Winston Wole Soboyejo

Winston Wole Soboyejo commonly known as "Wole" is an American Scientist of Yoruba Nigerian parentage.[1] He is a materials scientist whose research focuses on biomaterials and the use of nanoparticles for the detection and treatment of disease, the mechanical properties of materials, and the use of materials science to promote global development.[2] He was appointed President at SUNY Polytechnic Institute and began his service on October 2, 2023.[3]

Winston Wole Soboyejo
Soboyejo in 2008
President of SUNY Polytechnic Institute
In office
October 2, 2023 – Present
Preceded byAndrew Russell
Personal details
Born1964 (age 58–59)
Palo Alto, California
Alma materKing's College London
Churchill College, Cambridge
Scientific career
FieldsMaterials science
Institutions
ThesisThe Propagation of Defects Under Fatigue Loading (1988)
Doctoral advisorJohn F. Knott

Early life and education

Wole was born in Palo Alto, California, USA in 1964. He moved to Nigeria with his family in 1965. Wole is the son of Professor Alfred Sobojeyo of the Ohio State University [4] and Anthonia Soboyejo. He was educated at King's College London (BS Mechanical Engineering, 1985) and Churchill College, Cambridge (PhD Materials Science and Metallurgy, 1988).[5]

Career

Wole returned to the United States in 1988 to become a research scientist at The McDonnell Douglas Research Labs in St. Louis, MO. In 1992, he worked briefly as a Principal Research Engineer at the Edison Welding Institute before joining the engineering faculty of The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. From 1997 to 1998, he was a visiting professor in the departments of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[6] He served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Secretary General of the United Nations [7] from 2014 to 2016. Dr. Soboyejo moved to Princeton University in 1999 where he served as a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and a professor in the Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM).[8]

He also served as the director of the U.S./Africa Materials Institute (USAMI), one of six international materials institutes supported by the National Science Foundation, and the Director of the Materials Undergraduate Research Program in PRISM.[9]

Between 2012 and 2014, Soboyejo served as president and provost of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Abuja, Nigeria. AUST is a Pan-African university founded by the Nelson Mandela Institutions (NMI). Soboyejo has also served as the chair of the African Scientific Committee of the NMI.[10] In September 2016, Wole joined the faculty and administration at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) where he served as the Bernard M. Gordon Dean of Engineering and Professor of Engineering Leadership,[9] prior to being named Senior Vice President and Provost.

His research focuses on materials for health, energy and the environment. His current projects include the use of nanomaterials for targeting and treating cancer; a shear assay technique that may be able to measure the mechanical properties of organelles in the cell; the development of low cost solar cells/light emitting devices; and sustainable approaches to providing clean water, affordable housing and education to people in the developing world.[11]

In 2021, he was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for contributions to understanding dynamic behavior of materials and for leadership in STEM outreach in Africa.[12]

References
  1. Parker, Hilary (February 26, 2007). "Soboyejo tackles problems, inspires students". Princeton Weekly Bulletin. Vol. 96, no. 17. Princeton University.
  2. "Provost WInston Soboyejo - Faculty profile". WPI. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  3. "SUNY Board of Trustees and Chancellor King Announce Appointment of Dr. Winston Oluwole Soboyejo as President of SUNY Polytechnic Institute". suny.edu. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  4. Chris Emery (July 2, 2009). "Homeward bound: Princeton engineers promote science in their native countries". Princeton University. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  5. "wsoboyejo". WPI. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  6. Ronald H. Bayor (2011). Multicultural America: An Encyclopedia of the Newest Americans. ABC-CLIO. p. 1642. ISBN 978-0-313-3578-62.
  7. "Wole Soboyejo: President of the Scientific Advisory Board of the United Nations Secretary-General". UNESCO. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  8. "Renowned Materials Scientist Winston Oluwole Soboyejo Named Bernard M. Gordon Dean of Engineering at WPI". WPI. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  9. "Renowned Materials Scientist Winston Oluwole Soboyejo Named Bernard M. Gordon Dean of Engineering at WPI". WPI. July 28, 2016. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  10. "Winston (Wole) Oluwole Soboyejo – Soboyejo Research Group". wp.wpi.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  11. "Winston Wole SOBOYEJO-Speakers-Boao Forum for Asia". Boao Forum for Asia. 2019-03-16. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  12. "Professor Winston O. Soboyejo". National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
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