Meet Tanya Davis Ennis, working to eradicate inequity and injustice in education and beyond
Ennis studied electrical engineering at an Historically Black College/University, Southern University, and then computer engineering for her Master’s degree from the University of Southern California before coming to CU Boulder to direct the Engineering GoldShirt Program and now the BOLD Center in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Her work supporting underrepresented students to succeed as engineering students and her high regard for the School of Education doctoral program led her to enroll in the Learning Sciences and Human Development PhD program.
I am a first-generation student and the first in my family to earn a PhD., and many in my family and my community have shared that I am an inspiration to them, and that my scholarly work has lasting impact. I stand on the shoulders of my parents, Ethel B. Davis and Ernest Davis, Sr., who did not have the educational opportunities I did. This is also true for many of the ancestors upon whose shoulders I stand today. I dedicate this award to my husband, Cedric Ennis, Sr., our children, parents, and ancestors.."
Ennis’ dissertation, “Yearning to Learn: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Black Engineering Students Deciding to Stay or Leave Engineering Majors,” grew out of her desire to center and understand Black students’ experiences in engineering. She studied Black students’ decisions to stay or leave their engineering majors at a Predominantly White Institution, revealing the complexities of why Black students choose to stay or leave. Ennis’ findings emphasize the importance of friendships with peers who lend both social and academic support. Her impressive and comprehensive research has earned her the 2022 Outstanding Graduate and Outstanding Dissertation Award by the School of Education faculty committee.
“This is a critical insight that engineering colleges can act upon, through community-building programs and interventions that help create space for supportive peer interactions,” her nominators shared. “No other study has undertaken such a comprehensive look at their experiences to develop and test conjectures of just why students stay or leave.”
Her experience in the doctoral program at CU Boulder has also benefited from the support of faculty and peers. She credits these supports, her faith, and stepping into her power with helping her through the program while balancing her career in engineering and the adversity she has faced in her academic, professional, and personal life. Not unlike the students’ experiences she documented in her research, community and support systems make all the difference.
“I had great PhD colleagues,” she said. “We enjoyed learning together and formed very strong friendships during our time together.”