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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121">Dear INES,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121">We’re happy to share the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/test20/current" title="https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/test20/current"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#0078D7">new
issue of Engineering Studies</span></a>, which is another special issue with the theme of gender.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121"> </span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121">It opens with an editorial by our Managing Editor Kacey Beddoes, who provides an overview of the past 15 years of research on gender, race, and power in the journal. The first two articles focus on gender and early-career
assignments, and the final article shows how a dominant spatial visualization test (Purdue Spatial Visualization Test of Rotations) was “initially promoted because of its ability to demonstrate ‘gender differences in spatial ability’ rather than its ability
to accurately measure a spatial construct.” </span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121"> </span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121">Thank you to Kacey, and to all of you who served as editors and reviewers!
</span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121"> </span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121">All the best,</span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121">Jessica</span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121"> </span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121"> </span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Shannon K.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Gilmartin</span></b></span><span class="separator"><b><span style="color:#212121">,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Samantha
R.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Brunhaver</span></b></span><span class="separator"><b><span style="color:#212121">,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Sara</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Jordan-Bloch</span></b></span><span class="separator"><b><span style="color:#212121">,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Gabriela</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Gall
Rosa</span></b></span><span class="separator"><b><span style="color:#212121">,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Caroline</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Simard</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="separator"><b><span style="color:#212121">&</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Sheri
D.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Sheppard</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="date"><b><span style="color:#212121">(2024)</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="arttitle"><b><span style="color:#212121">Early-Career
Assignments and Workforce Inequality in Engineering,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="serialtitle"><b><span style="color:#212121">Engineering Studies,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="volumeissue"><b><span style="color:#212121">16:1,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="pagerange"><b><span style="color:#212121">8-32,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="doilink"><b><span style="color:#212121">DOI:</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="doilink"><b><span style="color:#212121"><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2023.2272807" title="https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2023.2272807"><span style="color:#0078D7">10.1080/19378629.2023.2272807</span></a></span></b></span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121"> </span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:#212121">Positioned as part of leadership development in many organizations, ‘stretch assignments’ are a type of work assignment that can prove someone’s readiness to advance in their career. Informed by status characteristics theory, our
research investigates the frequency and expected outcomes of stretch assignments among recent engineering graduates in the workforce. Findings suggest that early-career stretch assignments, especially assignments involving new and unfamiliar areas, potentially
intensify gender and racial/ethnic workforce inequality. Other types of assignments that may be more familiar and clearly-scoped to early-career engineers show a different and less inequality-intensifying pattern. We discuss why early-career engineers’ assignments
may be sites of inequality and the need for more focus on organizational processes around career-advancing work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:#212121"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Floris</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">van der Marel</span></b></span><span class="separator"><b><span style="color:#212121">,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Tua</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Björklund</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="separator"><b><span style="color:#212121">&</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Sheri</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Sheppard</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="date"><b><span style="color:#212121">(2024)</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="arttitle"><b><span style="color:#212121">Moments
that Matter: Early-Career Experiences of Diverse Engineers on Different Career Pathways,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="serialtitle"><b><span style="color:#212121">Engineering
Studies,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="volumeissue"><b><span style="color:#212121">16:1,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="pagerange"><b><span style="color:#212121">33-55,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="doilink"><b><span style="color:#212121">DOI:</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="doilink"><b><span style="color:#212121"><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2023.2272791" title="https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2023.2272791"><span style="color:#0078D7">10.1080/19378629.2023.2272791</span></a></span></b></span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121"> </span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:#212121">While many early-career engineers in the United States leave the field of engineering in the first few years of their careers, we know little of their early professional experiences and reasoning for career plans. We conducted 33
semi-structured interviews with early-career engineers, comparing the experiences of engineers across intersections of gender and race. In particular, we examine meaningful early-career experiences and how these connect to the innate needs of autonomy, competence,
and relatedness, as well as career intentions. Top moments on the job were often first-time experiences and milestones that enhanced the engineers’ sense of competence. Meaningful moments connected to relatedness were more often positive than negative experiences
for White men, whereas experiences undermining relatedness were more common for people of color and/or women. Connections to autonomy emerged more in bottom moments, especially for White engineers. Across different intended career pathways, early-career engineers
often evaluated their experiences regarding their ability to work effectively and through social validation from peers and managers (or undermined by a lack thereof). The results indicate the need for a greater understanding of early-career affordances in
supporting entry and retention in the engineering workforce by promoting individual effectiveness and social validation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:#212121"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Kristin A.</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="authorname"><b><span style="color:#212121">Bartlett</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="date"><b><span style="color:#212121">(2024)</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="arttitle"><b><span style="color:#212121">The
Politics of the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test of Rotations (PSVT:R) and its Use in Engineering Education,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="serialtitle"><b><span style="color:#212121">Engineering
Studies,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="volumeissue"><b><span style="color:#212121">16:1,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="pagerange"><b><span style="color:#212121">56-77,</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="doilink"><b><span style="color:#212121">DOI:</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:#212121"> </span></b></span><span class="doilink"><b><span style="color:#212121"><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2023.2297958" title="https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2023.2297958"><span style="color:#0078D7">10.1080/19378629.2023.2297958</span></a></span></b></span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#212121"> </span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33);font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="color:#212121">The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT:R) is commonly used in engineering education to measure spatial ability in efforts to predict academic or vocational success, or as a placement test. However, the politics of
the instrument are rarely discussed. Here I provide a critical review of the historical literature that provides the basis for current work using the PSVT:R. I examine the validation and popularization of the PSVT:R, discuss how the instrument may not actually
measure mental rotation, and explain how the construct of ‘gestalt processing’ was created in an effort to raise the status of spatial instruments which favored men. I argue that the isometric imagery style used in the test, which is rooted in the masculinized
discipline of engineering graphics, further politicizes the test. I discuss the usage of the PSVT:R in spatial training efforts targeting historically excluded groups, and how understanding the politics of the PSVT:R should inform future efforts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="https://www.jessicamsmith.net/"><span style="color:#0563C1">Jessica M. Smith</span></a> (she/her/hers)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Editor-in-chief,
<i><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/test20"><span style="color:#0563C1">Engineering Studies</span></a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Professor, <a href="https://www.mines.edu/eds/"><span style="color:#0563C1">Engineering, Design, and Society Department</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Colorado School of Mines<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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