Eight University of Houston students – all from the Cullen College of Engineering and the Honors College – won 2019 DAAD RISE research scholarships and an opportunity to work at top German universities and research institutions this summer.

Student Spotlight

Almost everyone has heard the advice “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” at some point in their life. But Esther Akinwande, a chemical engineering junior at the UH Cullen College of Engineering, took its wisdom to heart and is now reaping the benefits.

A multitude of everyday products – ranging from cosmetics and shampoo to computers and furniture – are made of composite materials. Composites are made by combining two or more natural or artificial elements, with the result being significantly different and often stronger than the original materials. Intrigued by the potential and properties of composites, Ali Slim chose to pursue a Ph.D.

For ten weeks during the summer, 12 undergraduate students from across the country are getting the chance of a lifetime on the UH campus, becoming engineering researchers in the Cullen College’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU).

The University of Houston-Materials Research Society Chapter (UH-MRS) hosted its first student symposium in the main lobby of engineering building 1. At the symposium students presented their work to an esteemed crowd of professional members across various engineering and science disciplines at UH. The 40 presenters came from different departments including chemistry, physics; and chemical, mechanical, materials and electrical engineering.

UH-MRS winners are:

Ryan Poling-Skutvik, a Ph.D. candidate in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the Cullen College, took first place in the graduate student poster competition at the Society of Rheology Conference in Tampa, Florida.

Poling-Skutvik presented research on understanding the behavior of nanocomposite materials. Nanocomposites are materials that combine nanoparticles with polymers.

Significant Figures: A reflection on the film ‘Hidden Figures’ by an engineering student who hides her figure

When Jameel Jordan became a petroleum engineering student at the Cullen College he never dreamed he'd also become a mentor to third graders.

“It never crossed my mind,” said Jordan.

But the opportunity found him when he learned of iEducate, a group that pays you to share your knowledge of STEM courses (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) with students in Houston’s underserved communities.

It seemed a good fit. Turns out it was perfect.

Aside from attaining knowledge itself, most students attend college to find a path forward in their lives, searching for a career that suits them. At the Engineering Career Fair, that job is made easier as company representatives from the Houston area drop in to offer opportunities, mentor students and share stories of how they went from being a college student to a company employee.