Mercy Akinyemi Leverages AI and Autonomous Vehicle Research to Launch Career

For Alabama A&M University senior Mercy Akinyemi, the journey of conducting robotics research, securing a software engineering position at one of the world's leading technology companies is becoming a reality before she even graduates.

The computer science major from Ogun State, Nigeria, has accepted a full-time position with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. The opportunity follows two competitive summer internships at the technology giant's Menlo Park, California, offices, where she gained hands-on experience developing software for products used around the world.

Akinyemi, who will graduate in May 2027, expects to begin her new role in the San Francisco Bay Area in late June.

Her achievement reflects years of academic preparation, undergraduate research and a growing passion for artificial intelligence, robotics and software development at Alabama A&M.

Inside an AAMU robotics laboratory, Akinyemi is developing a multi-vehicle autonomous driving system using Quanser QCar research vehicles, scaled robotic cars equipped with sensors and onboard computing capabilities.

Her earlier work focused on autonomous navigation, incorporating computer vision, LiDAR-based perception, and control systems to enable vehicles to follow lanes, detect obstacles, and regulate their movements. Building on that foundation, she is now developing a multi-vehicle system that explores how autonomous vehicles can follow predefined routes, communicate with a centralized intersection management system, and coordinate their movements to avoid conflicts.

By experimenting with scaled autonomous vehicles in a controlled physical environment, her work provides an opportunity to investigate challenges relevant to real-world autonomous transportation, including traffic coordination, navigation, and vehicle safety.

In simple terms, she's exploring how autonomous vehicles can safely share the road.

Her introduction to robotics began during her sophomore year when Professor Yujian Fu shared a research opportunity with students in one of her classes.

Intrigued by the opportunity, Akinyemi began working with a programmable humanoid robot, using programming to control its movements and responses to commands. The experience introduced her to robotics and laid the groundwork for her transition into autonomous vehicle research during her junior year.

Now a senior, Akinyemi continues advancing her autonomous vehicle research while preparing for the next chapter of her career in software engineering.

Alongside her academic research, Akinyemi gained valuable industry experience through software engineering internships at Meta's Menlo Park offices during the summers of 2025 and 2026. Her work included contributing to mobile application features, developing engineering tools, and collaborating with engineers on software used by people around the world. During her 2026 internship, she was also part of a team that earned second place in Meta's intern hackathon.

“I really enjoy turning ideas into something useful through coding,” Akinyemi said. “During my internships, I had opportunities to put that passion into action through projects with real-world impact.”

She particularly appreciated Meta's emphasis on creativity, problem-solving, and the opportunity for engineers to take ownership of their work.

“Meta gives you an opportunity to take initiative,” she said.

The internship experience ultimately led to an offer for a permanent position. After completing her second internship, Akinyemi received a call from her recruiter with the news she had been hoping to hear.

The opportunity represents an important milestone for Akinyemi, whose family remains largely in Nigeria. Her journey to Alabama A&M began with a college preparation program in her home country that helped students pursue higher education opportunities abroad.

After applying to several institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities, she chose Alabama A&M after receiving a full scholarship.

Since arriving on The Hill, Akinyemi has demonstrated academic excellence while actively pursuing research and leadership opportunities. A Presidential Scholar with a 4.0 GPA, she has earned multiple academic honors while balancing her coursework, undergraduate research, and student leadership.

Akinyemi also served as lead author of “Sensor Fusion Architecture in Self-Driving Cars,” a research paper accepted at the 16^th IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC 2026). She presented her findings at the conference, highlighting how combining data from multiple sensors can improve the perception, reliability, and safety of autonomous driving systems.

Akinyemi has remained actively involved in student organizations. She currently serves as operations manager on the executive board of the campus Google Developer Group and is a member of the International Students Association and the University’s Honors Program.

She previously served as vice chair of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) student chapter and as social media manager for the Google Developer Group.

Through those experiences, she has built relationships and developed skills that extend beyond the classroom, complementing her technical preparation for a career in software engineering.

Although her next chapter will take her across the country, Akinyemi said the relationships she has built at Alabama A&M will remain among her most meaningful college experiences. She hopes to return for homecoming and other campus events after graduation.

“I've built a second family here,” she said. “What I'll miss most is seeing the familiar faces and being surrounded by the friends and loved ones I've grown close to. Moving somewhere new means starting over and building those connections again, but the relationships I've formed here will always mean a lot to me.”