Katreena Thomas earned her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering in 2017 from the University of Pittsburgh and her master’s degree in human systems engineering in 2021 from Arizona State University (ASU), where she is a current PhD student in engineering education systems and design. Since 2019, she has been a graduate research assistant in the Coley Shifting Perceptions, Attitudes, and Cultures in Engineering (S.P.A.C.E. Lab), investigating the phenomenological experiences of marginalized groups in engineering environments. At present, she is balancing a variety of assignments and activities, including: Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity intern with the Journal of Engineering Education (JEE); Student Advisory Board: Academic Policy at ASU; Division L: Graduate Student Leadership Committee with the American Educational Research Association; prize committee member for the Constellation Prize; and a Fulton Graduate Ambassador for the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU. She has been an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) since 2011, serving in a number of leadership roles. Her current research explores the experiences of Black students in engineering with the goal of amplifying the voices of marginalized leaders through culturally relevant epistemologies, pedagogies and methodologies. In the future, Katreena intends to introduce a course that provides students an opportunity to learn about activism and advocacy and how those topics translate into engineering, design and leadership.

Research Interests

Experiences of marginalized groups in engineering