Tonya Nicole Saddler, Ph.D. is Senior Research Associate in the Civil Engineering Department at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Saddler's research centers on faculty work-life issues, including tenure, promotion, and effective strategies for recruiting and retaining faculty members of color. Her special research interests include the socialization of doctoral students to faculty careers in education and STEM fields and undergraduate students to research, particularly undergraduate students of color.  Dr. Saddler is an active member of the American Educational Research Association (AERA-Division J), the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), and the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), serving as conference presenter, proposal reviewer, and session chair during annual meetings. Dr. Saddler has presented several papers at national and regional conferences.

Dr. Saddler earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&TSU), a M.S. in Counselor Education from NCA&TSU, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (Higher Education program) from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).