Engineering While Black: Exploring the Experiences of Black University of Florida Undergraduate Engineering Students Using Photovoice

Black engineering students attending a predominantly white institution (PWI) must often navigate unwelcoming and hostile environments on their journey to degree attainment. Despite encountering such adverse circumstances, these students persist to graduation, albeit at lower rates than their white counterparts. Addressing this discrepancy is a critical factor in improving diversity in the workforce. This work aims to explore Black engineering students' experiences using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) strategy called photovoice, which is commonly practiced in public health. Photovoice is a qualitative research approach that involves the collection and analysis of data through the lens of each participant. To date, few scholars have applied this narrative approach to understanding Black students' experiences in the context of engineering education and practice. This study explored how the current racial climate in the United States impacts the experiences of Black undergraduate engineering students. The outcome of the photovoice experience was twofold: 1) To capture each participant's lived experience, leveraging each photo as a visual demonstration, to bring their words to life; 2) To connect an accompanying narrative describing each lived experience, thus, expressing the world as they see and experience it. Through photography, reflection, and critical dialogue, five undergraduate students at a large southeastern PWI shared their stories and agreed on actionable measures to improve Black engineering students' experiences at their university. During semi-structured interviews, participants described the images they captured related to the research prompts. Using an inductive approach, we conducted a reflexive thematic analysis, and six themes emerged related to the students' experiences: (1) finding comfort, (2) building community, (3) fitting in, (4) experiencing frustration, (5) overcoming imposter syndrome, and (6) valuing mentorship. Participants collectively discussed their images and related experiences in a final group session. Steps to address emergent themes were also identified and presented to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, along with a plan to showcase their work.