Research, mentorship, support create the perfect ‘chemistry’ for grad student Onyeka Onyenemezu

“As an undergraduate, every scientific problem presented had an answer. You studied it, you solved it, you moved on. Working toward a Ph.D. is nothing like that,” says chemical engineering Ph.D. student and graduate research assistant Onyeka Onyenemezu. “You are functioning at the edge of what humanity knows, and there’s no answer key. You are, in your very specific niche, one of the few people in the world who can even formulate the right question. That shift in identity, from student to expert, is eye-opening.”

Helping Onyenemezu in that transformation is a supportive research group of fellow students, both graduate and undergraduate, and Cargill Professor in Chemical Engineering Laura Jarboe, her lab coordinator and faculty mentor. But Onyenemezu says that support extends far beyond the lab: “There’s something special about a department where you genuinely feel like all the faculty and staff are invested in your success. Knowing that there are people rooting for you gives you an extra push.”

Strong culture of solving real engineering challenges

“When I was exploring graduate programs, Iowa State’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering stood out immediately because of the caliber and direction of the research being done there,” Onyenemezu says. “The department has a strong culture of applying biological principles to solve real engineering challenges, which aligned perfectly with where I wanted to take my career.”

Onyenemezu’s research involves engineering microbes to better perform with industrial-level bioproduction – how to replace chemicals, fuels and other materials made from petroleum-derived products with ones that are bioengineered from things like plant biomass and agricultural waste. But there are challenges to overcome, like the need for microbes to be robust enough to withstand harsh processes in industry, such as high temperatures and acids. Her work centers on how to develop microbial strains that can withstand acids, with an emphasis on using computational methods.

All about the mentorship

Not only has Onyenemezu benefitted from mentorship, but she also gets to pay it forward to undergraduate students who work with her. “Mentoring undergraduate researchers is one of the things I find most rewarding about being in the lab,” she says. “We welcome undergrads into our research group, and I’ve had the privilege of working closely with several of them, on everything from experimental protocols and data collection to helping them understand the ‘why’ behind what they’re doing.

“There’s also something deeply meaningful about being the kind of mentor that I’ve been fortunate enough to have. Dr. Jarboe has modeled for me what it looks like to invest in people, and I try to bring that same intentionality to my work with the undergrads I mentor.”

She’s also president of the Graduate Society of Women Engineers (GradSWE) Iowa State chapter, which she calls “one of the most meaningful leadership experiences of my life.”

Onyenemezu will intern this summer with pharmaceutical firm Merck, applying biology processes to improve vaccine manufacturing.