Daberechi Emezue of Imo State in Nigeria recently graduated from the University of Lagos with First-Class honors in Mechanical Engineering – and a problem.
To be more competitive as an international student applying for graduate programs, he needed research experience. But those research opportunities have not traditionally been available to undergrads in Nigeria.
Enter Research Experience for Nigerian Engineering Undergraduates (RENEU), a distance learning research program that pairs Nigerian students with US-based faculty and post-doctoral or graduate student mentors to develop their own research projects and careers.
Created by UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering Asst. Prof. Chibueze Amanchukwu, the program is now in its second year. Although the pilot program last year involved only PME faculty and mentors, this year the program was broadened to include a number of research institutions, including Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Alabama.
“When the opportunity arose to work with world-class, reputable schools, I grasped it with both hands,” said Emezue, whose research focuses on using machine learning to discover better lithium metal battery electrolytes. “Sometimes it still feels surreal to say, ‘I did some research at the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering,’ given their well-known expertise in research.”
The 2024 cohort’s five students – selected from more than 70 applicants – presented their research findings on topics from machine learning to renewable energy storage to studying nanoscopic particles on Sept. 2 on the University of Lagos campus.
“Getting this research experience is like a launching pad for me,” said University of Ibadan Petroleum Engineering major Ubaydah Abdulwasiu, who presented on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of advanced electrochemical materials for energy storage and conversion. “It’s not just about contributing to my chosen field of interest early on; it’s also about making my grad school applications stand out when I apply to programs in the U.S.”
Global challenges, global talent
Amanchukwu created the program not just to help other Nigerian scientists overcome the research hurdles he faced early in his own career, but also to help developing nations grow their stake in global research on issues such as energy, climate change and public health.
“Grand global challenges require global approaches and global talent,” Amanchukwu said. “But a lack of resources has stymied the growth of research in Sub-Saharan Africa and prevented high-achieving Nigerian undergraduates from pursuing PhD at top U.S. research institutions. Providing opportunities for brilliant students who want a better world benefits us all.”
In addition to research guidance, PME staff led workshops on the soft skills needed to develop a career in science, on topics ranging from writing cover letters to communicating their research to a lay audience. The professional development group Savvy Afro SuccesS provided additional training sessions for the students.
“The workshops on topics like writing a Statement of Purpose and Recommendation Letters, along with improving my presentation skills, were incredibly valuable,” Abdulwasiu said. “They gave me the tools and confidence I needed to communicate my ideas clearly.”
“Every outreach program we develop takes a holistic approach to student support, feedback, and growth,” said PME Assistant Dean of Education and Outreach Laura Rico-Beck. “For mentored research experience programs like RENEU, this includes workshops on the graduate school application process, PhD career landscapes, and effective science communication, all of which allow students to develop their professional skills while making meaningful connections with a network of professionals that can support their academic journeys.”
‘Model of engagement’
University of Benin Chemical Engineering major Favour Ugbodu found the real-world, grounded focus of the program exciting, both for career development and for her research in using autoencoder neural networks to detect measurement anomalies from a solar inverter.
“I found solving a problem related to sustainable energy very intriguing,” Ugbodu said. “This program made me understand the real-world approach in applying machine learning to problems and it was exciting.”
Kate Moore, Senior Director, Global Initiatives and Strategy, for UChicago Global said the program laid the groundwork for future collaboration with scholars at leading institutions in Nigeria.
“The RENEU program is exemplary of UChicago Global’s efforts to advance the University’s strategic priorities abroad,” she said. “Supported by our annual seed funding for Sub-Saharan Africa, this program mobilized UChicago faculty to the region to engage in transformative research partnerships with emerging scholars and virtually connected students with a broad set of researchers and resources here on campus.”
“The RENEU program is a model of engagement we will share with stakeholders across campus,” she added.
For Emezue, the takeaway from his work with UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering faculty and postdocs was simpler.
“It has shown me what research in STEM looks like at the highest levels of academia,” he said.
RENEU is funded by UChicago Global and Amanchukwu’s own National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award and Department of Energy’s Early Career Award.