Mentoring Future Engineers
Dr. Jelena Trajkovic, as co-primary investigator, facilitated the expansion of the METRIC scholarship program to the College of Engineering, joining the $2.5 million project supporting 67 STEM students with scholarships and mentorship for 6 years.
Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Mentored Excellence Toward Research and Industry Careers program sees faculty mentors working one-on-one with academically talented; low-income and underrepresented students, many of whom are first generation. It is yet another mentorship opportunity that Trajkovic pursued.
“It’s a touching opportunity. Those one-on-one meetings add value and personal connection,” said Trajkovic. “I grew up in an underdeveloped country but was lucky that my parents had degrees. For first-generation students it's not always about financial support.”
METRIC began in 2019 out of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, focusing on 44 students in the physical sciences and math. METRIC 2, thanks to Trajkovic, added computer science and computer engineering to the available programs.
“97% of [METRIC’s] graduates stay in the field,” explained Trajkovic. “It drives me as a teacher, that connection to students, when I see them advance.”
Besides scholarships and mentorship, a major focus of the METRIC program is mental-health awareness.
“Perhaps the most profound yet least addressed obstacle to student success is a lack of mental well-being. Mental health struggles with depression are linked to a two-fold increase in the risk of students withdrawing from college before completion,” said Jen-Mei Chang, professor of mathematics and primary investigator. “By promoting mental well-being and increasing awareness of basic needs resources, we hope to reduce negative impacts of mental health and basic needs struggles on retention and completion rates among low income and ethnic minority students.”
The College of Engineering was able take on 9 mentees this Fall, to accomplish this Trajkovic needed a volunteer. Neal Terrell, CECS lecturer, jumped at the opportunity.
“We typically aim for four students per mentor,” explained Trajkovic. “When I asked around, Neal volunteered quickly. Like myself, he really enjoys those one-on-one connections.”
Trajkovic—on top of conducting novel computer science and engineering research— has received multiple awards to study ways of expanding access to a computer science or engineering degree. For example, she's look at the impact of low prerequisite proficiency on student success, and was instrumental in acquiring a grant from the Center for Inclusive Computing to recruit female students.
She is also the founding faculty mentor to the CSULB Women in Computing organization. Dedicated to uplifting the next generation of women in technology, the organization organizes professional development and recruiting workshops, events like the hackathon Marina Hacks, and—unsurprisingly—an emphasis on mentorship.
Trajkovic was approached in 2019 by a few of her undergraduate researchers with the intention of starting WiC. She quickly took up the mantle, and the club quickly flourished.
One example is attendance at conferences like the Grace Hopper Celebration—named for famous Navy Rear Admiral and computer scientist Grace Hopper—where nearly 30,000 people gather to salute and support women in computing.
“Grace Hopper 2019 was such an incredible, rewarding experience that Jelena helped WiC procure,” said Samantha Hangsan, CSULB WiC founding co-president.
Trajkovic’s office is filled with pictures of her students, including Hangsan, who she keeps in touch with to this day. As the METRIC program allows more students to follow their passion in computer science and engineering, her office walls can be expected to be filled with a lot more photos.
