Rurality in Engineering Education

My interests in rural education and engineering education are largely informed by own experiences as a rural student seeking an engineering degree. As such, I am particularly interested in exploring the following research questions:

(1) What are the supports and barriers rural students most often experience on their pathways to STEM careers? How do we overcome (or better yet, remove) these barriers to entry?

(2) How do/can STEM ecosystems support rural students’ values and career interests?

(3) What are the best practices for supporting rural students, teachers, and schools?

Relevant Work and Examples

Schilling, M. R., & Grohs, J. R. (2024). A Conceptual Model for Engineering Educators in Rural Places: Critical Reflection and Engagement. Studies in Engineering Education, 4(2), 201–221. https://doi.org/10.21061/see.97

Schilling, M. R., & Grohs, J. R. (2024). Reconciling Modern Engineering Education with the Everyday of Rural Schools and Youths. Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER), 14(1), 26-35. https://doi.org/10.7771/2157-9288.1413