Glamtush reports that a Nigerian woman, Oluwami Dosunmu-Ogunbi, has made history as the first black woman to bag a PhD in Robotics at the University of Michigan in the United States.
Speaking at the university’s College of Engineering convocation, Dosunmu-Ogunbi, a daughter of Nigerian immigrants, spoke on the support she received in realising her aspirations.
She said, “I do not stand here on my own two feet alone. None of us got here by our individual merit alone, whether it be teacher, friends, family, mentors, or role models, we each have one or multiple people to whom we are grateful for making this moment possible.”
She added that she wants to be remembered as the University of Michigan’s first black woman to get a PhD in Robotics and she wants to use her knowledge in engineering to improve the lives of others.
She added, “A Michigan Engineer is one who does not just provide scientific and technological leadership, but is also one who is intellectually curious, socially conscious, creates collaborative solutions to societal problems, and promotes an inclusive and innovative community of service for the common good.
“We each have a solemn duty to make positive contributions to the world. Well, my reasons for becoming an engineer were initially frivolous, but they eventually moved into something more meaningful. I want to have a positive impact on the world.”
The University of Michigan Robotics Department website describes Dosunmu-Ogunbi’s journey as one shared by many PhD students who initially lack a clear vision for their final goals.
It added that Dosunmu-Ogunbi has been an active community builder in robotics, earning an MLK Spirit Award from the College of Engineering for mentoring and inspiration as well as being named an outreach ambassador by Robotics for three years, 2021–2023.
The Department also disclosed that she was named a runner-up in the College of Engineering’s three–minute thesis competition and has been inducted into the Bouchet Society, which recognises outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity in graduate education and the professoriate.
Dosunmu-Ogunbi is currently interviewing for faculty positions, the department revealed.
In her website, Dosunmu-Ogunjobi revealed several achievements in her academic journey at the university which included saying, “I was awarded the Intersectional Advocacy Award in recognition for my dedication to honoring and advocating for the intersectional nature of students’ many identities through involvement and activities.”
She also wrote in one of the posts, “I spoke at the College of Engineering Graduate Student Commencement at the University of Michigan on May 1, 2024.”
Other posts with photos included, “I presented a poster at the Midwestern Robotics Workshop in Chicago on April 18, 2024.
“I was awarded the Intersectional Advocacy Award in recognition for my dedication to honoring and advocating for the intersectional nature of students’ many identities through involvement and activities.
“I had the opportunity to inspire a group of high school girls from “Girls Who Code” by telling them about my PhD journey.”
“I represented Michigan Robotics at the Robotic and Intelligent Systems Expo (RISE) at Purdue University on March 30, 2024,” Dosunmu-Ogunjobi added.
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