcher at Florida State University, Tallahassee.