Justin C. Major

Dr. Justin C. Major (they/them) is an Assistant Professor of Experiential Engineering Education and the Faculty Fellow for the Division of Student Access and Pathway Programs at Rowan University, where they lead ASPIRE Lab (Advancing Student Pathways through Inequality Research in Engineering). Justin’s research focuses on low-income students, engineering belonging and marginalization mechanisms, and adverse childhood experiences. Justin completed their Ph.D. in Engineering Education (’22) and M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics (’21) at Purdue University, and two B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Secondary Mathematics Education at the University of Nevada, Reno (’17). Atop their education, Justin is a previous NSF Graduate Research Fellow and has won over two dozen awards for research, service, and activism related to marginalized communities, including the award for Best Overall Conference Paper from the American Society for Engineering Education in 2026. As a previous homeless and food-insecure student, Justin is eager to challenge and change engineering education to be a pathway for socioeconomic mobility and broader systemic improvement rather than an additional barrier.