Nabiha Alam

Nabiha Alam’s pathway to engineering was first sparked in the fourth grade with a simple challenge involving a battery, a wire and a small light bulb.

In her studies in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, that early curiosity flourished into experiences grounded in both technical skill and persistence. 

On campus, Alam immersed herself in hands-on learning opportunities. Working in the ASU Luminosity Lab, she led multiple projects tackling real-world problems. Alam guided the redesign of a lock to reduce bike theft on campus and led the development of a comprehensive sexual education app aimed at improving access to accurate information for Arizona youth. 

Her most technically demanding experience came working on Project PEPPER, in which she collaborated on electrical systems for a hydroponic plant growth system intended for the International Space Station, addressing challenges with water in microgravity.

“I spent two years on that project, and it pushed me more than anything else,” she says. “The problem was incredibly complex and it forced me to think in a much deeper, more interdisciplinary way.”

Leadership and service were equally central to her pursuits at ASU. Through Engineering Projects in Community Service opportunities, she contributed to community-focused projects, including researching energy solutions for a school in Vietnam and designing an obstacle course for Prescott Pines Camp in Arizona.

Alam served two years as a Fulton Ambassador on the executive board as a special events director and the logistics director. As a peer lead in the Fulton Accelerated Community Engagement program, she facilitated workshops and events, supporting first‑year engineering students, and working with university leadership — experiences that strengthened her communication and mentorship skills.

Her journey was not without obstacles. As a first-generation college student balancing multiple jobs, she faced financial strain and academic setbacks. But those challenges only strengthened her persistence.

“The accomplishment I’m most proud of is graduating,” she says. “It represents working through adversity and overcoming cultural stereotypes, academic setbacks and financial obstacles. Earning this degree and stepping into this field is a way of proving that women from backgrounds like mine can break cycles, rewrite expectations and build futures that weren’t offered to us.”

After graduation, Alam will stay in Tempe and work as an electrical engineer at WSP, where she aims to build career experience in power and mission critical systems. Charged by her experiences at ASU, she says she is ready to design the kinds of systems that quietly power modern life.

Favorites

Hobby: Painting and video editing
Game: Hollow Knight 
TV show: Survivor
Performer: Jordan Ward 
Activity: Badminton

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2026 class.

Written by AJ Montes