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Discover what our alumni have to say about studying at UCL Chemical Engineering, the skills they learnt and their career choices.
Sakiru Babatunde Badmos
UCL MSc Chemical Process Engineering 2015
UCL PhD Chemical Engineering 2020
I did my bachelors in Chemical Engineering at the University of Benin, Nigeria where I graduated with a First-Class Honours. With my degree class and having passed through rigorous selection exercise, I was awarded a Presidential Scholarship to study in one of the top 25 universities in the world, and this led to my admission at UCL. I have a distinction in my MSc and a PhD in the area of Computational Chemistry both at UCL. I have presented my research work in a number conferences in the UK and abroad, and I have published my research work in high impact journals.
I am currently a Lecturer (Teaching) at UCL - a member of the design project team and in charge of the computational tools used in Chemical Engineering.
We asked Sakiru to answer the following questions:
Since graduating, what are the key things that got you to where you are in your career today?
“Considering my background, I will say that dedication, perseverance and aspiration for academic excellence are instrumental to my achievement so far. The support, financial or otherwise that I got from the Nigerian government, family, friends and my PhD supervisor was key to my success in my academic pursuit.
What is / has been the best thing about your career?
“I have acquired several skills since I started my academic life at UCL. The experience gained in the area of computation is the best experience in my academic life as it has given me the opportunity to explore other domains of knowledge including data analytics and artificial intelligence. I am currently a Lecturer (Teaching) in charge of the computational tools used in Chemical Engineering at UCL.
What advice would you give to a current UCL Chemical Engineering student?
“My advice to current UCL students is to be focused and make good use of immense resources and support UCL offers. They should build good relationship with the academic and non-academic staff and the students, and make connections with UCL alumni as that will be very helpful in their job search after graduation.
What was your best experience at the UCL Chemical Engineering or in Ramsay Society?
“My best experience was the 2nd year departmental poster competition which I won the first prize. This gave me the confidence to intensify effort in my research in order to produce high quality research output. The experience and the comments I received during the poster competition improved my presentation and communication skills, critical thinking and research prowess. Above all, I was awarded the first prize at the 20th International Conference on Chemical and Molecular Engineering (ICCME) 2018 in Dubai, UAE.
If you could sum up Chemical Engineering in three words, what would they be?
“Universal, Invaluable and Interesting
Vome Aghoghovbia-Gafaar
UCL MEng Chemical Engineering 2015
UCL MSc Global Management of Natural Resources 2017
Vome Aghoghovbia-Gafaar is the founder of Ignite Energy Africa, a knowledge and innovation hub to shape the future of energy. She has diverse experience working in the energy industry from working as an energy specialist at Bulb, the UK's fastest-growing energy company to working as a management consultant. She has also worked at different companies, such as British Petroleum (BP), ExxonMobil and Google.
Vome is a first-class MEng chemical engineer from University College London (UCL). She has an MSc in Global Management of Natural Resources and was awarded a young engineers award for technical breakthrough by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). Vome is an author of a book 'Everyone Deserves to Sparkle and she has published articles for platforms like The Independent. She also runs a social enterprise called the Sparkle Initiatives and co-founded DVees, a food and drinks brand with her sisters.
We asked Vome to answer the following questions:
Since graduating, what are the key things that got you to where you are in your career today?
“My UCL MEng Chemical Engineering degree has opened great doors for me. The problem-solving and analytical skills I got on the job have helped me work in consulting. Secondly, the report writing skills I developed has helped me publish a book and publish articles on platforms like The Independent. Finally, the network I built at UCL has supported me on my personal and professional journey. My final year research project supervisor is still a great support and resource to me till date.
What is / has been the best thing about your career?
“One of my best experience was going to do research in Australia for six months during my MSc in Global Management of Natural Resources at UCL. It was a great experience for various reasons. Firstly, I got to experience a new country and culture. This increased my exposure and improved my outlook. Secondly, I learnt a lot from working on a relevant research project which was 'The Financial, Social and Environmental Risks of Transitioning to a Low Energy Future'. This project has been relevant to the jobs I have had. Finally, I got to increase my network during my time in Australia.
What advice would you give to a current UCL Chemical Engineering student?
“Get involved as much as you can and use the resources that are available to you. Build relationships with the academic staff and other students. Use career services resources and get involved with societies. Finally, make sure you get work experience.
What was your best experience at the UCL Chemical Engineering or in Ramsay Society?
“My best experience was my final year research project. I enjoyed my research project; I learnt a lot and I had a great research professor, Dr George Manos. I ended up getting a first class in my research project and my research project won the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) first prize Young Engineers Award Milton Kynes for technical breakthrough.
If you could sum up Chemical Engineering in three words, what would they be?
“Analytics, Diverse and Challenging
