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Charger Blogger Discusses Fueling Your Brain for Finals
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Kadmiel B. Adusei '20 M.S. was presented the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Anil Shah '86 M.S. received the Distinguished Lifetime Alumni Award, and RBC Bearings was presented with the Exemplary Partner Award.
November 12, 2024
When Kadmiel B. Adusei Ӱԭ20 M.S. left his native country of Ghana for the first time, he flew 4,900 miles to begin his masterӰԭs degree in environmental engineering at the University of New Haven. ӰԭI didnӰԭt know anybody in America,Ӱԭ he said. His welcome was warm, and when he began taking his classes, he said, ӰԭI knew I had come to the right place.Ӱԭ
Agamemnon Koutsospyros, Ph.D., professor emeritus, opened AduseiӰԭs eyes to the possibilities that lived in research. ӰԭHe talked with us about his research and how research was moving engineering and science forward,Ӱԭ said Adusei. ӰԭHe and my other professors showed me the beautiful way that research, academia, and industry are entwined.Ӱԭ
AduseiӰԭs plan was to work in industry after earning his masterӰԭs degree. At first, thatӰԭs what he did. He was a senior design technician with CPH Engineers, where he contributed to wastewater treatment plant renovations, and he was a staff engineer at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. In both positions, he found his colleagues turning to him with problems that needed solving, and heӰԭd delve in. ӰԭI realized what I wanted to be doing was research,Ӱԭ he said.
As a grad student, Adusei talked with Goli Nossoni, Ph.D. associate professor of civil engineering, about what was involved in applying for and pursuing a Ph.D. ӰԭShe spent so much time with me, explaining what I needed to do to be a strong candidate,Ӱԭ he said. He used that advice and applied.
Today, Adusei is pursuing his Ph.D. at George Mason University. His current doctoral research focuses on disinfectant byproducts and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) in drinking water. His work is supported by a National Science Foundation research grant.
His research could have health impacts as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Ӱԭsuggest associations between increases in exposure to (specific) PFAS and certain health effects, including increases in cholesterol levels, lower antibody response to some vaccines, changes in liver enzymes, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, small decreases in birth weight and kidney and testicular cancer.Ӱԭ
Last year, as a graduate assistant at George Mason, he taught a course in hydraulics. ӰԭI incorporated what my University of New Haven professors did in their classes Ӱԭ making sure every student was involved through a mix of hands-on activities and discussions, and encouraging them to always ask questions.Ӱԭ
In 2023, he won George MasonӰԭs College of Civil and Infrastructure EngineeringӰԭs Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant. He plans to seek a position in academia so he can continue to do research and teach. ӰԭI love both,Ӱԭ said Adusei, who has also co-founded a company that provides health and environmental solutions.
For his accomplishments, Adusei was recognized by the Tagliatela College of Engineering with its 2024 Outstanding Young Alumni Award. He was celebrated at the Tagliatela CollegeӰԭs biennial Hall of Fame event earlier this fall.
ӰԭHe has accomplished so much in such a short time and he is a great champion of our university,Ӱԭ said Ronald S. Harichandran, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, dean of the Tagliatela College of Engineering and vice provost for research. ӰԭWhen he was here, he was extremely active in promoting the University, organizing events, and supporting the dreams and goals of students in several African communities.Ӱԭ
As part of the Hall of Fame celebration, Anil Shah, '86 M.S., received the 2024 Distinguished Lifetime Alumni Award. A member of the UniversityӰԭs Board of Governors, Shah founded MRCC, an IT solutions and staffing firm in Billerica, Mass., with branches in India. Over 28 years, MRCC has completed 700 projects for clients, including General Electric, Goldman Sachs, MIT, and Harvard University.
ӰԭHe is a longtime friend of the college,Ӱԭ Harichandran said. ӰԭHe established an endowment to support graduate students in engineering and computer science, and he participates in outreach in India to recruit engineering students.Ӱԭ
RBC Bearings of Oxford received the Exemplary Partner Award. RBCӰԭs President and CEO is University alum Mike Hartnett Ӱԭ69 Ӱԭ08 Hon.. ӰԭMike and RBC have funded scholarships, building projects, and academic-excellence initiatives at the University, sponsoring senior design projects in mechanical engineering since 2009,Ӱԭ Harichandran said. An entire table at the awards dinner was filled with Tagliatela College of Engineering alumni now working for RBC Bearings.
At the event, Dean Harichandran highlighted the Tagliatela CollegeӰԭs successes and growth, with nearly 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students currently pursuing engineering degrees. He noted that federal grants secured by faculty rose from $190,000 a decade ago to $2.75 million in the last fiscal year. ӰԭWe now have three National Science Foundation CAREER Award winners in the college,Ӱԭ he said. ӰԭThis is the most prestigious award given by NSF to early career faculty.Ӱԭ
Dean Harichandran attributes this success to Ӱԭthe passion of the faculty and the expectations of excellence we set for them,Ӱԭ he said. ӰԭThe students who come to us are really hands on and driven. They are strong students, and they work hard.Ӱԭ
Adusei the Young Alumni Award recipient said he was thrilled to be recognized and to be back on campus. ӰԭI was incredibly humbled and honored,Ӱԭ he said. ӰԭIt was like stepping back home. I didnӰԭt want to leave.Ӱԭ
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