Najma Akpanoko

Najma Akpanoko is a PhD candidate in civil and environmental engineering at Vanderbilt University. Her research explores how wearable technology, particularly smartwatches, can monitor physiological responses and predict heat stress among individuals in high-risk, non-occupational activities, as well as workers in vulnerable environments such as construction, maintenance, and maritime operations. This predictive system incorporates a feedback loop featuring a supervisor-level dashboard to help employers monitor worker heat risks, alongside a mobile application that workers can use to track their own safety metrics. Throughout her doctoral journey, Akpanoko has earned numerous honors, including the Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship, the William (Bill) Averette Anderson Fund Fellowship, and her Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associate certification. She was also selected for the NSF-funded Climate Leaders Academy, where she presented her team’s climate risk research at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai. Alongside her studies, Akpanoko serves as a Design-Build Construction Project Manager Co-Op at ARCO Design/Build, the nation's top builder of industrial warehouses and distribution centers. In this role, she orchestrates the entire construction lifecycle for multi-million-dollar projects, including a Massachusetts self-storage facility and a South Carolina warehouse. She holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor's degree in physics from Spelman College. Prior to pursuing her doctorate, Akpanoko was a Supply Chain Manager at Procter & Gamble, where she directed the entire North American supply chain for Always Liners and successfully reduced non-performing inventory by $4.68 million. Ultimately, Akpanoko blends deep technical expertise with operational strategy to drive high-impact results.