B.S. Management 
SUNY Buffalo 

Ed.M. Social Foundations of Education 
SUNY Buffalo 

Ph.D. Social Foundations of Education 
SUNY Buffalo

Dr. Sekayi's career in education began with teaching mathematics and science to elementary students at the Nile Valley Shule; an independent, African-centered school in Buffalo, New York. Dia went on to earn a Ph.D. in the Social Foundations of Education with foci on qualitative research and the sociology of education from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1996. Since then, Dia has held multiple full-time faculty positions, each with a focus on doctoral education.

Dia's most recent faculty position included the role of Assistant Director for Education in the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at the Georgia Institute of Technology; in this capacity she taught courses and provided individual mentorship to doctoral students in teaching and learning in higher education.

Dr. Sekayi joined Morgan State University in 2016 and is a Professor in the Urban Educational Leadership program. She has published books, articles, and book chapters in the social foundations of education and has made local, national, and international presentations related to qualitative research.

Research Interests:  

Doctoral student scholarly development, Qualitative Research, Intellectual humility

Selected Publications:  

Sekayi, D. (2025). Expressions of intellectual humility in doctoral education: the role of vulnerability, reciprocal respect, and the adoption of a self-as-learner role. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2025.2531116

Sekayi, D., Ellington, R., Welsh, B., Shockley, K.  (2021). The Role of intellectual humility in  dissertation completion. Teachers College Record,  Date Published: August 20, 2021,  https://www.tcrecord.org ID Number: 23818