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M. Letitia Hubbard G
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Instructor of engineering and mentorship research, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
etitia Hubbard embodies a blend of academic
prowess and unwavering dedication to STEM education, combining her expertise with a relentless passion for nurturing young minds. “She engages with students and colleagues daily and champions the skills necessary for all students to see themselves as engineers and researchers,” says Katie O’Connor, provost and vice chancellor of academic programs at North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. “Not only does she exceed expectations in the classroom, she does it with incredible integrity and professionalism.” Born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, Letitia’s journey into the world of engineering and academia was set in motion early on. “I have always been interested in science, even as a child,” Letitia says. Her formative years in a four-year pre-engineering magnet program at her high school helped set the foundation for the trajectory that lay ahead. She moved to Durham in 2004 and attended Duke University for her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, graduating in 2010. After also completing her postdoctoral at Duke, she began to think about next steps. “I spent a lot of time working with students as a teaching assistant at both the undergraduate level and at the K-12 level [while] at Duke,” Letitia says. “When I came across the job posting at NCSSM for an engineering and research instructor, I did not know much about NCSSM, but it seemed like the perfect fit for me. I love to work with students early in their career trajectories, challenge them and open their eyes to the many possibilities in STEM that they may have never even considered.”
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Make a difference in your sphere of influence, and your influence may extend further than you ever thought possible. Doing small things with extraordinary passion helps small things to become extraordinary things. – M. Letitia Hubbard
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Her nearly nine-year tenure at NCSSM bears witness to a litany of transformative initiatives, from helping to develop the school’s online biomedical engineering course to spearheading groundbreaking research projects – like in 2020, when her team of students and faculty developed an app that used artificial intelligence to discriminate between recyclables and non-recyclables in order to prevent recycling contamination for the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. The project was selected among five national winners, and the accolade came with a $100,000 prize for NCSSM. “Given my early experiences attending a preengineering magnet program in high school, WHAT AN working at HONOR G NCSSM in Letitia made history in 2022 when she an engineering was named a Faculty Fellow by the University of North Carolina System’s department Division of Academic Affairs – a first has been truly for any NCSSM faculty member. It’s “a competitive process, and one that a full-circle denotes her exceptional impact on moment,” others,” Katie says. Letitia says. “Her impact on students goes far beyond the classroom,” Katie adds. “She continues giving as a teacher in NCSSM’s summer programs, specifically the Step Up to STEM and the Eastern North Carolina STEM programs, to help ensure equal opportunity for students across North Carolina. I am equally impressed by the time and effort she dedicates as a faculty advisor to the National Society of Black Engineers Jr. club.” Letitia strives to foster a vibrant culture of innovation, inquiry and inclusivity, and encourages all who are interested in STEM – but women and underrepresented minorities in particular – to stay the course, even if the road ahead seems rough. “Don’t be afraid to try hard things even if you are not good at it at first,” Letitia says. “It can be easy to get discouraged and isolated. … This is compounded for those who cross boundaries and have many different lived experiences and often feel as though they don’t fit in anywhere. It is important … to have good role models who can provide motivation and insight into how to be successful in a STEM field and how to carve out unique opportunities to make an impact.” Luckily for NCSSM’s engineering students, they don’t have to look far to find one. – by Ryan Christiano
“It is an honor to work at a high school with a reputation for excellence,” Letitia says of NCSSM, which was recently named the No. 1 college prep public high school as well as the No. 2 best public high school in the nation by ranking and review site Niche.com.