STEM higher education is often touted as a mechanism for economic development in many African higher education. Many federal governments in African countries--including Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda--continue to prioritize STEM higher education, engineering specifically, to advance infrastructure development and court foreign investment (i.e. technology sector). Although there is an increasing need for a diverse engineering workforce, women in the region continue to be underrepresented. In this presentation, I share findings from a comparative study of women’s engineering higher education pathways in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Specifically, I focus on how laboratories are the sites of confidence development and pivotal for preparing students for engineering employment after graduation.

Dr. Meseret F. Hailu is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. She is exploring two lines of research concerning the experiences of undergraduate Black women in different geographic settings: East Africa and the United States.

Join virtually at https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/97429694499.