Supporting graduate women in engineering: approach and findings of a year-long program at UIUC.

This paper summarizes the approach and findings of a targeted, year-long orientation program in the first year of graduate school for minority genders in engineering, implemented in the Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 academic year. The program aimed to enhance the first-year graduate experience of gender minorities in engineering through several interventions: professional networking, community building, advice for finding financial support, supporting the undergraduate-to-graduate transition, and sharing strategies for navigating academia. The program achieved these interventions through a series of events and measured their impact through surveys. Findings from the programmatic effort and lessons learned are provided in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]