Dr. Ashish Borgaonkar currently works as an Assistant Professor of Engineering Education at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). His primary research focuses on promoting and increasing diversity in STEM education and the workforce. He has received multiple grants to run research and experiential learning-based student academic enrichment programs as well as workforce development training programs to train underrepresented minority and first-generation students. In addition, he has also been involved in sponsored research projects in water and wastewater treatment, waste management, transportation, and stormwater management. He is the Founding Director of NJIT's Grand Challenges Scholars Program endorsed by the National Academy of Engineering. He has also worked on several research projects, programs, and initiatives to help students bridge the gap between high school and college as well as to prepare students for the rigors of mathematics. He has developed and taught several engineering courses, primarily in first-year engineering, civil and environmental engineering, and general/interdisciplinary engineering. He has won multiple awards for excellence in instruction; most recently, the NJIT Nexus of Excellence Award in the category of Excellence in Lower-Division Undergraduate Instruction and the Saul K. Fenster Award for Innovation in Engineering Education.
