A Qualitative Study of Motivation in Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP) Pre-college Students

I am Unangax/Aleut or Alaska Native born and raised in Alaska. I come from a line of Unangax fishermen and spent much of my childhood in the Aleutians subsistence living. I am currently pursing my PhD in Engineering Education at Purdue University. My current dissertation title is: A Qualitative Study of Motivation in Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP) Precollege Students. Prior to starting at Purdue University, I was the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP) Deputy Director and managed its Summer Bridge, Academies of Engineering, and University Success components. I earned a BS in Civil Engineering from University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) in 2005 and a MS in Engineering Management from UAA in 2009. I have taught the Introduction to Engineering course at UAA 5 times. I have more than five years of construction and engineering professional experience in Alaska. I specialized in water and sewer projects in remote Alaskan villages. My responsibilities have included design assistance, technical report and permit writing, feasibility studies, and business plan preparations. Previous work includes conceptual design of water and sewer systems, surveying, construction, and field sampling of water, wastewater, and ground temperatures. Additional experience includes a broad range of environmental engineering activities in the oil and gas field in Prudhoe Bay.