Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, vol. 12, pp. 95-117, 2006 ISSN 1072-8325/06/$35.00 Copyright © 2006 by Begell House, Inc. 95 UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN ENGINEERING THEIR PROFESSIONAL IDENTITIES Brenda M. Capobianco  Purdue University In science education, the construct of identity has proven to be a useful tool for examining how students view themselves as gendered and classed individuals, and how these identities intersect with their present and future science participation. Yet, little is known about how young adult women studying engineering construct their own identities as prospective engineers. In this study, which is part of a larger study involving an intervention designed to increase retention of traditionally underrepresented students in engineering, I explored females’ personal and professional identity construction throughout their undergraduate studies in engineering. Using a qualitative longitudinal case study approach, I collected and analyzed interview data, WebCT interactions, and student work on modeling activities. I developed a model of identity that emphasized the role of engineering in young women’s descriptions of who they are as students and future engineers. Findings from this study could be useful in helping prospective and practicing science and engineering educators develop academic programs, curriculum, and best practices. INTRODUCTION In today’s fast, growing world, researchers in a variety of areas have come to see identity as an important analytic tool for understanding schools and society. In science education, researchers have used the construct of identity to examine how students view themselves as individuals and as participants in science (Brickhouse, Lowery, & Schultz, 2000; Carlone, 2003, 2004); to understand how gender, race, and class interact and contribute to young women’s marginalized identities in science (Brickhouse & Potter, 2001); and to explore the dynamic relationship between science and a teacher’s personal and professional identities (Helms, 1998). Results from these studies and others (Kozol & Osborne, 2004) suggest that there is room for expansion in this line of research. Introducing the notion of identity into other science-related ields, such as engineering, to include both who the student is and who he or she wants to become, affords researchers the opportunity to explore identity formation from undergraduate academic communities to professional science communities. In this study I chose to explore young women’s identity formation in engineering, a ield of science where the representation of women and minorities has been very low (Betz, 1994; Betz & Fitzgerald, 1987). While research efforts (DeBoer, 1984; Nauta, Epperson, &Waggoner, 1999) have contributed to a greater understanding of the unique career experiences of women in engineering, the number of women in engineering has remained low, with fewer than 12% of professional engineers in recent years being 1 Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Brenda M. Capobianco, Purdue University, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, 100 North University Street, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907-2098; e-mail bcapo@purdue.edu This work was supported partially by NSF Grant 0120794-HRD. The author thanks the engineering students who participated in this study; Kathryn Osburn, who assisted in the study; and the anonymous reviewers and the editors of JWMSE for their suggestions on drafts of the manuscript.