Asee peer logo

Motivations, Challenges, and Future Aspirations of Women in Engineering at an HBCU

Download Paper |

Conference

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Publication Date

June 22, 2025

Start Date

June 22, 2025

End Date

August 15, 2025

Conference Session

Messaging, Motivations and Supports for Women Engineers

Tagged Division

Women in Engineering Division (WIED)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

19

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/56979

Paper Authors

biography

Abiola Olayinka Ajala Morgan State University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0009-0001-8848-1843

visit author page

Abiola Olayinka Ajala is an AI researcher for the National Airspace System (NAS) at Morgan State University, pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering with a focus on Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI. Currently working on a research on climate resilience and aviation security using AI-driven solutions. With a Master’s in Advanced Computing and a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Abiola has expertise in data science, cybersecurity, networking, business analysis, and system administration. A member of ASEE,IEEE who is passionate about STEM education to introduce K1-12 students to computing/ engineering skills and digital literacy.

visit author page

biography

Blessing Isoyiza ADEIKA Morgan State University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0009-0007-5600-8051

visit author page

Blessing ADEIKA is a graduate student at Morgan State University currently studying Advanced Computing. She has interest in teaching student basic concepts by adopting an Experiment-centric approach to it. She also is currently working towards being a Data Scientist - AI/ML Expert and hope to use her skills to prefer solutions in the Medical, Financial, Technology and any other Sector she sees a need to be filled/catered for.

visit author page

biography

Opeyemi Taiwo Adeniran Morgan State University

visit author page

Opeyemi Adeniran is a graduate student in advanced computing at Morgan State University and a research assistant for the National Science Foundation.

visit author page

biography

Raymond Deji Olamijulo Morgan State University

visit author page

Mr Raymond Olamijulo is a graduate assistant in the Computer Science department at Morgan State University. With a research focus on experiment-centric pedagogy in engineering education, Mr. Olamijulo has contributed to advancing both theoretical and practical aspects of engineering education and technology integration in the curriculum.

Mr Olamijulo holds a B.Sc. in Information and Communication Technology from Crawford University. He also holds a Masters degree in International MBA from Ulyanovsk State University. He has been a part of multiple international conferences promoting technological advancements.

In addition to his academic work, Mr Olamijulo is committed to enhancing the educational experience of undergraduate and graduate students through innovative teaching strategies and hands-on projects. He is actively involved in advising student projects, mentoring research groups, promoting hands-on learning experiences and is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion in the engineering field.

visit author page

biography

Sarah Halleluyah Adeyemi Morgan State University

visit author page

Sarah Halleluyah Adeyemi is a Master student in the Department of Bioinformatics at Morgan State University. She holds a B.Sc. in Microbiology from Mountain Top University, Nigeria. Her research interests focus on gene expression analysis, cardiovascular genomics, antimicrobial resistance, and the application of computational tools in biomedical research. She is also currently working towards being a Data Scientist.
Sarah has research experience from the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, where she contributed to infectious disease diagnostics and antimicrobial studies. She also worked in the R&D division at FrieslandCampina WAMCO, gaining insight into food safety, quality control, and process validation. Currently, she serves as a graduate assistant on interdisciplinary research projects funded by NASA and ETA-STEM, supporting data analysis and science education initiatives. She is a member of ASEE, IEEE, passionate about STEM education and is passionate about integrating bioinformatics and molecular biology to solve health-related challenges and promote inclusive scientific research.

visit author page

biography

Blessing Omomola Morgan State University

visit author page

Blessing Omomola is a graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering at Morgan State University. He holds a first-class Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Covenant University, Nigeria. His research interests include supply chain resilience, data analytics, sustainable systems, and the application of artificial intelligence in engineering management. Blessing currently serves as a graduate research assistant, contributing to projects focused on climate resilience and infrastructure disruptions. He is passionate about leveraging technology and research to develop practical solutions that positively impact communities worldwide.

visit author page

biography

Ayobami Christianah Dunmoye Morgan State University

visit author page

Ayobami Dunmoye is a Civil Engineering graduate student at Morgan State University, focusing on Construction Management. Her research examines how peer and faculty interactions influence the sense of belonging among international students and female engineering students at HBCUs, with an emphasis on inclusion, adaptation, and academic resilience which she is passionate about

visit author page

biography

Pelumi Olaitan Abiodun Morgan State University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-4969-9591

visit author page

Pelumi Abiodun is a current doctoral student and research assistant at the department of Civil Engineering, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland. Pelumi got his BSc and MSc degree in Physics from Obafemi Awolowo University, where he also served as a research assistant at the Environmental Pollution Research unit, in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. As part of his contribution to science and engineering, Pelumi has taught as a teaching assistant both at Morgan State University and Obafemi Awolowo University. With passion to communicate research findings and gleaned from experts in the field as he advances his career, Olaitan has attended several in-persons and virtual conferences and workshop, and at some of them, made presentation on findings on air pollution, waste water reuse, and heavy metal contamination.

visit author page

biography

Oludare Adegbola Owolabi P.E. Morgan State University

visit author page

Dr. Oludare Owolabi, a professional engineer in Maryland, joined the Morgan State University faculty in 2010. He is the director of the sustainable infrastructure development, smart innovation and resilient engineering lab and the director of undergraduate programs in the department of civil engineering at Morgan State University.

visit author page

Download Paper |

Abstract

This work in progress investigates the motivations, challenges, and future aspirations of self-identified women in engineering at one of the nation’s oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) - institutions that serve as vital pipelines for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the STEM workforce. The study aims to inform institutional strategies that create more inclusive, supportive environments for women in engineering. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates qualitative interviews with one female faculty member and survey data from 14 undergraduate and graduate women in engineering. Interviews, guided by semi-structured questions, explored themes of mentorship, leadership, diversity, and work-life balance. Thematic analysis was used to identify key patterns. Initial findings reveal that a passion for STEM and problem-solving drives these women, with mentorship and family support acting as key motivators. Major challenges include balancing academic and personal life, limited access to leadership opportunities, and a lack of community support. Nonetheless, most participants expressed confidence in their career paths, particularly those with strong mentorship and institutional backing. By bridging qualitative and quantitative insights, this ongoing research contributes to a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of women in engineering at HBCUs. The study highlights the importance of mentorship, inclusive academic practices, and institutional support - critical themes for enhancing equity and leadership development in engineering. This work will be presented as a traditional lecture at the conference.

Ajala, A. O., & ADEIKA, B. I., & Adeniran, O. T., & Olamijulo, R. D., & Adeyemi, S. H., & Omomola, B., & Dunmoye, A. C., & Abiodun, P. O., & Owolabi, O. A. (2025, June), Motivations, Challenges, and Future Aspirations of Women in Engineering at an HBCU Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/56979

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2025 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015