I am an Engineer &…

Using Intersectionality to Study Neurodiversity in Engineering

Meet Marissa Tsugawa, an assistant professor of engineering education proving that there is more to engineering than just math and science.

Tsugawa’s research, coined “& Research,” focuses on exploring people as a whole as opposed to individual characteristics. Everyone has many identities that intersect and interact in every social, environmental, and cultural context that hold meaning. Tsugawa identifies as a neurodivergent, biracial, queer engineering education researcher, educator, scientist, engineer, parent, mentor, colleague and artist.

“My previous research investigated engineering graduate student motivation and identity, experiences of women of color in engineering, and virtual communities of practice that support LGBTQ+ groups in engineering,” Tsugawa stated.

Their main research interest characterizes what it means to be a neurodivergent student in engineering by identifying neurodivergent strengths and challenges. Neurodivergent is a term that celebrates, rather than medicalizes, diverse brains that function outside of societal norms. By using intersectionality, Tsugawa designs their research to highlight neurodivergent engineering students’ experiences and lean into their identity.

“I aspire to create and support inclusive and accessible STEM education environments through methodological activism,” Tsugawa said. “My engineering education research focuses on the experiences of silenced engineering students and the identity development of STEM faculty as educators and education researchers.”

Recently, Tsugawa received funding from the National Science Foundation to continue research in engineering identity and neurodivergence. The project will generate cross-sectional and longitudinal narratives of neurodivergent engineering students, in which narratives will be generated and shared via social media.

More information about Tsugawa’s research can be found at ampersand-research.com.

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