Sade Adeola Luwoye ’15

Sade Adeola Luwoye ’15 is a senior specialist systems engineer at L3Harris Technologies—a technology company, defense contractor, and information technology services provider that produces a range of systems and products, such as wireless equipment, avionics and electronic systems, and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors. During her time at UMass Amherst, Luwoye majored in electrical engineering and minored in mathematics, and was president of the student chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers during the 2014–2015 academic year. She went on to earn a master’s degree in systems engineering from George Washington University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. Due to her excellence in her field and her dedication to making science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) more equitable, Luwoye is the recipient of the 2022 UMass Alumni Honors Outstanding Young Alumni Award, which goes to an alum who has graduated within the past 10 years and utilized their UMass Amherst education and professional pursuits to change the world for the better.

A first-generation African American who is passionate about making an impact, Luwoye describes herself as an engineer by day and podcast host by night. As an emerging leader, she became aware of the widespread inequality in the STEM fields that exists in communities of color. She decided to create the Win in STEM Podcast as a safe space to bring this issue to the forefront, and to help retain and increase the number of minorities in STEM. In the podcast, Luwoye interviews people of color “STEMinists” about their STEM journeys and discusses topics such as imposter syndrome, mentorship, sponsorship, negotiating salaries, job interview tips, graduate school, and landing your dream job. Within the first few months of its release, Win in STEM gifted $1,300 in scholarships to students majoring in STEM. The podcast has avid listeners in over 30 countries, and was ranked in the top ten best STEM podcasts. Luwoye has been able to aim high, be an example, and open doors for minorities in STEM.