Status: This contest was run from 2015-2018. ASEE is now running its own Video Contest. Click here to see recent winners. For winners of our past contests, click here.

Students, tell us your story or share your perspective!

The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) envisions widespread, inclusive, and equitable environments in engineering, academia, and industry that embrace individual differences and leverage diversity for a better engineered tomorrow. The 2017-2018 year celebrates ASEE’s 125 years at the heart of engineering education. The ASEE Diversity Committee honors this celebration with a focus on diverse teams in engineering and engineering education, because teamwork is at the heart of engineering.

Students from a broad range of backgrounds and among various grade levels (P12, undergraduate, and graduate) are invited to share their perspective on diversity in engineering teams by submitting an entry into the essay and/or video contests. Each entry should clearly answer the prompt provided below and follow all contest rules.

Prompt & Requirements

Essay:

• Prompt – Teamwork is an essential component of engineering, and diversity impacts the process and products of engineering teams. When people work together across differences in personal backgrounds, cultures, engineering disciplines, race, gender, age, and other characteristics, we can face new challenges and achieve better outcomes. Describe a time in your life when you worked on a diverse team in the context of engineering or engineering education. Discuss what you learned personally from the experience, what your team accomplished, and how diversity impacted your team.
• 300 to 500 words
• By submitting a written essay, contestants are agreeing for it to be reviewed by editors and to slight editorial changes, mainly for clarity, made by the ASEE Prism staff. These edits will be provided to the submitter prior to publication. Publication can be anonymous, but contact information is required for authentication and approval of edits.

Video:

• Prompt – Teamwork is an essential component of engineering, and diversity impacts the process and products of engineering teams. When people work together across differences in personal backgrounds, cultures, engineering disciplines, race, gender, age, and other characteristics, we can face new challenges and achieve better outcomes. Create a video that describes a time in your life when you worked on a diverse team in the context of engineering or engineering education. Discuss what you learned personally from the experience, what your team accomplished, and how diversity impacted your team. This video should not be an advertisement for your organization.
• 3-5 minutes
• By submitting a video, contestants are agreeing for ASEE and its committees to use the video in any means they deem positive.

Eligibility Requirements & Contest Rules

• Open to Preschool to 12th grade students and students enrolled in a college of engineering or engineering technology (or similarly named program) at the undergraduate or graduate levels
• All videos and essays must be submitted by the submission deadline
• All submissions must be original and not previously published elsewhere
• By submitting an entry to the contest, each entrant gives ASEE all rights, including copyright, to the entry and express permission to edit and publish the entry in all media without limitation and without any other notice.
• By submitting a written essay, contestants are agreeing for it to be reviewed by editors and to slight editorial changes, mainly for clarity, made by the ASEE Prism staff. Publication can be anonymous, but contact information is required for authentication and approval of edits.
• By submitting a video, contestants are agreeing for ASEE and its committees to use the video in any means they deem positive

Prizes

Winners are selected by a group of reviewers from the ASEE Diversity Committee. Up to 3 awards will be given as prizes for the top submissions from all categories.

• 1st Place: $275
• 2nd Place: $150
• 3rd Place: $70

Submission

General Timeline:

November 20: Contest submission open
March 15: Submission deadline
March 30: Submission review deadline
April 6: Winner notification deadline

Essay:

• 300 to 500 words maximum
• By submitting a written essay, contestants are agreeing for it to be reviewed by editors and to slight editorial changes, mainly for clarity, made by the ASEE Prism staff. These edits will be provided to the submitter prior to publication. Publication can be anonymous, but contact information is required for authentication and approval of edits.

Video:

• 3-5 minutes maximum
• By submitting a video, contestants are agreeing for ASEE and its committees to use the video in any means they deem positive.

Click to listen to, watch, or read their entries (where available).

2017-2018 Winners

• • First Place – Cassandra Woodcock (Graduate, University of Michigan) with her essay, “Transforming Differences to Resources”
  • Second Place – Jill Wenderott (Graduate, University of Michigan) with her essay, “Diverse Teams Include Intended Audience: Lessons Learned Designing Camp for Liberian Undergraduates”
  • Third Place – Julio Alonso (Undergraduate, University of Houston) with his video, “The secret to a successful team: Teamwork, Leadership, and Communication”

2016-2017 Winners

• • • First Place – Sophie Paul (P12, Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School) with her video, “Breaking Barriers”
    • Second Place – Maya Rozenshteyn (P12, Patrick Henry High School) with her essay, “A Club of Their Own”
    • Third Place – Katherine Kiang (Undergraduate, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign) with her essay, “Sugar, Flour, And Everything Nice “

2015-2016 Winners

• • • First Place – Shante K. Stowell(undergraduate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) with her entry, “Feeling Raced”
    • Second Place – Shenwei Chang(undergraduate, University of Texas) with her entry, “Working Toward a More Inclusive Engineering Educational Environment”
    • Third Place – Samantha Matta (Arizona State University) with her entry, “A Bite Into the Baklava of Life”
    • Honorable Mention – Sylvie DeLaHunt(University of Maryland) and Brianna Malcolm (University of Florida)