It’s springtime at Drexel, and that means almost all green spaces are
occupied by students reading, socializing, or lounging in hammocks. It’s
Darrell Emake Mbeng Omo-Lamai's favorite time of the year in Philly – not
that he has much free time to spend hanging out on Lancaster Walk.
A busy BS/MS student majoring in Materials Science and Engineering,
Omo-Lamai has spent the past five years diving into everything the College
of Engineering has to offer. This past February, Omo-Lamai was recognized
with the
Outstanding BS/MS Student Award
for his work. He has focused his studies on blending materials science
applications with civic engagement, creating energy solutions that may allow
developing countries to thrive. Now, he’s rounding out his time at Drexel as
the College of Engineering’s Class of 2023 Commencement speaker before
pursuing a doctorate degree at Stanford.
When he came to Drexel from Lagos, Nigeria, Omo-Lamai had already developed
a fascination with renewable energy technologies. After spending a year at
Drexel, he developed an interest in the connections between materials and
how they can be applied to energy storage and decided to major in Materials
Science and Engineering. He quickly became heavily involved in the College’s
extracurricular groups, joining Engineers Without Borders and becoming the
President of Material Advantage, and participated in research with the
STAR scholars program
.
STAR scholars (Students Tackling Advanced Research) participate in research
alongside PhD students and experts and with Drexel’s VIP (
Vertically-Integrated Projects) program. The VIP
program allows students to work with a multidisciplinary group of students,
faculty, graduate and research staff. His first spring quarter was spent
working with
Richard Cairncross, PhD
, professor of chemical and biological engineering. Omo-Lamai spent the
summer between his freshman and sophomore years working with
Antonios Kontsos, PhD
, professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics. These programs
encouraged him to embrace the process of research and prepared him for
future co-ops.
“I thoroughly enjoyed having the ability to use the principles I was
acquiring through coursework to push the frontiers of humankind’s scientific
understanding in my own little way,” he said. “It was not always easy,
though. I had to learn that failure is an integral part of research that
must be confronted, but I think am much more resilient because of this.”
Omo-Lamai's three co-op experiences deepened his love of research. In
keeping with his community-focused mindset, his first co-op was with the
Philadelphia Water Department
, working with the city to test green stormwater infrastructure. These six
months not only affirmed his appreciation of public systems, but also piqued
his interest in data science. His remaining co-ops were working with
Drexel's
Materials Electrochemistry Group
with
Ekaterina Pomerantseva, PhD
, associate professor of materials science and engineering, to develop
materials that would improve battery functions and energy storage systems.
Co-op not only gave him an opportunity to work in fields aligned with his
values, he says, but they "were critical to my decision to pursue graduate
research after my degree at Drexel.”
After graduation, Omo-Lamai plans to continue his education at Stanford University, pursuing a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering. He is Drexel’s first recipient of a Knight-Hennessey Scholarship, which awards high-achieving students with full funding to pursue any graduate degree at Stanford. The program’s goal is to educate and prepare a diverse community of scholars for leadership roles in academia, industry, government, nonprofits, and the community at large.
Omo-Lamai came to Philadelphia as a
Drexel Global Scholar
, a program welcoming exceptional international first-year applicants from
over 40 countries. By harnessing Drexel’s many resources, he was able to
excel in his field and make an impact on the Philadelphian research
community.
“Receiving the Drexel Global Scholarship to study here tuition-free was
life-changing to start with, but beyond this, a significant fraction of my
current interests – from my curiosity about structure-property relationships
in materials to my liking of radio and podcasts – are rooted in
opportunities that I was granted through Drexel. Through my time here, I
wasn’t only pushed to learn new things; I was also given a multitude of
platforms to do so.”