Baraka Lwoya's picture

Baraka
Lwoya

  • New Mexico State University Main Campus ( July-2019 )
  • New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

About (Summary)

As a member of the United State Army, I have endured both the mental and physical challenges to protect and serve our beloved nation. While performing my duties as a combat engineer, I continuously use several engineering skills to construct fighting positions, place and detonate explosives, and finally detect mines. Despite this job being tedious, my background knowledge in chemical engineering has tremendously assisted me, especially while serving in hostile environments. Since beginning my studies in engineering, I have developed a sense of hard work and tolerance for pressure. As a Ph.D. student, my research expertise focuses on synthesizing and developing novel polymers to be used in oil-water separation, nanoelectronic templates, thin films for solar cells.

Education

Tulane University
Chemical engineering
2016 to 2019
New Mexico State University
Chemical engineering
2009 to 2013

Your Major

Chemical engineering

Language Proficiency

English (US)
Advanced
Kiswahili
Advanced

Honors and Awards

Recipient of Latimer R. Evans Centennial Scholarship in Organic Chemistry
Click to edit honor descriptionScholarship in honoring top student in Organic chemistry
Recipient of Water Fellowship, Mexico State University’s Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE)
Fellowship to indertake research on how produced water from oil rigs could be recycled and used for beneficial uses.
Recipient of Young Ambassador Award from Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico
Recipient of National Society Black Engineers (NSBE) Board of Corporate Affiliates Award
Recipient of Tulane University Best Poster Award Occupation Issuer Tulane University Date MonthYear Description SaveCancelRemove this honor or award

Grad School Interests

As a Ph.D. student, my research expertise focuses on developing novel polymeric material that can be utilized for nanoporous membranes and nano-lithographic template. Recently my advisor receiving funding from National Science Foundation, which we aim at using in studying novel materials for oil-spill remediation, and nanoelectronic devices. The novelty of our work is the focused on breaking the barriers of the nanotechnology size limitation (<20 nm) in computer chips, and use organic membranes for separating oil-water mixtures.

Intended Job Path

My career goal involves transitioning into a career in academia or industry with a great research emphasis on trying to solve the rampant issue of water contamination. Polymer membranes have demonstrated great promise as a means of water purification since the 1960s. The applied aspect of my current research involves utilizing nanoporous membranes for enhanced oil spill recovery. This project will tackle challenges such as tradeoffs between geometric constraints, selectivity, and mechanical durability, factors that still remain to be optimized among current membranes. In addition to solving these problems with our block copolymer system, this technology will be tailored for other applications in the future such as purifying produced water and decontaminating water streams.

Job Experience

Graduate research assistant
Tulane university
January, 2014 to December, 2019

Volunteering

Mentor
YMCA
February, 2016 to April, 2016
Mentor
STEM Nola
January, 2015 to January, 2019
Mentor and Treasurer
National Society of Black Engineer
January, 2010 to January, 2019
Member
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
January, 2009 to January, 2019

Hobbies

Soccer Basketball Reading science magazines' Hiking
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