This spring, the Board of Governors at Missouri State University honored six employees for their exemplary commitment to the university’s public affairs mission.

One of the recipients of the prestigious Board of Governors’ Excellence in Public Affairs Award was Dr. Tayo Obafemi-Ajayi. She is an associate professor in the cooperative engineering program.

The award comes with $1,500 for research, personal growth or projects that strengthen recipients’ public affairs efforts on campus.

Purpose though public affairs

Obafemi-Ajayi advances artificial intelligence in biomedical research while mentoring female and underrepresented minorities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

For Obafemi-Ajayi, the award is a personal honor and reminder of why she teaches.

“I’m very thankful for the university’s public affairs component,” she said. “It’s a unique aspect that prepares students to be relevant in society.”

She credits Dr. Jorge Rebaza-Vasquez, associate dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS), for presenting to her students about the public affairs mission during a Missouri Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (MoLSAMP) scholars event in fall 2020.

Now, she helps students serve others through advising and tutoring.

“I’m proud to watch older students step up to mentor the younger ones,” she said.

Engaged in mentorship

Aside from engineering, Obafemi-Ajayi teaches her students to lead, care and engage.

While she was studying at Illinois Institute of Technology, she participated in its LSAMP program. This National Science Foundation (NSF) program supports underrepresented students in STEM through academic, research and career development opportunities.

“The program helped me get involved in research, gave me the desire to become a professor and make the decision to attend graduate school,” she said.

At Missouri State, she has helped grow the MoLSAMP program on campus. She works with students to create a supportive organization and build a strong STEM pipeline.

Although MoLSAMP recently lost its NSF funding, Obafemi-Ajayi is staying hopeful and working on new ways to support students.

“I hope to inspire students to do their best, have a voice and give back,” she said.

Learn more about cooperative engineering