He received his B.S. in metallurgical and materials engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso, his M.S. in metallurgical engineering from the University of Utah, and his Ph.D. in engineering education from Utah State University. Prior to working as an assistant professor, he worked at Tinker Air Force Base as a materials engineer and at FLSmidth Minerals as a project engineer. A former Gates Millennium Scholar and CADRE Fellow, Mejia has participated in different outreach programs to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals. His current research focuses on how Latino adolescents use engineering design processes to solve community-based projects, and how their household bodies of knowledge and social practices connect to engineering.