MSU chemistry Ph.D. student earns competitive grant to continue sustainable science research

STARKVILLE, Miss.— Mississippi State University chemistry Ph.D. student Chibuike Onyeogulu has received a Sustainable Future Grants student travel award from the American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute to attend the Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference (GC&E), one of the field’s premier international gatherings focused on sustainable science. The conference will be held this summer in San Antonio, Texas. 

The $1,250 award supports Onyeogulu’s participation in the conference and provides access to extensive student programming, leadership development, research presentation and communication opportunities. Eligibility for the competitive grant is limited to a select group of students, including previous ACS Green Chemistry Institute Summer School participants. Onyeogulu was among only 60 students worldwide chosen to attend the institute’s Green and Sustainable Chemistry Summer School last summer.

Sponsored by the ACS Green Chemistry Institute and the ACS Office of Sustainability, the Sustainable Future Grants Program is designed to empower students and early-career scholars who demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainable chemistry through research, leadership and community engagement.

For Onyeogulu, the opportunity represents both personal and professional affirmation. “Attending the Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference feels like finding my scientific home,” he said. “It is an opportunity to deepen my understanding of sustainable chemical design and strengthen the foundation of my Ph.D. research.”

Onyeogulu’s doctoral work focuses on developing analytical methods for real-time, in-process monitoring of ionic liquid species in the environment. He said exposure to systems-level thinking and practical assessment tools at GC&E will allow him to apply new approaches directly to his research and future innovations.

Looking ahead to a career in research and development, Onyeogulu said the conference also will help shape how he approaches sustainability beyond academia. “This experience will equip me with practical tools and ways of thinking that I can carry into industry, where adhering to green chemistry principles is essential,” he said.

Onyeogulu’s advisor, Amanda Patrick, an associate professor of chemistry, said the award reflects Onyeogulu’s dedication to sustainable research and professional development.

“This grant provides Chibuike an unmatched opportunity to network with fellow scientists and present research conducted at MSU to an international audience. It is also a recognition of his growing impact as an emerging scholar in the areas of green chemistry and sustainability,” Patrick said. 

The American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute advances the adoption of green chemistry and engineering principles across academia, industry and government to support a more sustainable future through education, research and global collaboration. For more information, visit https://www.gcande.org/funding/#student. 

For more information about MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Chemistry, visit www.cas.msstate.edu and www.chemistry.msstate.edu.

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.