(554a) The Prevalence of Impostor Phenomenon in Chemical Engineers

Impostor phenomenon is a psychological experience where individuals feel that they are not as successful as others believe them to be. This can leave them feeling like a fraud, feeling like they have only obtained their current position out of luck or fearing that one day others will find out that they don’t belong. While the phenomenon was first characterized in high achieving women, it has since been shown to impact individuals across all identities. Within chemical engineering, Richard Felder first commented on the impostor phenomenon in a 1980 article in Chemical Engineering education. Recently, an article in Science talked about the potential impact that impostor phenomenon could have on pathways through STEM for students who are historically underserved in engineering. As a result, there is a need to better understand the prevalence of impostor phenomenon within the chemical engineering community. Through this study, survey data was collected from over 500 chemical engineering students and professionals (in both industry and academia). Results show that 74% of undergraduate and graduate students in chemical engineering experience frequent or intense impostor characteristics. This number is decreased to 55% for chemical engineers in faculty or industry roles. Additionally, impostor characteristics were found to decrease with age, with only 32% of individuals over the age of 55 experiencing frequent or intense impostor characteristics. This study highlights the significant number of chemical engineering students and professionals who are experiencing feelings of impostor phenomenon. It further motivates the need for research on reducing the impact of impostor phenomenon on individuals, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, as they navigate their education and careers in chemical engineering.