PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas ( May 5, 2022) Working with a mentor in the RISE Undergraduate Research program positively impacted the academic experience, professional development, and life of Utomwen David Irabor, a graduating senior studying Chemical Engineering at the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU).
Irabor is a student researcher in the PVAMU Faculty Research & Innovation for Scholarly Excellence (RISE) program. The program enables faculty researchers to expand and sustain their research through external grants and contracts while mentoring undergraduate students to become the next generation of experts. Faculty members serve as research mentors for students.
Nabila Shamim, Ph.D. assistant professor of chemical engineering, has served as the RISE mentor for Irabor since 2019.
Utomwen David Irabor Faculty RISE Undergraduate Program
“I take in pride stating David’s outstanding research under the faculty rise program. Utomwen David Irabor is a highly motivated student and demonstrated strong persistence through the obstacles that often arise in open-ended research projects. Under my direct supervision, David showed excellent research diligence and ingenuity in the timely research to improve the thermal efficiency of the non-surgical masks using nanofibers. He is an excellent researcher and will make Prairie View proud,” said Shamim.
Working as a research assistant reinforced lessons Irabor learned in class with real-world implementation. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he conducted research to help consumers select the best mask to use.
“An excellent example is the use of the Heat Transfer equation – a phenomenon that I studied in a class called Heat, Mass, and Momentum Transport,” said Irabor. “Dr. Shamim and I used this equation in our project on the heat transfer between the mechanisms of commercially used facemasks.”
Irabor’s shared that the RISE program “positions you to receive ‘VIP’ seats to academic prowess in college, exposure to companies looking to invest in bright students, and chances to represent the university on out-of-school ventures.” He believes the RISE experience with Dr. Shamim as a mentor prepared him to be successful while working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the summer of 2021.
Irabor was part of a team of six at NASA that helped develop impact attenuated paddings for NASA’s Artemis-tailored extravehicular activity space suit. Irabor worked in a research laboratory at NASA and spent countless hours presenting research results. The experience bolstered his confidence and abilities in public speaking and report composition.
If students are offered the opportunity to participate in the RISE program, Irabor stated, “I strongly advise students to give the program a try. Enter the program with the intention of gaining new insight.”
Irabor’s journey after matriculation of his degree will continue with an upcoming role as supply chain lead with PepsiCo in the greater Houston area. He believes that the training and exposure to collaborative environments in the RISE program will help him thrive in a professional environment.
The RISE program delivered a full spectrum of opportunities for Irabor. The experience provided academic reinforcement, networking, and diverse collaboration experiences while challenging him to excel.
“I want to thank Dr. Nabila Shamim, Dr. Grace Abolaji, Dr. Magesh Rajan, vice president for Research & Innovation, and the Division of Research and Innovation for the opportunity to participate in the RISE-Undergraduate Research program at Prairie View,” said Irabor.
Karen B. Cotton, MS, MA