Herff College of Engineering alum Ashely Woodall isn't just mentoring the next generation of engineers. She's teaching them as an adjunct professor, bringing her engineering education full circle.
September 28, 2026
Flintco scheduling manager and Herff College of Engineering alumna Ashley Woodall is no stranger to giving back to her alma mater. From representing Flintco at Herff’s Career Fairs to serving as an advisor for her former sorority, Woodall has always been passionate about helping the next generation of engineers.
In Fall 2026, she took that support to the next level by accepting a position as an adjunct professor in Engineering Technology.
“I prefer to give back a lot. So, I do still do a lot of community service when I have time. Teaching for me is another way for me to provide everything that I’ve learned over the years and share that with other students, especially Black students and Black girls, because there’s not that many Black women in engineering roles,” Woodall said.
Alongside Professor Rajesh Balasubramanian, Woodall teaches Engineering Technology 3440, Project Plan and Cost Evaluation. Part of her role involves building PowerPoint presentations for online lectures. It’s a subject and a task with which Woodall has much experience.
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At Flintco, Woodall ensures the projects she oversees progress smoothly and on time, including the construction of two 15-foot towers for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She also provides scheduling and software training for project managers, superintendents and project engineers. Her full-time jobs gave her not only the real-world experience she now teaches Herff’s students but also experience in how to educate.
“I’m really comfortable with what I know and I do feel really confident with teaching the software to all of my peers. I definitely developed a lot of patience through that process, and I’ve been doing this training since I started with Flintco and I help develop and create the training,” Woodall said.
Woodall’s been in the construction industry for seven years, including four with Flintco. She met her first employer at a Herff College of Engineering career fair and became a full-time employee immediately after graduation. She’s passionate about the construction industry but believes that the next chapter of her career may lie in another one of her passions – giving back to students.
“I love what I do. I love the construction industry and I do plan to stay with my company for at least another 10 years. But I do have the desire to be a professor. I want to teach,” Woodall said.
Woodall didn’t consider engineering as a career path until she saw her cousin working out a formula on Snapchat one day.
“I called him as soon as I saw it and was like, ‘There’s no way you’re that smart. I know you. You’re cheating.’ And then he was like, ‘No, I really studied.’ And we had a serious conversation about it,” Woodall said.
Inspired, she enrolled in the Herff College of Engineering Department of Engineering Technology, where she got her bachelor’s degree and then, unbeknownst to her family at the time, her master’s degree.
“I also want to help with retention in a way because I feel like when I was at Herff I was lucky enough to be surrounded by a lot of peers. I was very involved, and that helped me keep going in engineering technology. So, I just want to be able to provide that for someone in any capacity that I can. I hope students look at me and say, “I know Ashely. She’s been in the industry. She’s an engineering tech major. She has her bachelor’s and master’s in ET.’ And be someone that they can lean towards and get support from while they pursue their studies,” Woodall said.
During her first class as an adjunct professor, Woodall is mainly assisting Balasubramanian and gaining experience in areas like reviewing material, dealing with students, and grading papers.
“I do see myself being a full-time professor and this is a path for me to get there, to slowly transition out of industry and into that role,” Woodall said.
When she is the one standing in front of the class, she hopes other Black women in those seats see her as a symbol of the paths available to them. In Woodall’s case, that road took her to the Navy, up the ladder in the construction industry and will, perhaps one day, put her back where it all started to instruct the next generation.
“There aren’t many Black women in the construction industry, period,” Woodall said. “So, for anyone who looks like me, who has a desire to go down the same path I went down, I want to be someone they can go to for questions or any type of concern because sometimes being the only one in the room is difficult. I want to be an example for Black girls and Black women who feel like society always put them in a box and let them know that they can knock down those walls and create their own lane. I never wanted to be told that just because I grew up in South Memphis I had to become a forklift driver or anything like that.”
Unapologetically, Woodall continues to reach her goals and show others what’s possible.
“I don’t feel like I’ve ever tried to fit in, really,” Woodall said. “I feel like I stand out in any environment or in any room. I’m covered in tattoos. A lot of people say, ‘Oh, you’ll never get a good job.’ And here I am, working for Flintco, and I have a really good job. I have two really good jobs, technically, now. So, my tattoos don’t impact my work performance. So, don’t listen to what people say. If there’s something you want to pursue, if you have a goal in mind, work toward it and just keep going. Don’t let people put you in a box. That’s my biggest why. I never let anyone put me in a box.”