Author: Jehnae Linkins
Date/Time: April 11th, 2025 at 11am EST
Location: EGR-1179, Glenn L. Martin Hall | Zoom Link
Committee members:
- Dr. Peter Sandborn, Chair
- Dr. James Holly
- Dr. Candice Duncan
- Dr. Nii Attoh-Okine
- Dr. Marsia Parham
- Dr. Joseph Sullivan, Dean’s Representative
Title of dissertation: Engineering While Black: Centering Lived Realities to Disrupt Design and Build Black Futures
Abstract:
This dissertation, Engineering While Black: Centering Lived Realities to Disrupt Design and Build Black Futures, interrogates the manifestations of anti-Blackness within engineering spaces and explores how the lived experiences of Black STEM professionals can serve as a radical foundation for inclusive, culturally responsive design. Employing a phenomenological-narrative hybrid methodology, this study amplifies the voices of Black engineers, designers, and technologists to understand how identity, culture, and systemic barriers intersect in their professional journeys.
Findings are organized into three core themes: (1) Identity Formation and Black CulturalRepresentation, which explores the complex definitions of Blackness and the erasure of cultural expression in STEM; (2) Pathways into STEM and Systemic Barriers, which highlights institutional exclusion, bias in design practices, and the burden of representation; and (3) Addressing Community Issues, Mentorship, and Legacy, which illustrates how Black professionals design with their communities in mind—positioning their work as both resistance and restoration.
A key contribution of this dissertation is the development of the Black-Centered Design Process—a framework that intentionally prioritizes Black cultural knowledge and lived experiences in engineering design to challenge Eurocentric norms and foster innovation rooted in equity. This work also broadens the theoretical applications of Afrofuturism, Critical Race Theory, and Designing Black Futures by anchoring them in practical, real-world design interventions.
By framing Black identity not as a variable to control, but as a critical lens through which we can reimagine STEM, this dissertation offers transformative insights for engineering educators, human-centered designers, and policymakers. It demands not only inclusion but also disruption—and charts a bold course for building Black futures through liberatory design.