”Racing the Sun”: A Narrative Analysis of Engineering Graduate Students' Journeys Navigating Public-Inspired Science Work

Abstract

The role of science and engineering in society has been analyzed and debated for decades. There are calls for engineers to increasingly engage with the public to assist communities while others are opposed to or caution against such work. In order to navigate complex ethical dilemmas associated with work in the public sphere, engineers must maintain and ideally refine their social and emotional skills to improve decision-making processes. Although there are few examples in existing scholarship to build upon, this paper presents a model of public-inspired science work as an opportunity for socially relevant engineering. The purpose of this paper is to analyze three autobiographical narratives of engineering graduate students navigating public-inspired science work, applying Cruz and Kellam's narrative analysis approach of the Hero's Journey to reveal the students' inspirations, challenges, and future goals. This work provides insights for others considering such opportunities as a part of engineering education.